Legislative Updates
Federal Legislation: The Secure Elections Act has Two New Bipartisan Cosponsors. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), Leaders of the Senate Armed Services Cyber Subcommittee signed onto the Bill this week.
California: A New Law in place will require Journalists, Researchers, and Political Campaigns that receive Voter Data from the State to Report any Breaches to that Data.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed Legislation into Law that will require Counties to provide Postage for Return Vote-by-Mail Ballots beginning in 2019.
Illinois: Gov. Bruce Rauner has Vetoed a Bill that would have Removed Illinois from the Interstate Crosscheck System.
Massachusetts: By a unanimous 38-0 vote, the Senate have Approved H 4671 which if Signed by the Governor would implement Automatic Voter Registration in Massachusetts. Voters who have Interactions with the Registry of Motor Vehicles or MassHealth would be Automatically Registered unless they Opt-Out.
The Northampton City Council has Unanimously Approved a Resolution that would Lower to the Voting Age to 16 in Local Elections. A Second and Final Vote will be held later this Month. Following the Second Vote, the city will need to Draft a Home-Rule Petition to the Legislature.
New Hampshire: Following the State Supreme Court Ruling, Advising that HB 1264, Relative to Construction of the Terms: Resident, Inhabitant, Residence, and Residency, is indeed Constitutional, Gov. Chris Sununu has Signed the Bill into Law. Some say it will create a Poll Tax.
Legal Updates
Florida: U.S. District Court Judge Mark Walker heard Arguments this Week over attempts to Block On-Campus Early Voting Sites in Gainesville and Tallahassee. Walker has not ruled yet.
Georgia: An Amicus Curiae Brief was filed on behalf of Common Cause, the National Election Defense Coalition, and Project Democracy in Curling v. Kemp, the ongoing Case Challenging the State’s use of Voting Machines with No Voter-Verified, Auditable Paper Trail.
Indiana: Judge Sarah Evans Barker of the U.S. District Court in the Southern District in Indiana has ordered Marion County to Establish a Minimum of Five Satellite Voting Locations in time for the 2018 General Election. The Consent Decree also calls for a Minimum of Two Satellite Offices for future Primary Elections.
Minnesota: Judge Jennifer Frisch, a Ramsey County Judge, has given Secretary of State Steve Simon 10 Days to provide Voter Registration Information to the Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA). In January 2017, the MVA formally asked Simon for Access to an Electronic Copy of Data in the Statewide Voter Registration System, including: Voter Identification Number, Name, Address, Phone Number, Year of Birth, Voting History, Type of Ballot (Absentee or In-Person), Voter Status (active, inactive, deleted, challenger), Reason for Challenge, and all other Information. Simon Declined saying the Group was only entitled to: Name, Address, Year of Birth, History, District, and Phone Number. Simon’s Office has sought a Stay while it is Appealing the Ruling.
New Hampshire: In a 3-2 Ruling, the New Hampshire Supreme Court found that House Bill 1264 “serves the compelling interest of insuring that those allowed to vote in this state share a community interest with the population generally.” According the Courthouse News, the Bill Removes the phrase “for the indefinite future” from New Hampshire’s Voter Residency Statute. The Change would mean that anyone Registering to Vote would be declaring his or her Residency in the State. Currently, a Person only needs to Claim New Hampshire as their Domicile in order to Vote.
Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union argued in District Court that the State Law allowing Ballots to be Discarded because a Signature on a Ballot does Not Match that on the Affidavit is Unconstitutional.
Utah: The Navajo Nation’s Human Rights Commission has filed an Election Complaint against San Juan County over Incidents they allege happened during the Primary. The Complaint includes Issues with Electioneering and Voter Intimidation by Poll Workers, Insufficient Staffing, Lack of Ballots, Failure of Lights and Air Conditioning, and General Lack of Decorum, among other things. County Officials have Accused the Navajo Nation of Harassment.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
