Legislative Updates
Arizona: Rep. Bob Thorpe has introduced Legislation that would make it illegal to use a Dormitory address “or other temporary college or university address” to Register to Vote in Arizona.
Colorado: Rep. Jonathan Singer (D-Longmont) has introduced Legislation that would give Jurisdictions the option to use Approval-Voting methods in Nonpartisan Elections. House Bill 17-0608 would allow voters to check as many Candidates as they like in races where Political Affiliations aren’t on the Ballot, such as City Councils and School Boards. But the Law would not require any jurisdictions to use such methods.
Hawaii: Lawmakers in Hawaii are preparing to once again consider Legislation that would transition the State to most a Vote-by-Mail State and that would automatically Register Voters when they got a new or renewed their Driver’s Licenses.
Indiana: A bill before the General Assembly would Consolidate Voting Precincts in Lake County into smaller Precincts. Rep. Harold Slager, R-Schererville, filed a Bill to establish a Commission to develop a plan to consolidate Lake County Voting Precincts with less than 600 active voters. Proponents say the Legislation will create savings for the County, while detractors decry consolidation efforts as making it difficult for Residents to Vote.
Kansas: Gov. Sam Brownback (R) has signed a quick-moving Bill fixing State Election Laws governing Special Elections. The new law extends the length of time for a Special Election in order to ensure that Absentee Ballots can be mailed to military and overseas voters.
Kentucky: Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes has included Early Voting in her Legislative Agenda for 2017 and Rep. Jody Richards (D-Bowling Green) has introduced the Legislation.
Michigan: Legislation has been introduced that would allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting and Automatic Voter Registration.
Missouri: Sen. David Sater (R-Cassville) has introduced Legislation that would implement Ranked-Choice Voting in Missouri by 2018.
Montana: Rep. Greg Hertz (R-HD-11) has introduced Legislation that would remove Election Day as a State Holiday. Hertz told Montana Public Radio that he was approached by several constituents about why some people got the day off when others did not. Linda Stoll with the Montana Association of Clerks and Recorders and Election Administrators says County Officials need Government Employee volunteers to help run Polls. She testified against the Bill.
New Hampshire: According to the Union Leader, as many as 40 Bills to change the Granite State’s Election Laws will soon be working their way through the Legislature, but the paper opines that only a few will end up on the Governor’s desk.
New Mexico: Democrats have introduced an Amendment to the State’s Constitution that would Automatically Register residents to vote when they received a new or updated license from the State’s Motor Vehicle Division.
Utah: Legislators in Utah are scrambling to update Election Laws in the likelihood that Rep. Chris Stewart may be appointed to serve in the new Presidential Administration. Currently Utah has no procedure for filing a Vacant seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to Utah Policy, the current Law states: "When a vacancy occurs for any reason in the office of a representative in Congress, the governor shall issue a proclamation calling an election to fill the vacancy." The law does not specify how soon he has to call the Election, and how that Election will be conducted.
Virginia: The House Elections Subcommittee has killed several Elections-related Bills including one that would have eliminated the Voter ID requirement for Virginians. Other vetoed bills would have expanded Absentee and Early Voting and allowed Out-of-State College IDs and IDs issued by nursing homes to the forms of ID acceptable for Voting purposes.
Following a bumpy Special Election where several Polling Places ran out of Ballots, Sen. Steve Newman (R-Bedford County) announced plans to introduce a Bill that would require Local Registrars to issue a certain percentage of Ballots for Special Election.
Legal Updates
California: A Lawsuit contesting a San Jose City Council race is focusing on 116 Contested Ballots. The losing and suing Candidate lost by just 68 votes.
Florida: Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen has ruled that Delray Beach cannot be forced to hold a Special Election to fill an Open Commission seat.
Idaho: According to the Associated Press, Idaho's Top Prosecutor has decided not to file Criminal Charges after his office was asked to review accusations of possible Voter Intimidation and Interference during Campaigning for last November's Election. Deputy Attorney General Paul Panther sent a letter this week telling the Bonner County Prosecutor's Office that he did not find evidence of malicious harassment or stalking in the alleged incidents.
Maine: Maine State Prison inmate Raishawn Key has filed a complaint that he was denied his Right to Vote because Augusta City Clerk Robert Egg rejected his Absentee Ballot application because of a “Non-Existing Street Address.”
New York: The U.S. Department of Justice has gotten involved in a Lawsuit against the New York City Board of Elections over the removal of 117,000 voters from the Rolls in the months leading up to the Election. DOJ has said that the removal of the voters was a Violation of the National Voter Registration Act.
Pennsylvania: Luzerne County has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to make Polling Places more accessible. According to the Times Leader, the Settlement stems from a survey of 52 of the County’s 180 Polling place locations during the Nov. 3rd, 2015, General Election.
Texas: The City of Pasadena has appealed a Ruling that found that it deliberately violated the Voting Rights of Hispanics. Although the Appeal has been filed, Judge Lee H. Rosenthal said the City must conduct the upcoming 2017 Election under the New Voting system.
Virginia: Vafalay Massaquoi has pleaded guilty to one Count of Election Fraud and two counts of Forging Public Records for submitting Bogus Voter-Registration forms.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
