Legislative Updates
Georgia: The House Government Affairs Committee has approved Senate Bill 403 which would Replace the State’s Aging Electronic Voting Equipment with Paper-Based system.
Kentucky: A Bill that would have required Kentucky Voters to show a Valid, Government-issued Photo ID in order to Vote Failed to Pass a House Committee.
Maryland: The House of Delegates has Approved a Bill that would allow for Same-Day Registration. The Bill next moves to the Senate.
Michigan: The Senate Elections Committee has unanimously Approved a Five-Bill package that would, among other things, allow the State to implement Online Voter Registration.
New Hampshire: The Senate has Approved a Bill that will give the Secretary of State the Power to Cancel Elections in Limited circumstances, such as Bad Weather.
Oklahoma: Under Senate Bill 926, Voters would be allowed to leave Work without Penalty to Vote by an In-Person Absentee Ballot, currently Voters are only afforded that on Election Day. Senate Bill 948 would Expand Saturday Early Voting Hours to 5pm instead of 2pm. Senate Bill 1269 specifies that there will be No Statewide Elections called in Odd-Numbered years in November unless there is a Vacancy.
Pennsylvania: State Rep. Marcia Hahn (R-138th, Northampton) and State Sen. Mario Scavello (R-40th District, Monroe) have each introduced Bills that seek to Curtail the use of Schools as Polling Places.
South Dakota: A Ballot Initiative which would have put a Question in front of Voters about whether or not they wanted Control of Redistricting taken from Legislators and instead given to an Independent Commission has Failed to gather enough Signatures to make the Ballot.
Utah: The Legislature has Approved a Series of Election Reform Measures that would require Drivers to tell the State Department of Licensing whether or not they want to Register to Vote. They would still have to Opt-In to Register to Vote. Also under the Bill, Residents will now be able to Register and Vote on Election Day and Voters who Fail to Vote in Back-to-Back Vote-by-Mail Elections would be Removed from the Vote-by-Mail List. To be removed from the Voting Roll, you have to miss Two Federal Elections after being notified by Mail and not responding.
Legal Updates
Arkansas: This week Pulaski County Circuit Judge Alice Gray heard arguments in a Lawsuit Challenging the State’s Voter ID Law. The Lawsuit by Voter Barry Haas contends that the Law, enacted last year, Circumvents a 2014 Arkansas Supreme Court Ruling that struck down a previous Voter ID Measure. Attorneys for the State say the Restriction is a way to Verify a Voter's Registration.
Indiana: According to the Indianapolis Star, in the latest development in an ongoing Lawsuit over Early-Voting Access in the State's Largest County, Plaintiffs have asked U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker to Order the Marion County Election Board to add additional Voting Sites before the May 8th Primaries.
Pennsylvania: A group called The Public Interest Legal Foundation has Sued the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to obtain a Copy of the State’s Voter Registration Records. A Spokesman for the Organization cited their concern about Non-Citizens Voting as reason for filing the Suit.
Tennessee: A former longtime Metro Councilman and current Head of the Nashville Chapter of the NAACP, who now says he's running for Mayor, Sued the Davidson County Election Commission on Monday, seeking to Force the City to hold Nashville's next Mayoral Election in May instead of August. The Suit argues that the Decision to hold the Election in August Violates the Metro Charter and State Law. It seeks an Election on either May 1st, when the City's Local Primary Election is Scheduled, or between May 21st and May 25th. This Week Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman ruled that the Election will be in August.
West Virginia: Isac Dakuyo, 45 of Martinsburg has been Charged with One Felony Count of Perjury for Lying on a Voter Registration Form about his Citizenship.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
