2019 Elections Updates
Alabama: Poll Workers removed Memory Devices from Voting Machines before Information was Downloaded causing a Delay in Results Tuesday for the City Election, Montgomery County Elections Director Darryl Parker said. “The sticks had been taken out of the tabulators before the information was completely downloaded,” Parker said at a News Conference.
Mississippi: Tuesday was Primary Runoff Day in The Magnolia State and things did Not go according to Plan in a few Locations.
In Lafayette County, Voters complained about DRE Machines Not allowing them to select their Candidates. A County Tech determined it was a Calibration Issue and the Machines in question was back in Service within 30 minutes.
Voters in Calhoun County complained of similar Problems, but a County Technician could Not find any Problems, still the County chose to Remove the Machine in Question from Service.
In Hinds County, there were Issues with the E-Poll Books that seemed to allow Democrats who had Voted in the Democratic Primary to then Vote in the Republican Runoff. The “Party Lock” on the ES&S Machines was Not Working according to Pete Perry, Hinds County Republican Party Chairman.
In Lamar County, the Lamar Park Voting Precinct which had been the Site of the most recent “Cars into Polling Places” Incident, was Back Up and Running for the Runoff this week.
Legislative Updates
California: The California Assembly has Approved a Bill that would Lower the State’s Voting Age to 17. The Bill, which would ultimately put the Idea before the Voters in 2020, goes Next to the Senate however the Legislative Clock is winding down with the Session set to End on September 13th.
Maine: Late on Monday the Maine Senate Voted to Extend Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) to the Presidential Primary and General Election. In June, the Legislature Voted to Move from Party-Run Caucuses to State-Run Primaries, but Failed to Approve RCV at that time. It was Approved at the End of a One-Day Special Session. It’s unclear if Gov. Janet Miller (D) will Sign the Bill into Law.
Fair Elections Portland fell 76 Signatures Short in their effort to get a Question before the Voters that would Expand the use of RCV to All Offices in Portland.
New Jersey: Lawmakers are rushing to Fix a Problem they Created with the State’s Permanent Absentee Voter List. When Lawmakers Reformed the Law they intended to Alter it to Include Voters in 2017 and 2018 and Instead they Inadvertently Eliminated Everyone on the List before 2016, about 172,000 Voters. On Monday the Senate Approved Emergency Legislation to Authorize spending $2 Million to Fix the Problem. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has Signed the Bill into Law.
North Carolina: The House considered several Elections-related Bills this week including Legislation that would Impose Stricter Rules for requesting Mail-In Absentee Ballots, Paid Postage for Return Ballot, and Allow Counties to continue to use DRE Voting Machines through 2020 plus Legislation that would Remove from Voter Rolls Anyone who is Disqualified from Jury Duty because they are Determined Not to be a U.S. Citizen.
Oregon: Advocates are once again gathering Signatures in an attempt to get an Initiative on an Upcoming Ballot that if Approved would move Lane County to the STAR Voting system. STAR stands for
Score Then Automatic Runoff. Under this system, Voters Rank each Candidate with a system of Zero to Five Stars. The Two Highest Scoring Candidates are Finalists, and Face-Off in an Instant Runoff. If a Voter’s Top Choice doesn’t make the Runoff, their Vote goes to the Finalist they Ranked the Highest.
Utah: The Government Operations Interim Committee Recommended to Drop the Issue of Plurality Elections. After a Presentation on the Frequency of Plurality Victories, the Costs, and Administrative Burden of Various Solutions, the Committee Voted Unanimously to Recommend that No Changes be made in the Short Term to the State’s Election Laws.
Legal Updates
Arizona: Randy Allen Jumper, 61, of Tucson has been Charged with Voting Twice in 2016, once in Pima County and a Second time in Washoe County, Nevada.
Florida: The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has Ruled that Former Broward County Supervisor of Elections, Brenda Snipes, followed the Law by how she Removed People who had Died or Moved Away from the Voter Rolls. A Conservative Group, the American Civil Rights Union (ACLU), Sued Snipes’ Office in 2016, claiming it was Violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by Not properly making Efforts to Remove Ineligible Voters from its Lists.
Indiana: The Seventh Circuit Tuesday Upheld an Order Blocking Indiana from Removing Voters from Electoral Rolls by using a Kansas’ Interstate Crosscheck Program, which has been Criticized for Allegedly Targeting Minorities and Canceling Registrations without Voters’ Consent. “Registering to vote in another state is not the same as a request for removal from Indiana’s voting rolls,” U.S. Circuit Judge Diane Wood said in a 35-page Ruling. “Indiana equates double registration with double voting. But the two are quite different.”
Texas: A Hidalgo County Grand Jury has returned 13 New Indictments tied to the Illegal Voting and Election Fraud Investigation in the City of Edinburg in 2017. All Defendants had previously been Arrested in Connection with the Ongoing Election Fraud Case.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
