Georgia: Republicans have been considering a Number of New Voting Restrictions targeting Democratic Voters in reaction to Democratic Victories in the 2020 Election Cycle'. Top Republicans: Gov. Brian Kemp; Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan; and state House Speaker David Ralston, have All endorsed Requiring Voter ID for Absentee Voting.

One Bill would require that Absentee Voters Submit Voter ID not Once but Twice if they want to Vote by Mail. Under the proposed Bill, Voters would have to include a Photocopy of their ID both when they Apply for an Absentee Ballot and when they Return their Ballot. This Transparently pointless Requirement would do nothing except make it Harder for Voters to Cast Mail Ballots, a method now heavily preferred by Democrats.

Up until 2020, Absentee Voting was disproportionately used by Elderly White Voters who favored Republicans. GOP Lawmakers are now trying to Extend their Voter ID Law after 2020 saw Absentee Voting heavily favor Democrats thanks largely to Trump's Attacks on Mail Voting.

Mississippi: Republican State Senators are considering a Bill that would Purge Voters from the Registration Rolls if they Don't Vote in Four Consecutive Years or Respond to a Single Notice Form. The Bill would result in Infrequent Voters who still remain Eligible to Vote being Removed from the Rolls simply for exercising their Right Not to Vote. This Violates the Voting Rights Act, that requires Not Voting in Two Consecutive Federal Elections, Not Responding to a Mailed Notice, and then Not Voting in Two Consecutive Federal Elections, before being Removed from the Voter Rolls.

Montana: Newly Elected Secretary of State, Christi Jacobsen (R) has Endorsed a Bill under consideration by GOP Lawmakers that would Eliminate Same-day Voter Registration. Calling it "very important legislation," Jacobsen's support may be a sign that Republicans are ready to pass this New Restriction into Law now that, for the First time in 16 years, they have Unified Control over State Government.

North Dakota: Republican Legislators have introduced a spate of New Restrictions on Voting Access and the Ballot Initiative Process as their New Session gets Underway.

One Bill would require Voters to be a Resident of their Jurisdiction for a year before Election Day to be able to Vote, greatly lengthening the current requirement of 30 days, which is far more Typical among other States. If enacted, this Provision could Disenfranchise College Students, Active-Duty Military Service Members and their Families, and even New Residents who plan on remaining long-term.

Another Measure cuts the Number of Early Voting Days from 15 to just Seven.

A further Proposal would institute an Excuse Requirement for Absentee Voting while Exempting Voters age 65 and up, who typically lean more Republican than Younger Voters. Under Current Law, All Voters are allowed to Vote Absentee without needing One of a Limited Set of Excuses.

One Constitutional Amendment would require 60% support to Pass New amendments at the Ballot Box instead of the current Simple Majority. Had this Supermajority Threshold been in place in 2018, a successful Ballot Initiative to Create a State Ethics Commission would have instead Failed to pass since it only Won with 54% Voter Approval.

Another Amendment would Limit Voter-Initiated Amendments to only a Single Subject, thereby Limiting the Ability of a Single Measure to enact Broad Reforms.

A separate Statutory Proposal would Require that the Full Text of a proposed Amendment be placed on the Ballot instead of a Concise Summary. That could increase Voter Confusion and dramatically Lengthen Ballots, which could in turn lead to Longer Voting Lines if Voters take the time to Read Amendments in Full, or cause Voters to Skip Initiatives entirely when Confronted with Large Blocks of text.

These Proposals come as a Reaction to Reformers who established the Ethics Commission in 2018 and sought to Ban Gerrymandering in 2020, albeit Unsuccessfully. While the Ethics Commission Measure passed, North Dakota's Conservative-Dominated State Supreme Court Removed the Redistricting Measure from the Ballot on the dubious grounds that the Petition Voters had Signed to Place the Measure on the Ballot was Misleading.

These Efforts are part of a National Pattern in several States over the last decade that has seen Republicans move to Restrict Ballot Initiatives in the wake of their Successful use to Expand Voting Rights, Curb Gerrymandering, and Adopt other Good-Government Reforms. The North Dakota GOP previously tried to Restrict Ballot Initiatives last year with a Constitutional Amendment that would have required Voter-Approved Initiatives to Pass a Second Time if Legislators Rejected it, but Voters Rejected the GOP's Amendment last November.

Wyoming: Republicans have once again introduced a Bill to Require Voter ID, and 2021 looks like it will finally be the year that they Enact it. Republicans Failed to Advance similar Proposals by a Single Vote in both 2020 and 2019 due to Internal Opposition, but last year's Elections saw Right-Wing Hardliners oust several more Mainstream conservative Republicans in Primaries, while GOP gains in November left Democrats with their Smallest Minorities in over a Century. Republicans comprising a Majority in the State House and exactly Half of the State Senate are already Sponsoring the Bill.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker