VOTER SUPPRESSION

Arkansas: Republican State Legislators have Approved a Bill over Democratic Opposition that would make Arkansas' Voter ID Law Stricter, sending it to Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) for his Signature. The Bill Removes the Option for Voters who lack an ID to Vote by Signing a Sworn Statement under Penalty of Perjury, instead Mandating an ID in order to have One's Vote Counted.

Arizona: Republican State Senators have Passed a Bill in Committee that would Shorten the Mail Voting Period from 27 to 22 days before Election Day and Require such Ballots be Postmarked by the Thursday before Election Day. Voting Advocates have Warned about its particularly Harmful Impact on Native American Voters living in Remote Rural Areas with Limited or Unreliable Mail Service.

In the state House, Republicans have Passed several New Voting Restrictions in Committee, including a Bill that would require People and Groups who are Registering more than 25 Voters in a given year to Register with the State, Mandating that they put Unique Identifying Numbers on every Registration Form they Submit. Advocacy Groups Condemned the Bill and argued it Risked Leading to Registration Forms being Thrown Out. Other Bills would Bban Election Officials from Automatically Registering Voters or Mailing Ballots to All Voters without their Request.

Florida: Govenor Ron DeSantis (R) has proposed several New Voting Restrictions for Lawmakers to Adopt. These Proposals include Measures that would:

- Restrict Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes.

- Ban People other than Immediate Family Members from Collecting and Submitting Absentee Ballots on behalf of Another Voter.

- Ban Election Officials from Mailing Ballots to All Voters instead of just those who've Requested One.

- Bar Absentee Ballot Request Forms from applying to Two Full Election Cycles, meaning Voters who Requested an Absentee Ballot in 2020 will Retroactively have their Requests Canceled for the 2022 Election Cycle.

- Require Absentee Ballot Signatures to Match the one on the Voter's File, meaning Officials with No Formal Handwriting-Analysis Training could make Subjective Decisions about Matches.

- Ban Private Third-Party Organizations from giving Grants to Local Election Officials to Help Increase Voter Turnout.

Republicans Control both Legislative Chambers and are likely to Pass at least some of these Restrictions into Law.

Georgia: State House Republicans Passed a Bill in Committee enacting a spate of New Voting Restrictions that had been introduced with almost No Advance Notice before Legislators took it up for Consideration. The Bill adopts Measures that would:

- Require that Voters provide the Number on their Driver's License, State ID, or a Photocopy of their ID when Requesting an Absentee Ballot and a Photocopy of their ID when Returning an Absentee Ballot.

- Limit Wweekend Early Voting.

- Restrict Absentee Ballot Drop-Boxes to Only the Inside of Early Voting Locations or County Election Offices, making them Unavailable Outside of Regular Business Hours.

- Set a Minimum of One Drop Box per 200,000 Registered Voters.

- Shorten the Runoff Period in Federal Elections from Nine Weeks to Four Weeks, with the apparent intent of giving Campaigns Less Time to Mobilize Voters. Instant Runoffs would be used for Overseas Civilian and Military Voters to avoid Running afoul of Federal Law mandating that their Ballots be sent out 45 days before an Election.

- Ban State Officials from Mailing Unsolicited Absentee Ballot Request Forms to All Voters after Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger (d), did so in the 2020 Primary.

- Disqualify Ballots that were Cast in the Wrong Precinct but in the Right County, which currently may be Counted as Provisional Ballots.

- Limit Mobile Early Voting Buses to only Emergency Situations.

- Bar Counties from Receiving Private Funding to Help Administer Elections.

- Block Officials from Distributing Food and Drinks to Voters Waiting-in-Line to Vote.

This Legislative blitzkrieg Bill drew Widespread Condemnation from Democrats and Voting Rights Advocates. It's unclear just which Provisions stand a chance of achieving Final Passage after Republican State Senators and some Legislative Leaders expressed Skepticism over Some of the Provisions.

In the State Senate, Republicans have Passed a Bill that requires Voters to provide the Number on their Driver's License, State ID, or a Photocopy of their ID when Requesting an Absentee Ballot, but unlike the above Provision in the House's Legislation, this Bill only concerns requesting Absentee Ballots, Not Returning them. Republicans also Passed Bills in State Senate Committee to Repeal Automatic Voter Registration and Reinstate an Excuse Requirement for Absentee Voting, but it would Only Apply to Voters under age 65, Elderly Voters typically Favor Republicans.

Idaho: State House Republicans have Passed a Bill making it a Felony to Collect and Submit another Voter's Mail Ballot on their Behalf, with only Limited Exceptions for Family Members, Election Officials, and Postal Workers. Spearheaded by House Majority Leader, Mike Moyle (R), who argued that "voting shouldn't be easy" to Justify the Restriction, the Bill Limits Family Members to turning in no more than Six Ballots. It also imposes Burdens on Voters who lack Sufficient Access to Transportation and other Voting options, such as People with Disabilities or those Living in Remote Rural areas like Native American Reservations.

Indiana: State Senate Republicans have Passed a Bill that Strips Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) and the State Election Commission of their Power to Implement Emergency Changes to Election Procedures after they had used that Power to Expand Voting Access last year due to the Pandemic.

Iowa: Republican State Legislators have Passed a Bill along Party Lines that Enacts a Broad Range of New Voting Restrictions, sending it to Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) for her expected Signature. The Bill would:

- Cut the Early Voting Period from 29 to 20 Days.

- Close the Polls on Election Day at 8 PM instead of 9 PM, making it Harder for Working People and those with Children to Vote.

- Require Mail Ballots to be Received by Officials on Election Day instead of Postmarked by Election Day and Received a Few Days Afterward, which would have Disqualified roughly 6,500 Ballots in 2020.

- Ban County Officials from Mailing Unsolicited Absentee Ballot Request Forms to All Voters. A Previous Version of the Bill Banned County Officials from Mailing even Requested Forms.

- Prevent County Officials from Mailing Absentee Ballots to Voters more than 20 days before Election Day, a Reduction from the current 29 days and a Shorter window than in all but Five States; and Bar Voters from Requesting an Absentee Ballot less than 15 days before Election Day instead of the Current 10 days.

Missouri: State House Republicans have Passed a Bill that would revive Missouri's Photo Voter ID Requirement in the wake of a State Supreme Court Decision last year that Gutted most of the GOP's Previous Voter ID Law. That Ruling allowed Voters to Present Non-Photo ID such as a Utility Bill, but the New Bill would Require Voters who Lack a Photo ID to cast a Provisional Ballot that would Only be Counted if they later Return with a Photo ID or if their Signature Matches the One from their Voter Registration.

While the GOP's previous Voter ID Law was thoroughly Curtailed by the State Supreme Court, it's Unclear if the Court will Block this Latest Voter ID Restriction. Gov. Mike Parson (R) is set to Appoint a Replacement for Justice Laura Denvir Stith, who was Appointed by former Gov. Bob Holden (D) and is Retiring on March 8th, Five years before her Term was set to Expire, which would give GOP Appointees a Majority on the Bench. However, last year's Ruling saw GOP-appointed Justice Patricia Breckenridge side with her Four Democratic-appointed Colleagues against the Law, so it isn't a foregone conclusion that this Latest Bill will Survive in Court.

Montana: Republican State Senators Passed a Bill earlier this month that would make Montana's Voter ID Law more Restrictive. Photo IDs are already Required under State Law, but the GOP's Bill would Require Voters to Present a Second Form of ID such as a Paycheck or Utility Bill if they use Particular Forms of Identification such as a Student ID. Democrats and Native Voting Rights Advocates have Argued that this would make it more Difficult for certain Groups of People to Vote.

In the State House, Republicans and a Handful of Democrats have Passed a Bill that would Prevent the Governor from making Emergency Election Changes without Legislative Approval, as former Gov. Steve Bullock (D) did last year to Authorize Counties to adopt Universal Vote-by-Mail during the Pandemic. While Newly Elected Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) is unlikely to take steps like these Expanding Access, this Bill would give GOP Legislators a Veto over similar Attempts by any Future Governor.

House Republicans also narrowly Failed to Advance a Bill that would Require People who are Claimed by another Person as a Dependent for Tax Purposes to Vote at the Claimant's Address in Local Elections. Under this Proposal, many College Students would have been Unable to Vote on Campus or even in Montana altogether. Similar Laws have been Subject to Litigation in other States, with Lower Federal Courts Ruling that Students have a Right to Vote where they go to School. That Bill had previously Won initial Approval in the House, and it could be Revived if a few Republicans Change their Minds.

Republicans Passed a Bill in a State House Committee that would Limit who can Turn-In someone else's Absentee Ballot on their behalf. This Bill would Bar anyone who isn't a Family or Household Member, Caregiver, or an "acquaintance" who is a Registered Voter in the same County from Turning in another Person's Ballot, thereby Preventing Voter Advocacy Groups or Political Campaigns from organizing Ballot Collection efforts.

A Previous Republican-backed Law imposing similar Restrictions was Blocked in Court last year for Discriminating against Native American Voters, who often Live on Remote Rural Reservations where Mail Service and Transportation Access are Limited. This latest Bill may therefore also face Difficulty surviving a likely Lawsuit.

Wyoming: Republicans have Passed a Bill in State House Committee to Require Voter ID. Previous attempts to Adopt a Voter ID Requirement had narrowly Failed in recent years, but with a Majority of the Full House and Half the State Senate Sponsoring this latest Bill, it is likely to Pass this time.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker