The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 23, 2025
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
While President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6th pardons and executive orders have dominated the news, state legislatures have been hard at work on both pro-voter and anti-voter legislation. Democracy legislation tracker Voting Rights Lab counts 432 election bills pending in 32 states, with 100 of those bills restricting voter access, while 205 expand it.
The Wisconsin Senate and Assembly have approved Senate Joint Resolution 2, which would put a proposed voter ID constitution amendment before the voters in November. A Pew Research survey found 81% of Americans support a requirement for government issued ID to vote, despite its impact on the poor, disabled and the elderly.
A New York Senate committee moved three pro-voter bills forward, authorizing county voting centers in addition to local precincts, and requiring the state to join the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, to help keep its voter rolls clean. Another bill would criminalize spreading misleading election information intended to suppress the vote.
An Arizona Senate committee endorsed SB 1011, making changes to mail-in early voting rules, including when and where ballots may be returned. The Virginia House approved a constitutional amendment to automatically restore rights to people formerly incarcerated for felonies. Governor Glenn Younkin had previously ordered rights restoration on a case-by-case basis only.
We’ll be following all these bills in the months to come.
Find a link to the Voting Rights Lab tracker at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Voting Rights Lab – The Markup: January 21, 2025
Voting Rights Lab – Bill Tracking Search (Registration required)
Votebeat Wisconsin – Wisconsin voters to decide whether to put photo ID requirement in constitution
Albany News 10 – Senate majority pushes legislative package with voting, election reform
Arizona Mirror – More AZ counties back Florida-style early ballot changes backed by Republicans
Virginia Mercury – Historic push for constitutional protections in Virginia gains momentum
Groups Taking Action:
Disability Rights Wisconsin, League of Women Voters NY, Arizona Democracy Resource Center
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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