The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 13, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We have updates on stories we’ve been following, including North Carolina’s  Supreme Court race & a power grab by its legislature, ranked choice voting in Alaska, and more charges in Wisconsin for Donald Trump’s fake elector scheme advisors.

We reported December 11th that a GOP state Supreme Court candidate who lost by 734 votes and failed in two recounts, asked the North Carolina Election Board to invalidate as many as 60,000 voters.  North Carolina Newsline reports that in a 3-2 vote Wednesday, the board rejected that request, though a court appeal is likely.

Also December 11th, the North Carolina legislature overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill designed to strip power from the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general.  In an attempt to retain GOP power before it loses its supermajority, the authority to appoint election board members was shifted to the state auditor, a Republican.  The attorney general was also stripped of any ability to bring suit against legislation proposed by the North Carolina legislature.

In Alaska, a recount of the attempted repeal of ranked choice voting and open primaries is complete.  The repeal failed by 743 votes – one-quarter of one percent.

In Wisconsin, 10 additional felony forgery charges were brought against Trump campaign advisors, attorney Jim Troupis, attorney Kenneth Chesebro, and election day director Mike Roman.

We have links to more on all these stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – After losing two recounts in State Supreme Court Race, North Carolina GOP Candidate Is Still Challenging the Eligibility of 60,000 Voters
NC Newsline – NC Board of Elections rejects GOP Supreme Court candidate’s efforts to throw out thousands of votes
Carolina Public Press – Holdout NC House reps get in line with GOP, override veto
American Democracy Minute – Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting and ‘Top 4’ Open Primaries Survive Repeal Referendum – By a Whisker
Alaska Public Media – The recount is over. Alaska will keep ranked choice voting.

PBS Newshour/AP – Trump lawyers and aide face additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors

Groups Taking Action
Democracy North Carolina, Alaskans for Better Elections, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (C.R.E.W.)

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Wisconsin #Alaska #North Carolina

The post Updates for State Stories We’ve Been Following in North Carolina, Alaska, and Wisconsin appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 25, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

With a razor-thin statewide margin of 664 votes, ranked choice voting and open primaries weathered a repeal challenge in Alaska, one of the few democracy reforms to survive the 2024 Presidential election cycle.  

We reported in 2022 that over 80% of Alaska voters found ranked choice voting easy to use, and that the open primary system offered many more candidate choices.   It also implemented a “Top 4” Congressional race, where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election, again, in an effort to offer more choice to voters.  Republicans blamed the system for the election of Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, who coincidentally lost her seat November 5th.

The right wing ballot measure to repeal it, marred by questionable funding and signature-gathering practices, was upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court.  The group formed to repeal it, Alaskans for Honest Elections, was fined $94,000 in June for violating the state’s dark money disclosure laws, after a nonprofit church organization contributed $90,000.  

Rural votes in Alaska take weeks to count, and it wasn’t until Nov. 20th that the race was called, 50.10% against the repeal, and 49.90% for it.  With the national GOP opposed to RCV and with such a close vote, expect future challenges.  Still don’t think your vote matters?    

We have links to more and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
BallotPedia – Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)

Alaska Beacon – Alaska chooses to keep ranked choice voting, Begich defeats Peltola, unofficial results show
Alaska Beacon – Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote
BallotPedia – Ballot Measure Which Established Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
American Democracy Minute – Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel ‘Free Speech’ Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting
Alaska Division of Elections – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained

Groups Taking Action:

Alaskans for Better Elections, Represent.Us, Open Primaries

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Alaska #OpenPrimaries #RankedChoiceVoting

The post Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting and ‘Top 4’ Open Primaries Survive Repeal Referendum – By a Whisker appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 21, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A 2020 Alaska ballot initiative took steps to shine a light on dark money campaign funding. The U.S. Supreme Court just turned down a challenge to that law, and it may be good news for an expected case in Maine.

Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020, which in addition to implementing open primaries and ranked choice voting, also took steps to disclose dark money funding of campaigns and ballot measures.

It requires candidates and ballot measure organizers to disclose the “true source” of funding for any contribution over $2,000 within 24 hours, limiting the ability of donors using 501c nonprofits and other entities to hide their identities.  For any group whose funding is 50% from out of state, a disclaimer must be added for all communications, including advertising. 

Claiming a violation of First Amendment rights, several groups and contributors sued, but November 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the case without comment. Great news for voters, and it also could bode well for Maine’s recently passed Question 1, limiting contributions to SuperPACs to $5,000 and requiring disclosure of those donations.  Organizers of that initiative expect it will be challenged, and think the U.S. Supreme Court majority could uphold a state’s power to regulate campaign finance contributions.

We have links to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alaskans for Better Elections – Greater Transparency in Campaign Financing
BallotPedia – Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
U.S. Supreme Court – Appeal Request

Alaska Beacon – U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules
Anchorage Daily News – US Supreme Court rejects challenge to Alaska campaign disclosure rules approved by voters in 2020
Associated Press – A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge

Groups Taking Action:

Alaskans for Better Elections, Maine Citizens to End SuperPACs

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Alaska #Maine #Dark Money #EndCitizensUnited #SCOTUS

The post SCOTUS Turns Down Case Challenging Alaska’s Dark Money Disclosure Law. Great News for Voters and a Possibly a Future Case in Maine. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 7, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Democracy reform-related citizen ballot initiatives failed November 5th, as high turnout of GOP voters and deceptive messaging overwhelmed a citizen-led redistricting commission, open primaries and ranked choice voting.

Ohio’s Issue 1 citizen-led redistricting commission could not overcome high turnout and a deceptive rewriting of the issue’s ballot description by Ohio’s Secretary of State and Ballot Board.  That effort portrayed the reform itself as gerrymandering in an effort to confuse voters, and it failed 46 to 54 percent.  The measure proposed a 15-member, cross-partisan independent commission without politicians or lobbyists in an effort to create fair maps, rather than the current flawed politician-led system.

As part of a two-vote constitutional amendment process, Nevada voters considered Question 3, establishing a “top 5” open primary and ranked choice voting system. The second vote failed 45.5 to 54.5 percent after passing it two years ago.  

Colorado’s open primary initiative, Proposition 131, received only 44 percent approval, after being opposed by both the Democratic and Republican parties.

As of early November 6th, votes supporting Alaska’s Ballot Measure 2 to REPEAL its “top 4” open primary and ranked choice voting system had edged ahead, with 100,000 votes remaining to be counted.  

We’ll update that result and other democracy measures in a future report.

We have links to local analysis and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio voters reject Issue 1, leaving politicians in control over map-making process

Nevada Current – Nevada voters reject open primaries, ranked choice voting system
Colorado Newsline – Colorado voters appear to reject sweeping elections overhaul backed by wealthy donors
Alaska Beacon – Votes to repeal Alaska’s open primaries, ranked choice voting are narrowly ahead

Groups Taking Action:
Yes on Issue 1 Ohio, Yes on 3 Nevada, Yes on 131 Colorado, Alaskans for Better Elections

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #CitizensNotPoliticians #FairMaps #RankedChoiceVoting

The post High Turnout of Conservative Voters Also Led to Losses for Democracy Reform in Ohio, Nevada, Colorado and Potentially Alaska appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 21, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Early voting is well under way in 22 states, and will be joined by another 11 states Oct. 21st and 22nd.   But if you’re not registered in Pennsylvania, Alabama or South Dakota, your time runs out by the end of day on Oct. 21st.  

On Monday and Tuesday, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, South Carolina, Texas, Hawaii, Missouri, Utah, and Wisconsin begin early voting.  Depending on your state’s rules, that could mean early in-person voting, or by mail, or both.   Seven more states, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and New York begin later in the week.

Monday October 21st, voter registration closes in the battleground state of Pennsylvania for the November 5th general election, as do Alabama and South Dakota.   Other states closing registrations later this week are Nebraska, Massachusetts and New York, none of which, for voters who miss those deadlines, offer election-day registration.

Voter registration has already closed in 22 states, and none of those states offer election day registration, either.    

Voting early can mean shorter lines, less hassle and if you’re voting by mail, sometimes a chance to fix minor mistakes on your ballot. 

We’ve linked information on early voting and registration deadlines for all these states at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

To view the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
BallotPedia – Voter registration deadlines, 2024

BallotPedia –  2024 election and voting dates
National Conference of State Legislatures – Same Day/Election Day Voter Registration
Vote.gov – Register to Vote by State
Pennsylvania Voter Services – Voter Registration Application
Alabama Secretary of State – Register to Vote / Update Your Information
South Dakota Secretary of State –  Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration

Check Your Voter Registration/State Information on Registering:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #EarlyVoting #VoterRegistration #RegistertoVote 

The post Early Voting Begins in 18 States This Week, But Voter Registration Ends in 6 States.  You Can’t Vote If You’re Not Registered.  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.