The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 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.

How’s this for cruel irony:   Arizona anti-voter legislators are proposing voters pass their legislative constitutional ballot question this November to make it harder for voters to get a citizen ballot initiative on the ballot.  

Currently, an Arizona citizen ballot question requires statewide signatures from 10% of registered voters for a state statute, and 15% for a constitutional amendment.  But in 2023, the Arizona legislature passed the Arizona Distribution Requirement for Initiatives Amendment. This ballot measure changes the rules for citizen ballot questions, requiring, for a state statute, that signatures come from 10% of the number of voters who voted for in the previous governor’s race, AND requiring they come from EACH legislative district in the state.  For constitutional amendments, it’s 15% from each district.

Arizona pro-voter groups say such a requirement adds huge costs by requiring hundreds more signature gatherers to reach into Arizona’s rural legislative districts, with fewer voters and commerce centers.  

Another 2024 legislative ballot measure aims to raise the threshold to pass a constitutional amendment to 60%.  Ohio recently failed to use threshold and signature distribution requirements to head off a reproductive rights amendment.  

And even if advocates gather enough signatures, opponents are using a new financial intimidation tactic to discourage ballot questions.  More on that tomorrow.  

Read more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Arizona Legislature – Text of SCR 1015
BallotPedia – Arizona Signature Distribution Requirement for Initiatives Amendment (2024)
Arizona Mirror – Resolution would make passing constitutional amendments more difficult
Brennan Center for Justice – Politicians Take Aim at Ballot Initiatives
Bolts Magazine – Arizona Republicans Set Up a Ballot Measure to Squash Future Ballot Measures

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The post Arizona Anti-Voter Legislators Up Their Game to Quash Citizen Ballot Initiatives appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 7, 2023

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.

Notable court cases brought by Arizona election deniers during and after the 2022 midterms have had decisions in the last few weeks.  It didn’t go well for the election deniers.

KJZZ reports that last month, a federal court ordered the legal team for former gubernatorial candidate and Trump acolyte, Kari Lake, to pay $122,000 in sanctions.  The judge found that Lake’s lawyers made false claims in a frivolous lawsuit attempting to block the use of ballot tabulating  machines in the November 2022 elections.  Most of the case was dismissed in August 2022, and the final claim in December.   

Another of Lake’s cases which claimed irregularities in Maricopa county, was also dismissed as baseless earlier this year.  Sanctions were requested by the county attorney, but waived by the judge.  Lake’s not done, however. July 14th, she appealed the Maricopa County decision to the Arizona Supreme Court.

Then last week, fellow Arizona election denier and former candidate for Secretary of State Mark Finchem, dropped his appeal of his midterm loss, but not the appeal of the $48,000 in sanctions for pursuing a case with no legal merit.   

We have links to the great local reporting on these cases at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.  Find us on Facebook @AmericanDemocracyMinute.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Fox 10 Phoenix – Sanctions sought for Kari Lake following latest 2022 election lawsuit defeat: Here’s what you should know
KJZZ – Judge sanctions legal team for Kari Lake and Mark Finchem
KJZZ – Attorneys for Kari Lake and Mark Finchem fined more than $120,000 by federal judge
SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA MARICOPA COUNTY – KARI LAKE v.  KATIE HOBBS, et al.
Arizona Mirror – Kari Lake asks Supreme Court to overturn her loss, let her skip the appeals process
Arizona Mirror – Richer sues Lake for defamation
12 News Phoeinix – Judge dismisses Mark Finchem’s lawsuit challenging election results
Arizona’s Law Blog – Mark Finchem DROPS His Election Contest Appeal; Still Appealing Sanctions, Though

Arizona Supreme Court – Kari Lake’s July 14th Appeal

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ArizonaPolitics #ElectionDeniers

The post Dismissed: The Recent Arizona Election Denier Court Cases Which Crashed and Burned appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 25, 2023

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links now 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 Arizona candidate Kari Lake’s election challenge, and Shasta County, California’s decision to hand count ballots.

First to Arizona, where Monday, the remaining claim in Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s lawsuit challenging her loss has finally been dismissed.  Lake, who disputed the 2020 Presidential election then her own 2022 election,  contended that signatures on mail-in ballots weren’t properly verified, a claim for which the judge said she had provided no credible evidence that violated the law.  Lake lost the election to Gov. Katie Hobbs by over 17,000 votes.  It’s unclear whether Lake will appeal.

Last week, a recall of Shasta County, California Commissioner Kevin Crye moved forward, with approval of the recall petition language.   KRCR reports that a citizens group now must collect over 4100 signatures to put the recall on the November ballot.  Crye is allied with MyPillow CEO and election denier Mike Lindell.

Crye and the conservative majority of the Shasta County Commission voted in March to replace existing Dominion Voting Systems tabulators with a system to hand-count ballots, at a cost of almost $1 Million dollars.   Shasta County has 111,000 registered voters, and hand counting is expected to take over a week and cost the county tens of thousands more in labor costs.   

We have more on these stories and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Courthouse News Service – Kari Lake loses election challenge
Democracy Docket – Arizona Judge Issues Final Blow to Kari Lake’s Six-Month Election Contest

NBC News – (2022) Arizona Governor’s Race Results
KRCR – A look inside Shasta County’s voting change; what state, local officials are saying
KRCR – Petition to recall Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye passes review “with flying colors”
Sacramento Bee – In Shasta County, moderate Republicans and union organizers push back on ‘far-right extremism’

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause Arizona, States United Democracy Center, Recall Kevin Crye,  United Public Employees of California

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionDeniers

The post Election Denier Updates: AZ Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Loses Election Challenge; Shasta County CA Commissioner Recall Moves Forward appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 14, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alaska Public Media – Why Alaska uses ranked choice voting and what we know about how it affects elections
Reason Magazine – Don’t Blame Ranked Choice Voting. Sarah Palin Was a Bad Candidate.
InForum – North Dakota Gov. Burgum vetoes bill to ban approval voting
Arizona Mirror – Hobbs vetoes bills to bar ranked-choice voting, criminalize immigrant aid groups

Represent.Us – GOVERNORS FROM BOTH PARTIES VETO RANKED CHOICE VOTING BANS
Heritage Foundation – Ranked-Choice Voting Should Be Ranked Dead Last as an Election Reform

Alaska Beacon – Five takeaway lessons from Alaska’s first ranked choice election
Try Out Ranked Choice Voting – Election: Practice Ranked-Choice Voting: Favorite Alaska Wild Animal

FairVote – What is Ranked Choice Voting (video)

Groups Taking Action:
Fair Vote, Voter Choice Arizona,  League of Women Voters ND, ACLU ND, Save Democracy Arizona

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

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

In January, we reported on the nine states considering Ranked Choice Voting this year.   We DIDN’T anticipate the wave of state bills BANNING the ranked choice voting system.      

The anti-RCV bills follow a Republican loss in Alaska’s “top 4” congressional election last year which successfully employed RCV.  When Democrat Mary Peltola emerged as the winner, former governor Sarah Palin blamed RCV for her loss. 

The Heritage Foundation, already a vocal opponent of RCV and seeing multiple pro-RCV bills proposed in red states, doubled down.  Calling it a “scheme,” “chaotic” and “confusing,” Heritage called for Republican legislators nationwide to oppose RCV.   

Two of those anti-RCV bills were just vetoed by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.  North Dakota’s HB 1273 would forbid North Dakota municipalities from choosing what form of election system to use for LOCAL elections.  Burgum called the bill a “state overreach” on local control.

Arizona’s HB 2552 was similar, outlawing the use Ranked Choice Voting.   Idaho and South Dakota have already passed bans this year, and Texas and Montana are considering them.   North Dakota’s legislature may shortly consider a veto override, and Arizona Republicans are preparing a constitutional amendment to ban RCV to appear on the 2024 ballot.

Meanwhile, 79% of Alaska voters found Ranked Choice Voting easy, and 60% said the election was more competitive – which may explain the rush to ban it.  

We have RCV resources at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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The post Conservative Legislatures Rush to Ban Ranked Choice Voting, Despite Its Popularity with Voters appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 12, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
KOLD 13 News – Bill requiring all parts of Arizona election machines be made in US passes out of committee
KTAR News – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes 3 election bills, including early voting list restriction
Arizona Mirror – Hobbs vetoes election, abortion bills
Democracy Docket – Arizona Governor Vetoes Three Election Bills

Groups Taking Action:
Mi Familia Vota Arizona,  American Alliance of Retired Americans – Arizona,  Common Cause Arizona, Native American Rights Fund,  League of Women Voters Arizona

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

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

We have positive news from Arizona, where Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed three anti-voter bills last week, passed by a legislature bent on making voting harder for its citizens  – and its election workers.  

Voting Rights Lab reports that over 80 election-related bills were filed this session, after a past year of conspiracy theories and chaos in counties around Arizona.  Last Monday, Gov. Katie Hobbs, who won a bruising campaign over election denier Kari Lake last year, vetoed SB 1074, which would have required ballot tabulating machines to be made entirely of U.S. components.  Testimony on the bill indicated that no such replacement machine exists, meaning elections would be hand counted  – a slower, less accurate and more expensive method.

Hobbs also vetoed HB 2415, which would have purged registered voters from the semi-permanent vote-by-mail list after just one election cycle if they didn’t vote.  Currently, non-voting voters are removed from the list after two-cycles.   

Signature matching is notoriously inaccurate, particularly for elderly and disabled voters.   HB 2322, a bill which would have codified signature verification already in practice under Arizona’s election guidelines, was also vetoed by Hobbs.  

Governor Hobbs said in one veto statement, “I stand ready to sign bills that make voting more accessible, accurate and secure.”

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

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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The post Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Three Anti-Voter Bills  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.