The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 14, 2025

Today’s Script

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

While attacks on democracy norms ensue in Washington, state legislatures have also been busy.  We have updates from Utah, Kansas, Indiana, and an update on the contested North Carolina Supreme Court race. 

Voting Rights Lab reports that the Utah House is considering HB 300, which forces mail-in ballot users to deliver their ballot not by mail, but by hand to an official polling place where ID can be presented.  The elderly, disabled, and other voters for whom returning by mail is their only option, would need to seek special permission.  HB 332 would withdraw Utah from the cooperative Electronic Registration Data Center, the subject of far right conspiracy theories.  

The Kansas Senate passed SB 4, which requires receipt of mail-in ballots by 7 pm election day to count, rather than the current three days after.  An Indiana Senate committee advanced SB 284,  shortening early in-person voting from 28 days to 14 days, ending at noon the day before election day. The full Senate passed SB 10, ending use of school-issued student identification as ID for voting. 

In North Carolina, a district court judge dismissed a claim by a state supreme court candidate that in a race he lost by 734 votes, as many as 65,000 voters were ineligible.  A federal appeals court may revisit it.

We’ve linked the Voting Rights Lab’s state tracker at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Voting Rights Lab – The Markup
Voting Rights Lab – Bill Search

Utah State Legislature – HB 300 –  provides that, after a ballot is mailed to a voter, the voter is, subject to certain exceptions, required to return the ballot in person to a polling place where the voter must provide valid voter identification;
Utah State Legislature – HB 289 – authorizes the lieutenant governor to contract with a third-party to maintain voter rolls;
Kansas House (via VRL) – SB 4 – Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

Indiana Senate – SB 284 – Reduces the period during which in person absentee voting may occur to a 14 day period ending at noon on the day before election day.
The Carolina Journal – Trial judge rejects Griffin’s NC Supreme Court ballot challenges

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU of Utah,  Democracy NC, Common Cause Indiana, Loud Light Kansas

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #KansasNews #IndianaNews #NCNews, #UtahNews

The post State Updates on Bills Shortening Early Voting and Changing Mail-in Ballot Requirements, and the Contested NC Supreme Court Race Lawsuit appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 20, 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.

As states, counties and municipalities prepare for elections in November and next year’s Presidential race, reports have surfaced of short-term poll workers shortages in Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and several other states. 

The election system in most precincts around the U.S. relies on older volunteers and stipend workers who have flexibility of time to help out.  Many experienced poll workers stepped back during the pandemic, citing health concerns, and extraordinarily low unemployment rates make it harder to recruit short term workers.  

Fear is also a factor. In an April 2023 survey by the Brennan Center for Justice, 51% of local election officials also said they were somewhat concerned or very concerned about threats, harassment, and intimidation.  Twenty-one percent of local election officials who started after 2020, say they are very or somewhat unlikely to serve in the 2024 cycle.   

To counteract this loss, a coalition of veteran’s organizations created Vet the Vote to mobilize retired veterans to assist as poll workers.   Another group of media companies, businesses, democracy groups, and advocacy organizations launched Power the Polls in 2020, recruiting 275,000 poll workers for the 2022 midterms.  In August, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt urged 17-year-olds to serve as poll workers this fall. 

If you can serve your community as a poll worker, contact your local election office, or visit AmericanDemocracyMinute.org to find out more.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Kentucky Lantern – Across Kentucky, election workers needed ahead of general election
WISH-TV – Some counties short hundreds of poll workers before Election Day
Texas Tribune/Votebeat – Smaller Texas counties could face a poll worker shortage due to new state requirements
USA Today – Need extra money? Poll workers are in demand and getting a pay raise before the 2024 election.
CBS2 Iowa – Iowa still needs 10,000+ poll workers for upcoming election
Brennan Center for Justice – Local Election Officials Survey — April 2023
Pennsylvania Dept. of State – Shapiro Administration Encourages Voters, 17-Year-Old High School Students To Sign Up Today To Be Poll Workers In November Election
Vet the Vote – A national campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to become the next generation of poll workers
Power the Polls – HELP STAFF YOUR LOCAL POLLING PLACE
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Become a Poll Worker

Groups Taking Action:
Power the Polls, Vet the Vote, Vote411, League of Women Voters US

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers #BeaPollWorker

The post Tight Labor Market, Demographics, Health Concerns and Poll Worker Harassment Contribute to Shortages of Poll Workers Around the U.S. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 18, 2023

Photo: State of Ohio

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Spectrum News – New Ohio voter ID law raises discrimination concerns
Ohio Capital Journal – New voter ID requirements put out-of-state college students “between a rock and a hard place”
Dayton Daily News – With Ohio’s new voter ID law, here’s what you need to know in order to vote in May election
State of Ohio SOS –  Voter ID Requirements
WFYI Indianapolis – Bill adding new voter ID requirements to mail-in ballot applications poised to become law
Indiana General Assembly – HB 1334 Language
Nebraska Public Media –  Next steps for voter ID in Nebraska: No notary required, narrower focus on verification
Nebraska Legislature – LB535 – Require valid photographic identification and change provisions relating to voting under the Election Act and certain identification documents

Groups Taking Action:

Civic Nebraska, League of Women Voters Nebraska, Ohio Voting Rights Coalition, Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates,  ACLU Indiana,  Common Cause Indiana

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 three voter ID law updates for you today.  If you live in Indiana, Ohio, or Nebraska, pay attention:  New restrictions may make it more complicated for you to vote. 

First to Ohio, where a narrowing of what qualifies as identification to vote took effect April 7th.  No longer can utility bills or non-picture ID be used.  Instead, only an Ohio driver’s license, state-issued non-driver ID, U.S. passport, or military ID are acceptable.  Out-of-state student college IDs no longer count, and to get an Ohio ID card, they must also surrender their home state’s driver’s license.

Indiana has new ID hoops for voting by absentee.  WFYI reports that the voter must enclose a photocopy of a state-issued ID with the return envelope, or include an Indiana driver’s license or non-driver ID number in, or the voter’s last four social security digits.  

Nebraska legislators dialed back their proposed absentee voter ID legislation which required a notary’s stamp.  Another provision would have limited who could apply to vote by mail.   The Nebraska Examiner’s reporting showed that notaries are often not available in rural areas. Both proposals were scrapped, but legislators say they WILL implement some type of mail-in voter ID requirement before passage.

We have links to more information about all three laws at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org   For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post Voter ID Changes in Ohio, Indiana & Nebraska Make it More Complicated to Vote appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute for Oct. 14, 2022

Listen!

Today’s Links

Articles: 

U.S. Vote Foundation – Ballot Drop Boxes are Safe and Easy to Use. Here’s How to Find Out If Voting by Drop Box is Available in Your State
National Conference of State Legislatures – Ballot Drop Box Laws
Associated Press – No major problems with ballot drop boxes in 2020, AP finds

Texas Tribune – How the debunked conspiracy film “2000 Mules” became Texas Republican orthodoxy
NPR – A new Georgia voting law reduced ballot drop box access in places that used them most

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

Our story yesterday reviewed rules on who can return an absentee or mail ballot.  Today, we’re talking about ballot dropboxes, a convenient tool to help citizens vote, but used as a scapegoat for debunked allegations of voter fraud.

Election deniers and a discredited film called 2,000 Mules alleged that drop boxes were used to manipulate the 2020 election.   A follow-up by the Associated Press found next to no fraudulent use of drop boxes, but that didn’t stop multiple states from eliminating them or severely limiting their use.

The U.S. Vote Foundation reports that If you live in CA, CT, HI, IL, KY, MD, ME, NV, VA or VT, drop boxes are in use and have not been removed.  Some states have moved them inside and added 24 hour surveillance.    Other states, including FL, GA, IA TX, IN, & WI have severely changed their policies.  In 2020, Texas limited dropboxes to one per county, ridiculous when you consider that Brewster County, Texas is three times the size of Delaware and larger than the state of Connecticut.   Georgia limited the number of drop boxes to one per 100,000 population, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court banned drop boxes entirely.

Mail-in voting states have expanded their drop boxes, including CA, CO, HI, OR, UT and WA.   

Check the rules and locations for use of drop boxes by contacting your local election officials.   We have a list of state rules at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. 

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post Where are Ballot Drop Boxes Used, and What States Have Limited Them? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.