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 June 4, 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.

The Kansas Supreme Court issued a contentious narrow decision Friday, determining that Kansas citizens do not have a “natural right” to vote.  Instead, the majority ruled that citizens have a “political right,” subject to qualification by its legislature.  

Fueled by conspiracy theories, the legislature passed a spate of anti-voter bills in 2021, restricting voting by mail, who could assist voters in returning ballots, and how many ballots could be returned by get-out-the-vote groups.  It also implemented notoriously inaccurate signature matching for mail-in ballots, but no provisions for voters to “cure” a mismatch.  The rules could potentially disenfranchise thousands.

Pro-democracy groups sued, arguing the rules infringed on the constitutional right of Kansans to vote.  The court’s majority ruled 4-3 that Kansas citizens do not have a “natural right”, only a “political right” under the Article 5 Suffrage provisions of the state constitution.  As such, the legislature can require, QUOTE, “’proper proofs’ contemplated by article 5, section 4 may include any reasonable provision for ascertaining who is entitled to vote—that is, who is a qualified elector under article 5.”   

The signature matching and ballot delivery restrictions will stand, subject to lower court review.  Another provision prohibiting impersonation of election officials which stopped the voter assistance work of the League of Women Voters and other groups, was returned to the lower courts.

Justice Eric Rosen wrote in his dissent, “I cannot and will not condone this betrayal of our constitutional duty to safeguard the foundational rights of Kansans.” 

Find links to the decision and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Challenge to Portions of Kansas Voter Suppression Laws Reach the State’s High Court
American Democracy Minute – Is Voting a Fundamental Right? The Kansas Supreme Court Hears a Case Where the State Argues It’s Not.
Supreme Court of Kansas –  Ruling in League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
State Library of Kansas – State Constitution Article 5: Suffrage
Kansas Reflector – Kansas Supreme Court’s opinion tries to unsnarl web of challenges to 2021 state election laws
League of Women Voters – Civic Groups Respond to Kansas Supreme Court Ruling on Controversial Voting Laws

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters of Kansas, Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice,  Topeka Independent Living Resource Center

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #VotingRights #KansasNews #KansasPolitics

The post Kansas Supreme Court Rules There is No Natural Right to Vote for Kansas Citizens, Only a Political Right Subject to the Legislature’s Restrictions appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 22, 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.

A 2021 Kansas law, H.B. 2183, made impersonating an election official a felony.  But its vague language unintentionally or intentionally swept up voter registration groups like the League of Women Voters, stopping registration efforts.  A Kansas Supreme Court ruling December 15th gives standing to the democracy groups challenging the law.

The 2021 passage of H.B. 2183 virtually stopped third party voter registration drives.  Pro-voter group Loud Light, speaking to the Kansas Reflector, said the group may have missed the opportunity to register thousands of Kansas voters. They and other pro-voter plaintiff’s sued in 2021, but a district court said they had no standing to bring the case.  

An appeals court overturned the no-standing portion of the ruling, but also affirmed voting as a fundamental right for Kansans, concluding, “ Thus, voting rights are preserved in the Kansas Constitution. Great care must be taken when trying to limit or infringe on those rights. Voting was important then. Voting is important now.”  Refusing to give up on the voter suppression law, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach appealed it to the State Supreme Court

The Kansas high court’s ruling doesn’t overturn the law, but affirmed HB 2183 was so vaguely written that it justified the plaintiff’s standing, and allowed the case to proceed.  We’ll have more in the coming months.  

We have the court opinions and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Kansas Reflector – Kansas Supreme Court, ‘wary’ of free speech restrictions, allows challenge to 2021 voting law
Associated Press – Kansas’ top court says a GOP election law is vague and revives a lawsuit against it
Kansas Court of Appeals – Opinion – League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
Kansas Supreme Court – Opinion – League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
Democracy Docket – Kansas Voter Suppression Law Challenge (LWV)
Democracy Docket – Explainer: How Third-Party Organizations Conduct Voter Registration

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters of Kansas, Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice,  Topeka Independent Living Resource Center

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE like your vote depends on it!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VoterSuppression #FreedomtoVote #KansasPolitics

The post A Kansas Law Stopped Voter Registration Groups from Doing Their Work. A Kansas Supreme Court Ruling May Help them Fight Back. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 8, 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.

In defense of two restrictive voting laws, the State of Kansas argued to the Kansas Supreme Court Friday that voting is NOT a fundamental state constitutional right, as an appeals court had ruled.  

Democracy groups challenged 2021 laws implementing notoriously inaccurate signature matching for mail-in voting, and restricting third party handling of ballots. Both impede the right to vote for elderly and disabled citizens. 

The Kansas Reflector reports that a district court judge dismissed the case, but an appeals court panel ruled in March 2023 that the Kansas Constitution and Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights guarantee voting as a fundamental constitutional right. 

In Friday’s arguments, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said, “If any of us wishes to exercise our freedom of speech, we may do so whenever we choose. If we wish to worship, we may do so whenever we choose.  We have absolute autonomy, and we really don’t rely on anyone or any entity for us to do that. The same cannot be said of voting.”

In the appellate decision, Judge Stephen Hill wrote:  “It was by free elections that we gained statehood. Thus, voting rights are preserved in the Kansas Constitution. Great care must be taken when trying to limit or infringe on those rights. Voting was important then. Voting is important now.”

The Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling is pending.  We have the appellate decision and more on the case at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.    I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Democracy Docket – Kansas Voter Suppression Law Challenge
Kansas Reflector – Court of Appeals reverses lower court on Kansas lawsuit challenging restraint of voting rights
Kansas Reflector – Voting rights case sent to Kansas Supreme Court, challenging 2021 election law
Kansas Reflector – Kansas Supreme Court set to consider protections for voting rights
Kansas State Constitution – Suffrage
Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights –  Kansas Bill of Rights

Kansas Court of Appeals – League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters of Kansas, Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice,  Topeka Independent Living Resource Center

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights #FreedomtoVote #DisabilityRights #VoterSuppression

The post Is Voting a Fundamental Right? The Kansas Supreme Court Hears a Case Where the State Argues It’s Not. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 30, 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.

Fueled by 2020 election conspiracy theories, the Kansas legislature overrode the Governor’s veto on two 2021 bills erecting barriers to voting by mail.  Citizens and freedom to vote groups are fighting back.

Driven by debunked claims of former President Trump and his campaign legal team, the Kansas legislature passed House Bill 2183, making it a misdemeanor for anyone but a family member to touch a voter’s mail ballot, or to assist in requesting a ballot.  For groups assisting in return of ballots – it caps the total – for an entire organization per election cycle –  to ten.  The Kansas Reflector reports that groups like the League of Women Voters have suspended voter assistance programs as a result.   

HB 2332 mandates notoriously-inaccurate signature matching on mail-in ballots, what Kansas refers to as “advance ballots.”  The bill allows for both automated and human review, but unlike 24 other states, Kansas does not have a provision to “cure” a rejected ballot with a signature mismatch, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.   The provision could disenfranchise thousands.  

So democracy groups sued over portions in the two bills which disenfranchise voters and restrict free speech, and after a successful appeal, the Kansas Supreme Court has agreed this week to hear the case.  After oral arguments, a  decision is expected before the 2024 election. 

We have text of the bills, analysis  and articles at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Center for Public Integrity – In Kansas, inequality in voting widens with new limits
Associated Press – Kansas appeals court reinstates lawsuit over voting law
Campaign Legal Center – Kansas Anti-Voter Law Targeting Civic Engagement Groups Struck Down
Kansas Reflector – Court of Appeals reverses lower court on Kansas lawsuit challenging restraint of voting rights
Kansas Reflector – Voting rights case sent to Kansas Supreme Court, challenging 2021 election law
Campaign Legal Center – Signature Matching and Mail Ballots: Safeguards to Ensure That Every Vote Counts
National Conference of State Legislatures – States With Signature Cure Processes
U.S. Cybesecurity and Infrastructure Agency –  Signature Verification and Cure Process

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters Kansas, Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, Topeka Independent Living Resource Center

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights #FreedomtoVote #VoteatHome

The post Challenge to Portions of Kansas Voter Suppression Laws Reach the State’s High Court appeared first on American Democracy Minute.