The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 12, 2024

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

Bills in Florida and Kentucky would revoke “no-excuse” absentee voting, despite its popularity with voters of all ages.  Alleged “voter fraud” is cited, but its motivation is likely more partisan than preventative.

In Kentucky, Senate Bill 61 would eliminate both in-person and mail-in no-excuse absentee voting, used by over 260,000 voters in the Nov. 2023 gubernatorial race.  The Kentucky Lantern reports that 133,000 Democrats voted early, and more than 112,000 Republicans.  

SB 61 would return the commonwealth to allowing only four qualifying excuses to vote absentee.  It also adds penalties for those who vote absentee under false pretenses, making it a Class 3 felony subject to fines and imprisonment.

In Florida, no-excuse absentee voting was implemented under former Governor Jeb Bush in 2002.  One third of Florida voters now use it, and a column in the Palm Beach Post notes that more Republicans than Democrats voted by mail in 2014, 2016, and 2018.  In 2016, Donald Trump had over 58,000 more mail-in votes than rival Hillary Clinton.  

Yet SB 1752 would reinstate just four approved excuses to vote by mail, severely curtailing the popular option.  According to a Republican county elections supervisor quoted by WKMG-TV, “It would be a complete disaster.”  

No widespread voter fraud is linked to mail ballots in either state.

We have a link to the bills at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
WHAS – (2020) Early, absentee voting led to big turnout in Kentucky | Will they be here to stay?
Kentucky Lantern – More Kentuckians cast early votes as they decide between Beshear and Cameron
WKRC – New bill would eliminate Kentucky’s ‘no excuse’ in-person absentee voting option
Kentucky Senate – Text of Senate Bill 61
Orlando Sentinel – Florida GOP lawmaker wants to end universal mail-in voting
Florida Senate – Text of SB 1752
WKMG-TV – ‘It would be a complete disaster:’ Florida bill would end no-excuse needed mail-in voting
Palm Beach Post – (Opinion/Analysis) Vote-by-mail in Florida is now a nightmare. Thanks, Donald Trump. Thanks, Ron DeSantis
All Voting is Local – Casting, Rejecting, and Curing Vote-byMail Ballots in Florida’s 2020 General Election

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters FL,  Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotebyMail #VotingRights #AbsenteeVoting #KentuckyPolitics #FloridaPolitics

The post Bills in Florida & Kentucky Would Revoke “No-Excuse” Absentee Voting – Despite its Popularity with Voters appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 5, 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.

As the end of the legislative session draws near in Texas, we have an update on bills targeted at controlling Harris County election administration, where logistical and technical problems marred November’s election.  

Votebeat Texas reports county officials STILL don’t have a handle on how many voters were affected by ballot shortages, voting machine access problems, poor training and late openings.  Because Texas law allows county-wide voting, voters could go to another polling place and vote, a reason why it’s still unclear how many – if any – were disenfranchised.  A bill ENDING county-wide voting just passed the Senate. 

The lack of clarity has not stopped bills aimed at Harris County’s issues, as well as a pending lawsuit from Republican candidates who claim the problems cost them the election.

Votebeat’s report on resulting legislation includes Senate Bill 1933, which gives the Secretary of State the power to suspend and replace election officials in a county with a pattern of election administration problems.  Similarly, SB 1039 requires county election officials to give satisfactory answers to questions regarding the election, and allows the state to audit if necessary.

Most telling is SB 1750, eliminating the post of election administrator – just in Harris County – and giving election responsibility to the county’s clerk and tax collector.   The House hears the bills shortly.

We have links to the Votebeat article and more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Washington Post –  (2022) Texas investigating voting difficulties in Houston’s Harris County
Texas Tribune/Votebeat Texas – (2022) Almost two months after Election Day, Harris County still doesn’t know if polling site problems kept people from voting
Harris County via Votebeat Texas – Harris County Elections 2022 assessment
Houston Public Media – Layoffs in Harris County elections offices may explain some 2022 voting problems
Texas Tribune – Texas Senate moves to end countywide voting on Election Day
Votebeat Texas – Here are the Texas election bills to watch with a month left in the legislative session

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters Houston, ACLU Texas, Mi Familia Vota, OCA Houston 

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews 

The post Election Issues in Harris County, Texas Spawn Bills Aimed at Controlling Its Election Administration appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources
Democracy Docket –  Texas Senate Committee Advances Several Anti-Voting Bills
Texas Legislature – SB 990
Texas Tribune – Many Texans’ votes are lost when they go to the wrong polling place. Counties see countywide vote centers as an answer.
Texas Legislature – SB 1039
Houston Public Media – GOP claims of Election Day mismanagement, fraud don’t explain Democrats’ 2022 sweep of Harris County
Texas Legislature – SB 1070
Texas Legislature – SB 260
Dallas Morning News/Tyler Tribune – Skipping elections could put Texas voters at risk of being purged from rolls under bill

Groups Taking Action:
LULAC, NAACP Texas Conference, ACLU Texas,  Texas Right to Vote, Common Cause TX, League of Women Voters TX

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.

Democracy has had a rough couple of weeks in Texas.  Conspiracy-inspired legislation moved forward last week which changes polling place rules, puts voters on a purge list for not voting, and removes Texas from a program tracking voter registration changes. 

Last week, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee endorsed SB 990, which stops residents from being able to vote at ANY county precinct, rather than just their local polling place.  While it doesn’t restrict voting, it does restrict convenience to out of town workers.

Under SB 1039, party officials, candidates, judges, and political committees could request an election audit to be conducted. If the audit turns up irregularities, a conservator could be appointed to run elections. This is a response to 2022’s paper shortages and technical problems in liberal Harris County which spawned fraud allegations, though no fraud has been found. 

SB 1070 guts a law facilitating an interstate program identifying duplicate voters and registration changes. In reality, it targets ERIC, the Electronic Registration Information Center, the recent victim of conspiracy theories suggesting it is linked to a liberal election fraud plot.

Most concerning to voting advocates is SB 260, which puts voters who have not voted in only 25 months on a list to be potentially purged, unless they respond to an election official’s inquiry.  Most states allow four or more years until this step. 

We have links to the legislation 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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post New Conspiracy-Fueled Election Legislation in Texas Moves Forward appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 29, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

BallotPedia – Arizona Proposition 211, Campaign Finance Sources Disclosure Initiative (2022)
Stop Dark Money AZ – Voters’ Right to Know Initiative
New York Assembly – S. 1101/A 776 LLC Disclosure Bill

Brennan Center for Justice – A Chance to Finally Close the LLC Loophole
Democracy Docket – Minnesota’s Democracy for the People Act Unpacked
Minnesota Legislature – HF3 Democracy for the People Act Status
National Conference of State Legislatures – State Campaign Contribution Limits

Groups Taking Action:
Stop Dark Money AZ,  Fair Elections NY, Common Cause NY,  People for the American Way, We Choose Us MN

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.

Our series this week on Dark Money showed how operatives use nonprofit organizations and Limited Liability Corporations to funnel anonymous cash into our elections. We know it’s bad, but what’s being done about it?

In November, Arizona voters passed the Voters’ Right to Know Act by a 72% vote. It requires groups or corporations spending money over a certain threshold in local or statewide elections to disclose donors over $5,000. As we’ve reported, Americans for Prosperity is challenging it in federal court, and other groups in state court.

In 2019, New York enacted a bill, which requires member shareholders of LLCs making political donations to disclose their names, and apply that amount to the individual’s campaign donation limits. But until 2023, it had not been enforced, and as we reported, those rules may have been ignored in the 2022 governor’s race.

Twenty-two states have banned any corporate contributions DIRECTLY to a candidate. But five states allow UNLIMITED contributions, and most remaining states still allow corporations to donate at the individual’s limit.

The Minnesota legislature is considering the Democracy for the People Act, a sweeping voting access and anti-corruption package, which includes disclosure measures similar to NY and Arizona. And the re-introduction of the federal Freedom to Vote Act is expected in the coming weeks. Exposing Dark Money can’t come soon enough.
We have 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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post <strong>Shedding Light on Dark Money:  How NY, AZ & MN are Fighting Back Against the Influence of Anonymous Campaign Cash</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for February 10, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Spotlight PA – Advocates, lawmakers hope Pa. House power shift opens door for election law changes
Democracy Docket – Pennsylvania Republicans Introduce Proof of ID to Vote Amendment
Democracy Docket – Pennsylvania Undated and Wrongly Dated Mail-in Ballots Challenge (PA NAACP)
WESA – Pa. counties want to count mail-in ballots early. State lawmakers have yet to agree.
PA General Assembly – SB 1 Voter ID
PA General Assembly –SB 292 from Sen. Doug Mastriano
PA Dept. of State – Pennsylvania’s Election Stats

Groups Taking Action:
New Pennsylvania Project, PA STATE CONFERENCE OF THE NAACP, ACLU PA, Black Empowerment Project, League of Women Voters PA, Make the Road PA

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.

Yesterday, we updated you on the fight over rejected mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.  In November, a slim majority of voters spurned election fraud conspiracy theorists and those trying to keep those ballots from counting.  What does that mean for upcoming state legislation?

In November, Democrats regained the Governor’s office and the Pennsylvania House.  The Senate remains in Republican hands by a 28-22 majority, making passing pro-voter legislation challenging in the Senate, and passing anti-voter legislation difficult in the House.  One senator intends to file a bill removing the date requirement from those mail-in ballots.  

In December, Spotlight Pennsylvania reported compromise could take place in a few areas.  Republicans want to strengthen the state’s voter ID law, and have filed Senate Bill 1, requiring a government-issued ID to vote, either in person or by mail.  Although the bill provides a state ID at no charge for any eligible voters,  it passed the Senate in January with no Democratic support.

Bipartisan compromise could also allow more time for the processing of mail-in ballots, or “pre-canvassing,” aiding election workers in counting mail-in ballots and speeding results.  Paired with last year’s court decision allowing the “curing” of ballots lacking dates or signatures, it could help thousands of votes count.   It’s not all good.  Another bill, SB 292, proposes to do away with Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting altogether.

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

The post <strong>A Divided Pennsylvania General Assembly Means Challenges in Improving Mail-In Voting</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.