The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 28, 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.

Our third segment on Protect Democracy’s “Deceive, Disrupt, Deny” report anticipates how bad actors will likely use bogus claims of widespread non citizen voting to justify obstructing election certification, nuisance litigation, and sham audits.

Ultimately it won’t work, due to newly clarified deadlines and responsibilities states and courts must meet under the Electoral Count Reform Act.  But in a close election, those delays will try to buy time for partisans to find flaws, diminish election confidence, and mobilize partisan activists to demand it be overturned.  

Since 2020, election deniers have been appointed and in some cases elected to election offices around the country.  In several U.S. counties, officials initially refused to certify the 2022 results.  The Brookings Institution identifies 15 counties Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada as of high or medium concern. 

Partisan legislatures or state election officials can also call for sham audits, as happened in 2020 in Arizona and Wisconsin, and lawsuits challenging the process and outcome are a certainty. 

The good news is that the Electoral Count Reform Act clarified the hard federal deadlines by which states must submit results and slates of electors.  More on that in our next report.   Find Protect Democracy’s full report at 

at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Protect Democracy – Deceive, Disrupt, Deny:  2024 election subversion strategies and how to defuse them
Brookings – The counties that may try not to certify the 2024 election
American Democracy Minute (2022) – Election Denier Chaos in Cochise County, Arizona
American Democracy Minute – (2022) – NM County Officials Refuse to Certify Primary Election with No Evidence
Brennan Center for Justice – What Georgia Tells Us About the 2024 Election Subversion Campaign

Groups Taking Action:
Protect Democracy, Campaign Legal Center, Brennan Center for Justice

Check Your Voter Registration:

• 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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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ElectionSubversion #ProtectDemocracy

The post ‘Deceive, Disrupt, Deny’ Report Anticipates Non Citizen Voting Will Be Used to Justify Post-Election Delays, Sham Audits & Litigation appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

While New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission struggled, the successful California Citizen Redistricting Commission maps were passed unanimously in 2021 with no litigation.  New York’s commission deadlocked, and was overruled by a Democratic-dominated legislature which drew its own gerrymandered maps. Those were later thrown out by the court, and the Congressional map is STILL being contested.  

Unlike New York’s 10-person, politically-appointed board, California uses an extensive application process for its 14-person board, using the California State Auditor’s office to review and recommend 120 qualified candidates.  The top 60 candidates are put into pools of Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated. The California Assembly is then allowed to strike up to eight candidates per pool.  The remaining candidates are the first eight members, who choose the remaining six members, two out of each of three pools. 

Unlike New York, California’s commission follows strict rules about “communities of interest,” putting shared common interests like water systems and school districts over mapping for partisan power.  While analysis by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project shows a Democratic lean versus other map options, proposed state assembly, senate, and Congressional maps received a unanimous vote of the commission.   There were NO court challenges to the maps.

One more big difference:  While New York’s legislature could overrule its commission, California’s Commission has the final say.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
New York Independent Redistricting Commission – Background on the Commission
Brennan Center for Justice – What Went Wrong with New York’s Redistricting
California Secretary of State – California Redistricting
California Citizen Redistricting Commission – What is the Commission?
California Citizen Redistricting Commission –  REPORT ON FINAL MAPS
CalMatters – No legal battles for California’s new election maps. But what lessons can be learned?
Princeton Gerrymandering Project – California

Groups Taking Action:
ACLU or Northern California, Common Cause, League of Women Voters CA, #CaliforniaPolitics

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #CitizenRedistricting #CaliforniaPolitics

The post Why was California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission Successful, While New York’s Commission Resulted in Gerrymandering & Court Cases? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.