The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 8, 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 Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to rehear a challenge to mail-in ballots with missing or inaccurate dates on the merits, after dismissing the case on a technicality in September.  But it also denied a GOP challenge of counties which notified mail-in voters of a mistake, and allowed them to ‘cure’ their ballot.

Citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s “Purcell Principle” as justification, the court ruled Oct. 5th that these and most other voting-related cases were now too close to the election.  “This Court will neither impose nor countenance substantial alterations to existing laws and procedures during the pendency of an ongoing election,” it said.

The missing date decision could affect tens of thousands of Pennsylvania voters who mistakenly don’t date, or misdate, their mail-in ballots.  Under the Commonwealth’s law those ballots are not counted.  The ACLU has also appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court using the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which forbids minor mistakes from disqualifying a voter, but it is unclear if, or when, the high court would consider the appeal.

In her dissent, Chief Justice Debra Todd wrote that the case would be an appropriate use of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s “King’s Bench” power, saying,  “Where, as here, the issue concerns the fundamental right to vote, and where the consequences of inaction risk undermining the electoral process, I deem it imperative to act now.”   

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Pennsylvania Supreme Court – (Missing Date Case) ORDER – PER CURIAM
Pennsylvania Supreme Court –  (Missing Date Case)  DISSENTING STATEMENT – CHIEF JUSTICE TODD
Pennsylvania Supreme Court – (Notification & Curing Case) ORDER – PER CURIAM

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU PA,  PA Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause PA, Black Political Empowerment Project,  League of Women Voters PA

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 #PASupremeCourt #MailBallots #PurcellPrinciple

The post PA Supreme Court Refuses to Rehear Mail-In Ballot Missing Date Appeal and Others As Too Close to the Election appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 17, 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.

Two updates on stories we’ve covered recently in Pennsylvania, where its high court invalidated ballots with missing or inaccurate dates, and Alaska, where the Alaska Native population is organizing against a repeal of open primaries and ranked choice voting.

Sept. 13th, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned an Aug. 30th unanimous decision by the lower Commonwealth Court that mail-in ballots lacking a date or an invalid date must be counted.   The Republican National Committee and state Republicans appealed, and the Supreme Court booted the case not on the merits, but on a technicality.  

In 2022, 8,500 voters’ ballots were affected, and democracy groups are asking for an immediate hearing on the merits.   As a result of the ruling, Pennsylvanians will need to be VERY careful when filling out their mail-in ballots to make sure their vote will count.

The Alaska Federation of Natives is organizing to defeat Measure 2, a far-right -backed repeal of the state’s ranked choice voting and single ballot open primary system.  Bolts Magazine reports that with Alaska’s long voter suppression history of Natives, RCV and open primaries give Native candidates a chance to compete.  Mary Petola became the first Native Alaskan elected to Congress, in 2022.  The GOP blames the loss on the use of ranked choice voting.  

We have links to more on both stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Earlier Commonwealth Court Decision
Supreme Court of PA – Decision on Missing and Inaccurate Dates

Spotlight PA/Votebeat – High court voids ruling on mail ballots missing handwritten dates
American Democracy Minute – Will Alaska Keep Its Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting?  An Upcoming Anti-RCV Ballot Initiative is a Critical Test
Bolts Magazine – Native Leaders Organize to Defend Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting System

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU PA,  PA Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause PA, Black Political Empowerment Project, ,  League of Women Voters PA,   Alaska Federation of Natives

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
  
  

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!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #AlaskaNews #PennsylvaniaNews #MailBallots #RCV

The post Pennsylvania Won’t Count Undated Mail Ballots After All; Alaska Natives Organizing to Retain Ranked Choice Voting appeared first on American Democracy Minute.