The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 13, 2023

Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
National Task Force on Election Crises – Full Report & Recommendations – Lessons from the 2022 General Election: How to Prevent Election Crises, and Emerging Issues for 2023, 2024, and Beyond
National Task Force on Election Crises – Website, Recommendations & Resources

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.

A coalition of over 50 democracy groups, academics, former government officials, and technical experts released recommendations for 2023 and 2024 election preparation in a February 9th report.

In a succinct, powerful and excellent report, The National Task Force on Election Crises lays out the damage to democracy sustained during the 2020 election and its aftermath, an analysis of the 2022 midterm election, and dozens of recommendations for shoring up our American democracy’s foundation.

Recommendations include sustaining proven election options such as early and mail-in voting; proper funding of election personnel, security and equipment; protection of voters and election officials from violence and intimidation; continued hardening from cyber attacks; and better coordination between community leaders and law enforcement throughout campaigns to ensure the right to vote for all voters.

To build election confidence, the report recommends diverse, well-trained poll workers; speeding up results when possible – including early pre-processing of mail ballots; making sure mail-in ballot deadlines are consistent with the Postal Service’s ability to deliver; and using paper ballots so voters can review them prior to tabulation.

The report also asks for social media platforms and candidates to be held accountable for spreading election disinformation, and for campaign attorneys pushing frivolous lawsuits. There are many other recommendations we weren’t able to cover, so we’ve posted the full report and a link to the Task Force’s website at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post <strong>National Task force on Election Crises Releases Report & Recommendations to Shore Up Democracy Prior to 2024</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for November 8, 2022

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Today’s Links

Articles & Resources: 

NBC News — Mail-in and early in-person votes cast
Brookings Institution — Help democracy—cancel election night
National Conference of State Legislatures — When Absentee/Mail Ballot Processing and Counting Can Begin
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency — Mail-In Voting Safeguards

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

Don’t expect election results on Election night.   A surge of early midterm voting – particularly mail-in voting – will mean that we shouldn’t expect results on Tuesday, or possibly even until next week, in many states. 

NBC reports as of Monday morning, Nov. 7, 41.3 million ballots had been cast early.   54% of those ballots were cast by mail, and 46% were by early in-person voting.   Election workers will tell you that counting mail ballots is a slower process, even if the tabulation is done by machine.   

Each mail-in ballot usually has an outer mailing envelope which must be scanned and carefully opened. Then an inner envelope with the ballot and signed affidavit is opened.  There also may be copies of identification enclosed which need to be checked.   Mail-in ballots are often folded to cut postage costs, but folding in itself can sometimes challenge optical scanning machines.  The process just takes longer.  While some states have changed their laws to allow counting of early ballots BEFORE election day,  in other states, processing can’t even begin until election night.    

The good news is that mail-in options, while slower, give access to many who might not otherwise be able to vote, including hourly workers, disabled voters, seniors, citizens living in remote areas, and others.   So while we’re all itchy to see the results, the benefits of increasing access to all eligible voters is worth the wait.  

We have links to articles on the counting and security of mail-in ballots at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org 

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

The post <strong>Don’t Expect Results on Election Night — But It’s Worth the Wait</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report and Podcast for November 2, 2022

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Today’s Links

Articles: 

National Conference of State Legislators – All-Mail Ballot States
The Conversation – Mail-in voting lessons from Oregon, the state with the longest history of voting by mail
Brennan Center for Justice – Records Show Massive Disenfranchisement and Racial Disparities in 2022 Texas Primary
Pew Research – Two Years After Election Turmoil, GOP Voters Remain Skeptical on Elections, Vote Counts
Groups Taking Action:
National Vote at Home Institute,  Common Cause,  American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)

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

Today, we’re exploring all-mail-in voting, used in eight states with great success and with somewhat higher voter participation.  Mail-in ballot Conspiracy theories are unlikely to stop the states which have successfully implemented it.  Why?  Because both voters and election officials like it.  

Eight states conduct their elections mostly by mail:  California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington.  Other states like Alaska, Minnesota and New Mexico, allow for all-mail ballots in small jurisdictions, and in certain kinds of elections.  

An all-mail state sends a ballot to the citizen’s voter registration address.  The voter completes their ballot, signs an affidavit, and returns it in the usually postage-paid return envelope.    

Oregon uses the signature on the ballot to match the signature on the voter registration file, and all states have severe penalties for misuse.  In its three decades of mail-in voting, Oregon officials report only about a dozen cases of actual fraud.   Oregon and other mail-in ballot states also allow online tracking of that ballot, and have embraced convenient, secure drop boxes. 

Like other forms of mail-in ballots, voters say they like the convenience.  “Kitchen table” voting allows citizens to carefully select their candidates from the safety of their own home, and helps elders, the disabled, voters without transportation and voters living in remote areas to exercise their sacred right to vote.  

We have links and articles at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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

The post Eight States Have All-Mail-In Voting. It Works, and it’s Secure appeared first on American Democracy Minute.