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

In a last-ditch effort to purge voters in swing state North Carolina, the GOP has sued the state election board in state superior court to examine the eligibility of 225,000 voters – just days before early voting begins.

The Republican National Committee and North Carolina Republican Party are questioning the eligibility of voters who, when filling out a state voter registration form, did not include their driver’s license and last four Social Security digits because the form didn’t mark the fields as required.  The form was corrected in December 2023.

The GOP is demanding that the state elections board contact all 225,000 affected voters, but the board has refused, arguing that the challenge came too late,  and North Carolina’s stringent absentee and in-person voter ID requirements will mitigate any chance of illegal voting.  September 3rd, the Democratic National Committee asked to intervene in the case.   The federal Help America Vote Act stipulates that any voter registration purges must occur 90 days before the election.

Similar suits were filed in Pennsylvania and Arizona earlier this summer attempting to find registration flaws, and to root out registered noncitizens.  Noncitizen voter registration does infrequently happen, but very rarely results in noncitizens actually voting.   

As of early September, polling shows the Presidential race virtually tied in North Carolina.

We’ve linked local reporting and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
NC Newsline – NC Republicans seek a voter purge that would violate federal law
National Republican Committee (via Democracy Docket) – Complaint in NRC vs. NC State Board of Elections
Washington Examiner – Battleground ballots: First 2024 ballots to go out in North Carolina with election lawsuits in limbo

The Carolina Journal – DNC seeks to intervene in GOP lawsuit challenging 225,000 voter registrations
Democratic National Committee (via Carolina Journal) –  MOTION TO INTERVENE BY THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Groups Taking Action:

Democracy North Carolina, Common Cause NC, Enlace Latino NC

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 #NorthCarolina #VoterSuppression #VoterPurge

The post GOP Lawsuit Targets 225,000 Registered Voters in North Carolina Only Days Before Early Voting, and 11 Weeks Before the Election appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 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.

The Ohio special election on Issue 1, the legislature’s attempt to raise the threshold to pass a citizen ballot initiative to 60%, is Tuesday, Aug. 8th.  Now, in an effort to wrest even more power from its citizenry, an Ohio legislator has introduced a bill going after ranked choice voting. 

Tuesday’s election culminates the Ohio legislature’s attempt to raise the bar for all Ohio citizen ballot initiatives, but particularly to stop a November issue on abortion rights.  Early voters have shown up in stronger than expected numbers, and turnout is likely to be heavy on Tuesday.  

Now, Ohio joins Florida, Tennessee, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota in scrambling to stop ranked choice voting.  RCV allows a wider range of candidate choices, promotes better candidate behavior, and tends to minimize extremist candidates.  Polling indicates Maine & Alaska citizens like it. Party leadership, not so much, because it loosens their exclusive grip on power.  Early in 2023, the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution opposing ranked choice voting anywhere in the U.S.  

The Statehouse News Bureau reports that an Ohio state senator proposed SB 137 in mid July, a bill which prohibits RCV to be used in Ohio state elections, and PUNISHES local municipalities which adopt it by withholding state funds.  The bill will be heard in the upcoming session. 

We have links to the anti-RCV bill and how Ohioans can vote in Tuesday’s election at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
FiveThirtyEight – Everything You Need To Know About The Ohio Ballot Measure That Could Block Abortion Rights
Ohio Legislature – SB 137 Prohibiting the Use of Ranked Choice Voting
Statehouse News Bureau – Bill seeks to punish Ohio communities that pass ranked choice voting
The Athens Register/Associated Press – Ranked choice voting works in some other states. In Ohio, it’s fodder for a publicity stunt
Republican National Committee – RESOLUTION TO OFFICIALLY OPPOSE RANKED CHOICE VOTING ACROSS THE COUNTRY

How to Vote in Ohio’s Aug. 8th Special Election
Ohio Secretary of State – Voting Dates & Times for Aug. 8th Special Election
WOSU – Ohio voter guide: What to know about the August special election
Ohio Secretary of State – Find My Polling Place Tool

Groups Taking Action:
One Person One Vote, Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, Ohio Citizen Action, Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, All Voting is Local, Rank the Vote Ohio

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 #RCV #OnePersonOneVote

The post Tuesday’s Ohio Special Election Attempts to Take Away Simple Majority Rule for Ballot Initiatives.  Now the Legislature is After Ranked Choice Voting.  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.