The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for June 27, 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.

We reported recently on the impact of Shelby County v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court majority’s decision invalidating Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  Anticipating even more erosion of the VRA, some states have passed their own state VRAs. 

It’s not only the dismantling of Section 5, the preclearance requirements for states with a history of discrimination.  The conservative justices also just made proving racial gerrymandering harder under Section 2, and they’ve made it easier for a state legislature to dilute minority voting power.  And in the lower courts, more cases attempting to keep individual voters from bringing voting rights lawsuits under the VRA are pending. 

With dwindling protections from the federal government, California, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota, have enacted State VRAs. Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, and Florida have efforts underway. 

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund recommends that state VRAs should have preclearance requirements for counties or municipalities which have patterns of discrimination.  Rules should include a prohibition against vote denial or dilution through gerrymandering; strong protections against intimidation or deception; language assistance; a statewide database to make evidence-based decisions on election administration; and a directive to the state judiciary to support pro-voter and pro-democracy decisions.

We have the Legal Defense Fund’s recommendations and links to state VRAs at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – State Voting Rights Acts Provide Critical Protections to Black Voters and Other Voters of Color
Campaign Legal Center – Protecting the Freedom to Vote Through State Voting Rights Acts
Center for American Progress – The Protection of Voting Rights Requires State Action

State of Oregon via Casetext – Text of the Oregon Voting Right Act
State of Connecticut – Text of the Connecticut Voting Rights Act
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – Proposed Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Voting Rights Act of Florida (FLVRA)
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – The Proposed New Jersey Voting Rights Act (NJVRA)
Democracy Docket – Several States Look To Pass Their Own Voting Rights Acts

Groups Taking Action:

NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU,  Campaign Legal Center, MALDEF, Voters Not Politicians

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRightsAct #StateVRA #MDVRA #MIVRA #FLVRA #NJVRA

The post The SCOTUS Majority is Bent on Dismantling the Voting Rights Act.  Lacking Federal Protection, Pro-Democracy States are Enacting State VRAs appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 10, 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.

We have ANOTHER democracy lawsuit  to watch, this time in Washington State.  The case challenges the Washington Voting Rights Act, the state’s response to portions of the FEDERAL Voting Rights Act being struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

May 11th, the Washington Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Portugal v. Franklin County.  The Brennan Center for Justice reports that many Washington counties use an at-large method of electing county commissioners, instead of voting districts.  In 2020, Latino voters sued Franklin County because its at-large system made it difficult for Hispanic candidates to get elected and represent their communities’ interests.  One-third of eligible voters in the county are Hispanic, and 54% of the population. The county settled and agreed to create voting districts.

A county resident challenged the Washington State Voting Rights Act under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause.  He claims the minority population isn’t sufficiently concentrated to draw districts as the federal Voting Rights Act prescribes, and therefore gives unfair treatment to minorities over other county voters. 

Voting rights groups worry that should the case reach the current anti-voter U.S. Supreme Court, it could further erode protections of minority voters in states like California, Oregon, New York, and Virginia, which adopted similar state voting rights protections.

We’ll keep you updated.  We have links and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – Washington Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to State Voting Rights Act
Brennan Center for Justice – Portugal v. Franklin County (Amicus Brief)

Election Law Clinic, Harvard Law – Portugal v. Franklin County
Democracy Docket – Washington Franklin County Electoral System Challenge

Groups Taking Action:
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC),  Campaign Legal Center, Brennan Center for Justice, American Civil Rights Project,

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights

The post Challenge to Washington Voting Rights Act in the State’s High Court Raises Concern Among Democracy Advocates appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 26, 2023

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links now located below script

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

Buckingham County, Virginia is rebuilding its elections department after its entire staff quit due to conspiracy-fueled chaos.  Its election registar left in March after persistent & baseless accusations of voter fraud in the 2022 midterms, with one critic calling out at a public meeting, “I am putting you on notice — for treason!” 

NBC News and the Farmville Herald report that the allegations began after a Democrat won a school board race by nine votes.  The loss caused the county GOP chair Ramona Christian to complain of a lack of Republican election volunteers at the polls.   The Herald reports that in county precincts last November, there were 54 unaffiliated volunteers, 17 Republicans, and 12 Democrats.   

Registrar Lindsey Taylor resigned in March, telling NBC that QUOTE “Mentally, I just — I couldn’t take it anymore.”  Three other staffers also left, leaving county voters  no way to register to vote.   April 11th, the County appointed an interim replacement registrar, Luis Gutierrez, a criminal justice PhD student at Liberty University.   

In the turmoil, the members of the electoral board have also turned over, including one, who along with GOP Chair Ramona Christian, had a picture taken in March with MyPillow CEO & conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell at a conference.   Two new board appointments have been made, and a third is pending. 

We have lots more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
NBC News – Hounded by baseless voter fraud allegations, an entire county’s election staff quits in Virginia
Farmville Herald – Buckingham County Electoral Board Won’t Renew Registrar’s Contract
Farmville Herald – Buckingham County adds a new registrar, electoral board member

Center for American Progress – Protecting Election Workers and Officials From Threats and Harassment During the Midterms
Brennan Center for Justice – Poll of Election Officials Shows High Turnover Amid Safety Threats and Political Interference
Groups Taking Action:
Center for American Progress, Election Official Legal Defense Network, Common Cause VA

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionWorkers

The post Buckingham County, Virginia Rebuilds its Election Staff After Conspiracy Chaos Causes Entire Department to Resign  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 31, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alabama Today – State Senate Committee advances election integrity bills
Associated Press – N.C. board removes election officials who refused to certify
Bolts Magazine – “Back to 1902”: Virginia Governor Revives Lifetime Ban on Voting
Daily Telegram – Michigan Proposal 2 voting changes start with May 2 special elections
MyVote Wisconsin – 2023 Spring Election Tuesday, April 4, 2023
MI Sec. of State –  2023 Election Deadlines
MI Sec. of State –  May 2 Elections by County

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.

We have democracy headlines today from Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin, and good news from Michigan, which implements its Promote the Vote citizen ballot initiative on May 2nd.

First to Alabama, where proposed Senate Bill 9 would require paper ballots, and SB 10 would prohibit the use of vote tabulation systems which could connect to the internet or cell networks, to prevent hacking, according to Alabama Today.

The Associated Press reports that a state election board in North Carolina has removed two Surry county election officials after they refused to certify the November 2023 election and allegedly wrote a letter falsely claiming that the vote was “illegal.” 

Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office said in a letter this week that he was rescinding Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2021 directive to automatically restore the voting rights of people with felony convictions.  Returning felons would again need to appeal to the Governor’s office. 

Wisconsin citizens wishing to register to vote in the critical April 4th Supreme Court election must do so in person by 5 pm March 31st.   

And in-person registration for Michigan’s May 2nd school & county elections begins April 18th.  This is the first election implementing the new Promote the Vote initiative, guaranteeing 9 days of early voting, prepaid postage for absentee ballots, and an optional permanent absentee voter list. 

We have links and details for all these stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

The post Democracy Headlines from Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin & Michigan appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 15, 2023

Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
PBS – State GOP-backed ‘election integrity’ units find few voter fraud cases after midterms
Associated Press – Ohio elections chief announces new public integrity unit
OH SOS Office –  Election Integrity Division web page
News 5 Cleveland – Ohio Secretary of State creates Public Integrity Unit after touting integrity of 2020 election
Arizona Mirror – AG’s Office set to receive $500k for ‘election integrity’ investigators
Washington Post –  As more states create election integrity units, Arizona is a cautionary tale (paywall)
WGCU – Questions grow over Gov. DeSantis’ voter fraud arrests
Heritage Foundation – Database of Alleged Voter Fraud in FL (60 since 1992)
Florida Dept. of State –  PRESS RELEASE: Governor Ron DeSantis’ Framework for Freedom Budget Builds on Election Integrity and Boosts Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation
Associated Press – NAACP: ‘Scant’ info in records about Virginia election integrity unit
Virginia Mercury – Virginia AG announces 20-person ‘election integrity unit’
Virginia Mercury –  After $9.5K FOIA bill, NAACP releases records on Virginia’s election integrity unit
Election Law Society – Virginia’s New Election Integrity Unit and How It Can Learn from the Success, or Lack Thereof, of its Arizona Equivalent

Groups Taking Action:
Virginia NAACP, ACLU, Common Cause OH,  Protect Democracy

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.

Five states have implemented so-called “Election Integrity Units,” hiring criminal investigative teams in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia and Arizona. Other states are considering EIUs. It’s doubtful that the results justify the cost.

Last fall, Ohio’s Secretary of State announced the hiring of one or two investigators with subpoena power to investigate election crimes, though no taxpayer cost was estimated. Ohio had only referred only 75 cases of possible fraud from the 2020 elections – .001% – and only 16 from the midterms.

Arizona’s four-person election integrity unit, with a $530,000 dollar budget, found only 20 cases of potential voter fraud in a state with 4 million voters.

Last August, Florida’s EIU arrested several paroled felons as part of a crackdown on alleged illegal voting. Most were released after revelations that state departments had issued them official voter registration cards. Desantis doubled down, requesting 27 positions and $3.1 million dollars for the 2023-24 budget. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation database lists fewer than 60 voter fraud cases in Florida since 1992.

In Virginia, a recent FOIA request asked for documents on activities of an Election Integrity Unit formed in 2022 with a purported team of 20 attorneys and investigators. The state Attorney General’s office returned only “scant” documents, and the Virginia NAACP called the unit a “paper tiger.”

Articles and resources on EIUs can be found at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

The post Five States Have “Election Integrity Units.” Do the Results Justify the Cost? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.