The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 18, 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.

After the Georgia legislature passed its omnibus voter suppression bill SB 202 in 2021, a firestorm of criticism erupted, including the moving of that year’s Major League Baseball All-Star game out of the state.  April 15th, a trial began in federal court to throw out a small part of the law, one of eight active lawsuits. 

The bill came on the heels of GOP losses for both U.S. Senate seats, and debunked accusations by former President Donald Trump of widespread voter fraud.   Among the provisions of the SB 202 Georgia Election Integrity Act were a ban on providing food and drink to waiting voters, restrictions on democracy groups from distributing absentee ballot applications, limits on the number and location of drop boxes, more layers of ID requirements for mail-in ballots, allowing voter to more easily challenge the eligibility of other voters, and changing rules on mail ballot processing, among many other restrictions.   

The trial which began April 15th challenges just the law’s restrictions on distribution of vote-by-mail applications.  The law established hefty penalties for workers from community groups, churches and other pro-voter groups from reaching elderly, disabled, students, economically disadvantaged and others who may not vote otherwise.  Those groups argue the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Find more on the lawsuits at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Fair Fight –  FIFTY REASONS WHY SB 202 IS A BAD BILL  
ACLU – Here’s How Georgia’s New Voting Law Harms Voters With Disabilities
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – LDF’s Lawsuit Challenging Georgia’s Voter Suppression Law

League of Women Voters – GA State Conference of the NAACP v. Raffensperger (consolidated as In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202)

Campaign Legal Center – Challenge to Georgia Law That Would Make Voting Harder Heads to Trial
Democracy Docket – Georgia’s Infamous Voter Suppression Law Heads to Trial for the First Time
ACLU – Here’s How Georgia’s New Voting Law Harms Voters With Disabilities
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – LDF’s Lawsuit Challenging Georgia’s Voter Suppression Law

League of Women Voters – GA State Conference of the NAACP v. Raffensperger (consolidated as In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202)

Groups Taking Action:
Voter Participation Center, Center for Voter Information

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights #VoterSuppression #Georgia

The post Georgia Omnibus Voter Suppression Law Banning Line Warming, Curtailing Drop Boxes & Restricting Mail-In Voting Goes on Trial appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

A Nevada circuit court judge issued a pair of eyebrow-raising orders March 6th on proposed citizen ballot measures. One order UPHELD a proposed strict and possibly discriminatory voter ID initiative, and the other STRUCK DOWN a measure proposing a pro-voter independent redistricting commission.

The voter ID measure proposes changing the Nevada constitution to implement strict voter ID requirements, limiting the forms of ID which can be used, and requiring identification be added to absentee ballots. A voter sued, arguing Nevada does not provide free IDs, and requiring ID of all voters would amount to a poll tax, prohibited by the U.S. Supreme Court. The voter also argued that the language of the initiative did not provide funds to implement such a mandate.

The judge disagreed, saying the language satisfied the law and did not violate the state constitution’s prohibition of unfunded mandates, but did not appear to address the U.S. Constitutional concerns.

Another pair of ballot initiatives proposed constitutionally establishing an independent redistricting commission. Conservative voters sued, claiming the independent commission was an unconstitutional unfunded mandate. This time, the judge DID find the commission to be an unfunded mandate, and that the ballot initiatives may NOT appear on the ballot.

Appeals in both cases are likely.

We have details on both ballot measures, and the groups taking action, at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Nevada Independent – Judge allows Nevada voter ID ballot measure to move forward
Democracy Docket – Nevada Court Upholds Photo ID Ballot Initiative and Strikes Down Redistricting Initiatives
Repair the Vote – Proposed Ballot Measure Petition Language
NV First Judicial Circuit Court, via Democracy Docket – Decision in Voter Challenge to Voter ID Ballot Initiative
Fair Maps Nevada – Proposed Ballot Measure Petition Language
NV First Judicial Circuit Court, via Democracy Docket – Decision on Challenge to Fair Maps Nevada Ballot Initiative

Groups Taking Action:
Fair Maps Nevada, Let Nevadans Vote Coalition, ACLU Nevada

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Nevada  #NevadaPolitics #FairMaps #VotingRights  #LetUsVote

The post NV Judge Upholds Discriminatory Voter ID Ballot Measure, While Striking Down Another Ballot Measure Establishing an Independent Redistricting Commission appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

A new study by Pew Research finds Americans broadly support such democracy reforms as making election day a holiday and two weeks of in person early voting, but also think voters must use government issued ID, and voting machines should have paper backup.

Pew surveyed over 5,100 American adults in January 2024 from a pool which reflects the demographics of the U.S. It found an increasing number of Americans, 72%, supported making election day a national holiday, and 76% supported two weeks of in-person early voting.  The public is split, however, on having a choice for mail-in voting, with 57% supporting and 41% opposing.  Among Republicans, support for mail-in voting dropped in four years from 49% to 28%, likely in response to former President Donald Trump’s baseless fraud claims. 

While voting rights groups have tried to protect voting for the elderly, disabled and students, 81% of Americans support voting only with government-issued ID.  Support for election day registration and automatic voter registration through the DMV, declined slightly since 2021, but is down 10% among Republicans.

Pew also found notable differences among younger adults and communities of color, who are more likely to support early voting, mail-in voting, and automatic and election day registration. 

We have a link to the full Pew survey at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Pew Research – Bipartisan Support for Early In-Person Voting, Voter ID, Election Day National Holiday
Brennan Center for Justice – Voter ID
MIT Election Data & Science Lab – Automatic Voter Registration
Ballotpedia – Voting Methods and Equipment by State

Groups Taking Action:
ACLU, League of Women Voters, National Disability Rights Network, Declaration for American Democracy

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #PewTrust #AVR #VoterRegistration #ElectionDayHoliday

The post Survey Finds Strong Support from Americans for Early Voting & Election Day Holiday Reforms, but Also Restrictive Government-Issued ID Requirements appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 23, 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’re in the Carolinas today, where South Carolina’s election director appealed for higher pay to replace poll workers driven off by threats and low wages, and North Carolina democracy groups want clarity of new restrictive voter ID rules.

States Newsroom reports the director of the South Carolina Election Commission asked for $4 Million dollars from a South Carolina House budget committee to raise stipends for county poll workers, and help retain state staff.  Director Howard Knapp said turnover was the highest that he’d seen in his 12 years in state government, and blamed it on a combination of low pay and sustained personal threats.   

Knapp also asked for an additional $11.5 Million to cover an expected doubling of election costs due to expected higher turnout and the addition of early voting.

In North Carolina, democracy groups asked the state election board to clarify rules for the state’s new voter ID law.  Three counties were cited by the groups as having violated state guidance in 2023 and subjectively rejecting voters based on their reason for a lack of ID. 

North Carolina Newsline reports that voters were given an opportunity to fill out an exception form and provisional ballot, but that county officials in Guilford, Mecklenburg, and Brunswick counties second-guessed some voters’ exception reasons, including that of a wheelchair-bound voter with Huntington’s disease.

We have links to more details at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
PBS Newshour – Election workers are being bombarded with death threats, the U.S. government says
NPR –  In the face of threats, election workers say they feel unsafe doing their jobs
States Newsroom – Threats, low pay causing high turnover in SC election offices. Legislators asked to up stipends.
North Carolina Newsline – Voting rights groups find new photo ID law caused trouble for voters and county officials
North Carolina Newsline – NC voting rights groups ask for clearer voter ID rules for county boards ahead of the first batches of absentee ballots going out Friday
Southern Coalition for Social Justice – Comment on Proposed Permanent Rules on Voter Photo Identification

Groups Taking Action:
Election Official Legal Defense Network, Brennan Center, NAACP Legal Defense Fund,  Power the Polls, Fair Elections Center
Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Common Cause North Carolina, and Democracy North Carolina

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers #SouthCarolinaPolitics #NorthCarolinaPolitics #FreedomtoVote 

The post Voter ID Clarity Needed in North Carolina, and Better Pay Requested for Poll Workers in South Carolina appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 10, 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 January 2023, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed HB 458, one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the country. It also tightened several absentee voting rules.  On January 8th, 2024, a federal court upheld HB 458, affecting thousands of unhoused, elderly, student, and disabled voters.

Using a pretext of “election integrity”, the Ohio legislature eliminated non-ID documentation like utility bills, and mandated a state-issued ID, military ID, or a passport.  It eliminated student IDs, a tactic used by red states to suppress younger voters. And it forces those without ID – including the elderly & disabled – to apply in person and with all the necessary documents, for a state issued ID.

Theoretically, voters without ID can vote, but only by provisional ballot, which counts ONLY if the voter returns with the proper ID.  HB 458 restricted that too, shortening the time to return from 10 days to four.  

Nevertheless, the U.S. District Court judge ruled that voting in Ohio remained “very easy,” the changes were “minimal”, and that the plaintiffs failed to show a burden on voters in the state’s 2023 elections.   

A new challenge filed January 5th by a physically disabled voter and the League of Women Voters challenges HB 458’s restriction of absentee ballot delivery by only immediate family members, and excluding grandchildren, neighbors and caregivers.   

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
ACLU OH – HB 458: WHAT CHANGED AND WHY DOES IT HARM OHIO VOTERS?
Courthouse News Service –  Ohio election reform bill that includes ID requirement ruled constitutional by federal judge
Cleveland.com – Federal judge tosses lawsuit challenging Ohio’s voter ID law
Federal District Court, NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO, EASTERN DIVISION (via Courthouse News) – NORTHEAST OHIO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS; OHIO FEDERATION OF TEACHERS; OHIO ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS; UNION VETERANS COUNCIL; AND CIVIC INFLUENCERS, INC. v. FRANK LAROSE
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles – Securing an Ohio ID
Ohio Capital Journal – Voting, disability rights advocates claim Ohio photo voter ID law violates federal disabilities law

Groups Taking Action:
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, Union Veterans Council, Policy Matters Ohio, Ohio Voting Rights Coalition, League of Women Voters OH

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights #OhioPolitics

The post Another Blow to Ohio’s Unhoused, Elderly, Student and Disabled Voters, This Time from a Federal Court appeared first on American Democracy Minute.