The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 26, 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.

While the candidates for President have already been decided, April 2nd, Wisconsin voters must still vote on two important ballot questions with roots in 2020 conspiracy theories.  One constitutionally bans outside private funding to support election administration, and another limits who can help run elections.

Question 1 would constitutionally ban private funding for elections such as provided by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg during the 2020 election.  The pandemic caused municipalities to hastily acquire unbudgeted safety equipment for in-person voting, and to hire more staff to manage record use of mail-in voting.   Unfounded accusations blamed the grant money for increasing turnout of Democrats, contributing to Donald Trump’s loss.

Question 2 limits who can help run elections, but its vague language raises concerns for election officials and democracy groups.  It says, “No individual other than an election official designated by law may perform any task in the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum.”   It’s the “Any task” language which worries officials:  Would stuffing envelopes or directing traffic outside the building require a sworn election official?  

All Voting is Local Wisconsin said the questions were QUOTE “. . . thinly veiled attempts to restrict voting rights and undermine the very foundations of our democratic system.” 

Wisconsin citizens can register in person until March 29th.  We have the questions and how to register at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
BallotPedia – Wisconsin Question 1, Ban on Private and Non-Governmental Funding of Election Administration Amendment (April 2024)
BallotPedia – Wisconsin Question 2, Only Designated Election Officials to Conduct Elections Amendment (April 2024)
Wisconsin Public Radio – Private funds and elections: What voters need to know about the April 2 referendums
Bolts Magazine – Ballot Measure May Scare Away the People Who Help Run Wisconsin Elections
WUWM – What to know about the constitutional amendments on the April 2 ballot
My Vote Wisconsin – How to vote in the 2024 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Vote

Groups Taking Action:
All Voting is Local Wisconsin, League of Women Voters WI, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, ACLU WI

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #WIPolitics #ProtectPollWorkers  #SupportElections

The post April 2nd Wisconsin Ballot Measures Would Prohibit Outside Help & Funding, Hampering Small Town Elections appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 2, 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.

We’re back in Wisconsin where three democracy lawsuits may have an impact on the state’s election administration, access to absentee ballots, and gerrymandered voting districts. 

A Dane County court ruled Oct. 27th that a vote by the Wisconsin State Senate to remove the director of the Wisconsin Elections Commission had QUOTE “no effect.”  A previous ruling by the state supreme court allows state officials to remain in place if there is no successor.  Meagan Wolfe has been scapegoated of 2020 election deniers for implementing pandemic absentee voting accommodations for nursing home patients.  Wolfe remains in her position.  

Another suit involving the Wisconsin Elections Commission will be heard Nov. 10th, challenging use of the state’s online voter portal to request absentee ballots. The conspiracy theory group pushing the suit argues that state law requires absentee applications to be submitted DIRECTLY to local election officials.  The state’s portal receives the application first, then notifies local election officials who download and review it. 

Then November 21st, the first of two cases claiming the state’s heavily gerrymandered voting districts violate the state constitution will be heard in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The April election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz shifted power on the court, which could lead to the drawing of fairer maps and  possibly impact the balance of the U.S. House of Representatives.

We have more on all the cases at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Wisconsin Examiner – Embracing election denial, Wisconsin Senate Republicans vote to fire chief election official
Wisconsin Examiner – Temporary injunction blocks lawmakers from trying to replace elections administrator
Associated Press/PBS Wisconsin – Dane County judge blocks legislators from removing Wolfe during lawsuit
Democracy Docket – Wisconsin Online Absentee Ballot Application Challenge
Democracy Docket – Wisconsin Legislative Redistricting Challenge
Princeton Gerrymandering Project/Represent.Us/Electoral Innovation Lab:   Wisconsin 2022 Congressional Maps – Grade = F

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause Wisconsin, League of Women Voters WI, Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Wisconsin #WisconsinPolitics #EndGerrymandering #FreedomtoVote

The post Three Democracy Court Cases in Wisconsin May Impact Election Administration, Gerrymandering and Absentee Ballots appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 20, 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.

As states, counties and municipalities prepare for elections in November and next year’s Presidential race, reports have surfaced of short-term poll workers shortages in Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and several other states. 

The election system in most precincts around the U.S. relies on older volunteers and stipend workers who have flexibility of time to help out.  Many experienced poll workers stepped back during the pandemic, citing health concerns, and extraordinarily low unemployment rates make it harder to recruit short term workers.  

Fear is also a factor. In an April 2023 survey by the Brennan Center for Justice, 51% of local election officials also said they were somewhat concerned or very concerned about threats, harassment, and intimidation.  Twenty-one percent of local election officials who started after 2020, say they are very or somewhat unlikely to serve in the 2024 cycle.   

To counteract this loss, a coalition of veteran’s organizations created Vet the Vote to mobilize retired veterans to assist as poll workers.   Another group of media companies, businesses, democracy groups, and advocacy organizations launched Power the Polls in 2020, recruiting 275,000 poll workers for the 2022 midterms.  In August, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt urged 17-year-olds to serve as poll workers this fall. 

If you can serve your community as a poll worker, contact your local election office, or visit AmericanDemocracyMinute.org to find out more.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Kentucky Lantern – Across Kentucky, election workers needed ahead of general election
WISH-TV – Some counties short hundreds of poll workers before Election Day
Texas Tribune/Votebeat – Smaller Texas counties could face a poll worker shortage due to new state requirements
USA Today – Need extra money? Poll workers are in demand and getting a pay raise before the 2024 election.
CBS2 Iowa – Iowa still needs 10,000+ poll workers for upcoming election
Brennan Center for Justice – Local Election Officials Survey — April 2023
Pennsylvania Dept. of State – Shapiro Administration Encourages Voters, 17-Year-Old High School Students To Sign Up Today To Be Poll Workers In November Election
Vet the Vote – A national campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to become the next generation of poll workers
Power the Polls – HELP STAFF YOUR LOCAL POLLING PLACE
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Become a Poll Worker

Groups Taking Action:
Power the Polls, Vet the Vote, Vote411, League of Women Voters US

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers #BeaPollWorker

The post Tight Labor Market, Demographics, Health Concerns and Poll Worker Harassment Contribute to Shortages of Poll Workers Around the U.S. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 19, 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.

A new report chronicles a brain-drain of experienced professional election officials, who, after dealing for months on end with false election fraud claims, intimidation, and burdensome new “Election Integrity” rules, have had enough.

Pro-democracy group Issue One analyzed western state data and news reports and found that 98% of Arizona voters will vote in precincts with new election officials since 2020, and that 12 of 15 counties have new officials.  Colorado lost a combined 314 years of experience when election officials in 24 of 64 counties stepped down. 

Election officials cite an increasing workload, threats, and a frustration with activists. An Arizona county election official told Women’s news site The 19th: “The reality is that there are a lot of people who don’t want to know the truth. They’ve continued for almost two years — with the emails, going to public meetings and heckling from the audience. So it has just been an accumulation over almost two years that has led to the decision.”  

In an interview with Issue One, Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said, “Nevada has lost more than half of our top county election officials since the 2020 election, and many more staff within elections offices across the state. This has led to a critical loss of institutional knowledge and staffing shortages ahead of the 2024 presidential election.”

We have Issue One’s full report linked from AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Issue One – The High Cost of High Turnover
The 19th – ‘There are a lot of people who don’t want to know the truth’: Why an Arizona election official is leaving her job
The Citizens – Heading into the 2024 election cycle, officials are bracing for heightened accusations of fraud—and the threats that often accompany them

Politico – Key Arizona election official to step down amid harassment and conspiracy theories
Brennan Center for Justice – The Great Resignation . . . Of Election Officials
US Department of Justice – (2021)  Task Force to Combat Threats Against Election Workers

Groups Taking Action:
Issue One, Election Official Legal Defense Network, Power the Polls, Center for American Progress

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers

The post Report Finds False Election Fraud Claims, Intimidation, Burdensome Rules, and ‘Election Integrity’ Vigilantes Led to an Election Official Brain-Drain appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 9, 2023

Voting Options & Poll Worker Protection Laws Move Forward in Delaware, Connecticut & Oklahoma
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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 three pro-Democracy stories out of Delaware, Connecticut and Oklahoma today, two proposing to expand voting options, and one just signed to protect poll workers from intimidation.

First to Delaware, which last year passed a law to implement no-excuse absentee mail-in voting, only to have its state supreme court strike it down as unconstitutional.  Delaware Public Media reports that Senate Bill 3 proposes to change the state constitution to remove currently required excuses for use of absentee voting.  S3 passed the state senate and now moves to a house committee. 

Connecticut is well on its way to expanding in-person early voting.  One of only four states not offering some form of early voting, the Connecticut Mirror reports bipartisan bill HB-5004 would add 14 days of early in-person voting for general elections, seven days for state and local primaries, and four days for special elections and Presidential primaries.  It’s expected to pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Ned Lamont.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed SB 481 May 1st, making it a misdemeanor to threaten, intimidate or harass election workers, or to release their personal information.  Doing so is punishable by up to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.  The bill also makes impersonating an election official subject to the same penalties.

We have links to the bills, articles, and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Delaware Legislature –  Bill Information for S 3
Delaware Public Media – Delaware Senate passes first leg of constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee voting
Connecticut Legislature – Bill Information for HB 5004
Connecticut Mirror – House passes bill to bring early voting to Connecticut
Oklahoma Legislature –  Bill Information for SB 481
The Oklahoman – Election Board head praises Senate Bill 481 to protect Oklahoma election officials

Groups Taking Action:
Delaware Voting Rights Coalition,  League of Women Voters DE, Common Cause CT, Connecticut Citizen Action Group, Common Cause OK, League of Women Voters OK

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectPollWorkers #VotingRights

The post Voting Options & Poll Worker Protection Laws Move Forward in Delaware, Connecticut & Oklahoma appeared first on American Democracy Minute.