The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 3, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

WKAR Lansing – Election safety bills set for a Tuesday hearing
KRQE – Bill to expand voter access in New Mexico heads across Roundhouse
Associated Press – Residency fights could snare many Georgia voters under bill
Idaho Capital Sun – Idaho Senate OKs proposed constitutional amendment on initiative and referendums
Colorado NewsLine – GOP ‘election integrity’ bill backed by conspiracy theorists defeated by Colorado Democrats
Herald Mail Media – Big elections changes could come for Maryland, and here’s what lawmakers are considering

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.

State legislatures have been in a pro-voter/anti-voter tug-of-war this week with some embracing election safety and voter access, and others conspiracies and voter suppression.

In Michigan, lawmakers heard a bill banning firearms within 100 feet of a polling place, and making it a felony to threaten an election official.   The New Mexico Senate heard HB 4, a sweeping voter access bill which includes a permanent list of voters who choose mail-in ballots.

Georgia legislators are readying even more anti-voter restrictions, including the banning drop boxes, using the U.S. Postal Service change of address list as grounds for removing a voter from the registration list, and several other restrictions.    

The Idaho Senate passed an anti-voter resolution making it more difficult to obtain qualifying signatures for a citizen ballot initiative, by requiring signatures from 6% of eligible voters in each county, not just statewide.

A Colorado House committee killed an election-denier bill which proposed a complicated block chain technology allowing voters to verify that their vote was applied to their candidate of choice.   The Colorado Secretary of State’s office testified that it relied on unrecognized and unavailable technology.

And a Maryland legislator has proposed the Election Reform Act, which among several changes, authorizes processing of mail-in ballots before election day, and adds protections for election workers.  

We have more details on this legislation at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.  

The post <strong>Pro-Voter/Anti-Voter Tug-of-War in Michigan, New Mexico, Idaho, Georgia, Colorado & Maryland </strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Ada County Prosecuting Attorney – Boise man sentenced for illegal voting, illegal registration by a voter
Idaho Press – Proposed legislation would prohibit use of student IDs at Idaho voting polls
Idaho Secretary of State – Idaho Declares “Big Lie” Allegations “Without Merit,” Confirms Idaho Election Integrity
VoteIdaho.gov – ELECTIONS SECURITY FAQS
Idaho Capital Sun – Idaho House votes to prohibit use of student IDs to verify identity for voting
Boise State Public Radio – You might soon need an excuse to vote absentee in Idaho
Idaho Capital Sun – (2022)  Republican Idaho legislator introduces third bill attempting to change voter registration, ID laws
Democracy Docket – How Republicans Target Young Voters

Groups Taking Action:

AARP Idaho, League of Women Voters Idaho, United Vision for Idaho, Conservation Voters for Idaho

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.

In Idaho last year, there was one conviction of an ineligible 70-year-old felon on probation who registered to vote but never voted.   The conservative Heritage Foundation’s database shows another conviction for a 62-year-old man who voted twice back in 2017.   But that seems to be enough evidence for the Idaho legislature to make it harder to vote for everyone, particularly for students, Native Americans, and working citizens.  

Last week, the Idaho House passed HB 124 to remove student IDs as a form of ID for voting.  It does authorize the state to issue a state identification card instead, but additional forms of ID would be limited to an Idaho driver’s license, federal passport or photo ID card, a tribal photo ID card, or a firearms permit.

A House committee also recommended HB 75, which would eliminate the no-excuse absentee voting system in place since 1970, and limit absentee voters to the excuses of disability, illness, work commitments, or being out of state for religious reasons.   

Yet another bill, HB 54, would eliminate student IDs, but also eliminate sworn affidavits in lieu of an ID.  Such restrictions target new voters, poor voters and Native Americans, more frequent users of election day registration.  In three previous sessions, proposed bills would have eliminated Idaho’s election day registration, but have so far failed.  

For links to the bills and an analysis of how such voter ID restrictions are wielded as a targeted voter suppression tool, visit AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.

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

The post Idaho Has Little Voter Fraud.  But the Legislature Wants to Eliminate No Excuse Absentee & Add ID Restrictions Anyway appeared first on American Democracy Minute.