The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 12, 2024

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

Bills in Florida and Kentucky would revoke “no-excuse” absentee voting, despite its popularity with voters of all ages.  Alleged “voter fraud” is cited, but its motivation is likely more partisan than preventative.

In Kentucky, Senate Bill 61 would eliminate both in-person and mail-in no-excuse absentee voting, used by over 260,000 voters in the Nov. 2023 gubernatorial race.  The Kentucky Lantern reports that 133,000 Democrats voted early, and more than 112,000 Republicans.  

SB 61 would return the commonwealth to allowing only four qualifying excuses to vote absentee.  It also adds penalties for those who vote absentee under false pretenses, making it a Class 3 felony subject to fines and imprisonment.

In Florida, no-excuse absentee voting was implemented under former Governor Jeb Bush in 2002.  One third of Florida voters now use it, and a column in the Palm Beach Post notes that more Republicans than Democrats voted by mail in 2014, 2016, and 2018.  In 2016, Donald Trump had over 58,000 more mail-in votes than rival Hillary Clinton.  

Yet SB 1752 would reinstate just four approved excuses to vote by mail, severely curtailing the popular option.  According to a Republican county elections supervisor quoted by WKMG-TV, “It would be a complete disaster.”  

No widespread voter fraud is linked to mail ballots in either state.

We have a link to the bills at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
WHAS – (2020) Early, absentee voting led to big turnout in Kentucky | Will they be here to stay?
Kentucky Lantern – More Kentuckians cast early votes as they decide between Beshear and Cameron
WKRC – New bill would eliminate Kentucky’s ‘no excuse’ in-person absentee voting option
Kentucky Senate – Text of Senate Bill 61
Orlando Sentinel – Florida GOP lawmaker wants to end universal mail-in voting
Florida Senate – Text of SB 1752
WKMG-TV – ‘It would be a complete disaster:’ Florida bill would end no-excuse needed mail-in voting
Palm Beach Post – (Opinion/Analysis) Vote-by-mail in Florida is now a nightmare. Thanks, Donald Trump. Thanks, Ron DeSantis
All Voting is Local – Casting, Rejecting, and Curing Vote-byMail Ballots in Florida’s 2020 General Election

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters FL,  Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

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 #VotebyMail #VotingRights #AbsenteeVoting #KentuckyPolitics #FloridaPolitics

The post Bills in Florida & Kentucky Would Revoke “No-Excuse” Absentee Voting – Despite its Popularity with Voters appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 10, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
WOSU – Ohio Republicans continue pursuing plan to raise ballot amendment threshold
Ohio Capital Journal (Commentary)  – In 1912, Ohio voters asserted their democratic authority. Now Ohio Republicans want to rip it away
Idaho Capital Sun – Idaho Senate OKs proposed constitutional amendment on initiative and referendums

IVN Network – Missouri Lawmakers Are Once Again Targeting the Ballot Initiative Process
Democracy Docket – Utah House Passes Bill To Raise Threshold for Certain Ballot Initiatives
Florida Bar – MEASURE TO REQUIRE TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY TO AMEND CONSTITUTION CLEARS HOUSE COMMITTEE
Democracy Docket – Republicans Hint at Why They Are Restricting Ballot Measures in These States
Center for Media & Democracy – ALEC Resolution to Reform the Ballot Initiatives Process Exposed
NBC News – After string of abortion-rights wins, conservatives look to curtail the ballot measure process

Groups Taking Action:

The Fairness Project, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, League of Women Voters US, ACLU 

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 our January 2023 predictions for state anti-voter legislation, we anticipated efforts to make citizen ballot initiatives harder, to keep voters from passing reforms that political parties & legislatures don’t like.  Sorry to say, we were right.   

WOSU reports Ohio Republicans are pushing a constitutional amendment which would require signatures from 44 of 88 Ohio counties and raise the threshold to approve a citizen ballot initiative to a 60% supermajority.   Ranked choice voting, popular with voters but not with party leaders, was one of the issues cited. 

Idaho Republicans just passed a proposed constitutional amendment that changes the qualifying signatures requirement.  Instead of  6% of Idaho voters STATEWIDE, it changes it to 6% of each COUNTY.  

In Missouri, Republican legislators also pushed through a proposed amendment for a 60% supermajority.   Not to be outdone,  Florida’s Republicans have proposed H.J.R 129, which raises the bar to a 66% vote.  

In November, an Arizona ballot measure put forward by Republican legislators attempted to increase the threshold to a 60% majority when it involved taxpayer funding.  The voters defeated it, but a similar bill in the Utah House just passed.  

Expect more of these assaults on direct democracy as extreme legislatures attempt to limit the power of you, the voters.

We have articles on each state’s legislation and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

We have more about the DISCLOSE Act and stunning Open Secrets dark money data at  AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.  

The post State Legislatures Attempting to Limit Voter Power by Making Citizen Ballot Initiatives Harder to Win appeared first on American Democracy Minute.