The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 21, 2025

A Washington State audit of rejected 2020 mail-in ballots offers insight on whose ballots are more likely to be rejected, and recommends actions to reduce that number – over 37,000 in 2024.   

Primary reasons for rejection included ballots received or postmarked after Election Day; a missing signature on the ballot envelope; or the voter’s signature couldn’t be confirmed.   

Auditors found 2020 rates varied from a high of 1.5% in Franklin County to .02% in Columbia County, and agreed with county decisions in 98.7% of cases.  But they also found higher rejections of younger voters 18-21, where 2.6% of ballots were rejected,  and Black voters at 2.5%.  They also found that non-native English speakers were 47% more likely to have ballots rejected.  Signature issues can often be cured, but many voters don’t, or can’t, correct it.  

The auditors recommended outreach programs on college campuses, sending letters and calling voters with curable signature issues, more training on signature verification, opening early voting centers 18 days before election day, an advisory committee for disabled voters, and ballot drop boxes for every 15,000 voters.  

In the 2024 general election, Washington’s statewide rejection rate had dropped to .94%, but of those, over 24,000 were rejected for a mismatched signature.

Find a link to the audit at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Washington Secretary of State – 2024 Annual Report of Washington State Elections
Office of the Washington State Auditor – (2022)  Summary – Evaluating Washington’s Ballot Rejection Rates
Office of the Washington State Auditor – (2022)   Audit –  Evaluating Washington’s Ballot Rejection Rates 
Brennan Center for Justice – (2020) Mail Ballot Security Features: A Primer
Civic Design – Voting by Mail: The Impact of Signature Identity Verification for Voters with Disabilities
National Conference of State Legislatures – How States Verify Voted Absentee/Mail Ballots

MIT Election Data + Science Lab – A Deep Dive into Absentee Ballot Rejection in the 2020 General Election

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU, LULAC, Vet Voice Foundation, The Washington Bus, El Centro de la Raza

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #SignatureVerification #Disenfranchisement #WashingtonState #BallotRejection

The post Washington State 2022 Audit of Rejected Mail Ballots Offers Valuable Insights for States Using Signature Verification appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 20, 2025

Washington State implemented their universal vote-by-mail system in 2013, and built in signature-matching for identity verification.  A March ruling by the state supreme court upholds that rule as constitutional because voters can cure discrepancies. 

Before the 2022 midterms, a state-commissioned audit found that younger voters, voters of color, and non-English speakers were far more likely to have their ballots rejected, and the rate of rejection varied by county.    

Two recent lawsuits challenged the signature matching rule, claiming that the lack of handwriting standards and the inconsistent science for signature verification, resulted in the rejection of 4,500 Hispanic ballots in the 2020 primary, and 36,000 ballots from all voters in the 2022 midterms.

In the court’s recent opinion, Justice Steven C. González acknowledged those rejections: “All too many ballots are not counted because election workers cannot verify the voter’s signatures and the voter does not or cannot cure their ballot in time.”

But the court found no bias, evidence of partisan malfeasance, or that voters were intentionally blocked from voting.  It also found counties offered opportunities to cure those ballots.   The state’s auditor recommended more training for county election officials, outreach to the most affected voter groups to prevent discrepancies, and more valuable advice for any state verifying signatures.  We’ll have more on that in our next report.  

Find links at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Office of the Washington State Auditor – (2022) Evaluating Washington’s Ballot Rejection Rates
Democracy Docket – (2021)  Washington Signature Matching Challenge (LULAC)
Democracy Docket – Washington Supreme Court Upholds State’s Ballot Signature Verification System
Washington Supreme Court – Opinion in Vet Voice Foundation v. Hobbs
Washington State Standard – Washington Supreme Court upholds ballot signature verification system
Washington Secretary of State – Signature Verification & Compliance Tool Training Manual

Groups Taking Action:

LULAC, Vet Voice Foundation, The Washington Bus, El Centro de la Raza

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #StateofWashington #VotingRights #VotebyMail #SignatureVerification

The post Washington Supreme Court Rules Signature Matching Can Be Used to Disqualify Ballots But Acknowledges It Impacts Too Many Voters appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 17, 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.

Two updates on stories we’ve covered recently in Pennsylvania, where its high court invalidated ballots with missing or inaccurate dates, and Alaska, where the Alaska Native population is organizing against a repeal of open primaries and ranked choice voting.

Sept. 13th, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned an Aug. 30th unanimous decision by the lower Commonwealth Court that mail-in ballots lacking a date or an invalid date must be counted.   The Republican National Committee and state Republicans appealed, and the Supreme Court booted the case not on the merits, but on a technicality.  

In 2022, 8,500 voters’ ballots were affected, and democracy groups are asking for an immediate hearing on the merits.   As a result of the ruling, Pennsylvanians will need to be VERY careful when filling out their mail-in ballots to make sure their vote will count.

The Alaska Federation of Natives is organizing to defeat Measure 2, a far-right -backed repeal of the state’s ranked choice voting and single ballot open primary system.  Bolts Magazine reports that with Alaska’s long voter suppression history of Natives, RCV and open primaries give Native candidates a chance to compete.  Mary Petola became the first Native Alaskan elected to Congress, in 2022.  The GOP blames the loss on the use of ranked choice voting.  

We have links to more on both stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Earlier Commonwealth Court Decision
Supreme Court of PA – Decision on Missing and Inaccurate Dates

Spotlight PA/Votebeat – High court voids ruling on mail ballots missing handwritten dates
American Democracy Minute – Will Alaska Keep Its Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting?  An Upcoming Anti-RCV Ballot Initiative is a Critical Test
Bolts Magazine – Native Leaders Organize to Defend Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting System

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU PA,  PA Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause PA, Black Political Empowerment Project, ,  League of Women Voters PA,   Alaska Federation of Natives

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #AlaskaNews #PennsylvaniaNews #MailBallots #RCV

The post Pennsylvania Won’t Count Undated Mail Ballots After All; Alaska Natives Organizing to Retain Ranked Choice Voting appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 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 wins for voters, two Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court rulings confirmed that  so-called ‘naked ballots’ may be cured with a provisional ballot, and that undated or misdated mail ballots must be counted.

The AP reports that 16,000 Pennsylvanians had their mail ballots rejected because of missing information in the 2022 midterms, over 8,000 of which were for missing the outer secrecy envelope – so-called “naked ballots.” Another 7,900 ballots rejected had missing or inaccurate dates.

A 2020 state case confirmed that county authorities could reject naked ballots, and gave election officials latitude to decide whether to notify a voter that a ballot could be fixed, known as “curing.”  Democracy Docket reports that two Butler County voters sued when officials refused to cure their 2024 state primary ballots.  The ACLU argued that if their mail ballots were defective, they should be entitled to cure them with a provisional ballot so they would not be disenfranchised.  A lower court denied the argument, but the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court overturned the decision Sept. 5th. 

This follows another decision from the Commonwealth Court August 30th that Pennsylvania counties must count otherwise valid mail ballots which have no date, or are misdated.  Big wins for Pennsylvanians hoping their vote will count in November.  

We’ve linked to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Associated Press – (2023)  Majority of 16k canceled Pa. mail-in ballots were from Dems
Votebeat via PA Spotlight – These three court cases could determine how Pennsylvania handles mail ballots this fall
Democracy Docket – Butler County, Pennsylvania Must Count Provisional Votes From Those Who Submitted ‘Naked’ Mail-in Ballots, Court Rules
Democracy Docket – Pennsylvania Counties Must Count Undated and Misdated Mail-in Ballots, Court Rules

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU PA,  PA Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause PA, Black Political Empowerment Project, Public Interest Law Center,  League of Women Voters PA

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  

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!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #LetThemVote #PennsylvaniaNews

The post In Wins for Pennsylvania Voters, Court Rules ‘Naked Ballots’ Can Be Fixed, and Ballots with Date Issues Can Be Counted appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 9, 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.

With narrow margins between Republican and Democratic voters in Wisconsin, both parties are fighting for every inch of ground before the state’s 2024 election, upon which both the Presidency and control of the U.S. House may hinge. 

January 2nd, a lower court struck down use of minor errors on mail-in ballots to disqualify voters, and clarified the rules. Democracy Docket reports that Wisconsin’s mail-in ballots require a witness signature and address, and minor errors in the witness information on otherwise qualified ballots were causing the whole ballot to be discarded, due in part to a lack of guidance from the state.   

In 2016, the Wisconsin Election Commission had issued guidance, allowing clerks to fill in minor witness address information on otherwise qualified ballots, but Republicans sued to strike down the guidance. 

Also brewing is a challenge to a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, striking down Wisconsin’s gerrymandered legislative redistricting maps.  The Wisconsin Examiner reports that the court ordered new maps, supervised by a special master, by January 12th.  After earlier threatening impeachment of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, state GOP leaders have asked for reconsideration of the case, arguing Protasiewicz should have recused herself for comments about gerrymandering she made during her campaign.  They’ve also threatened to take the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.

See more on the rollercoaster year ahead in Wisconsin at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Associated Press – National Democrats sue to block Wisconsin’s absentee voting witness requirements
Democracy Docket – Wisconsin Court Issues Major Mail-in Voting Victory Ahead of 2024 Election

Wisconsin Examiner – Wisconsin Supreme Court rules state voting maps unconstitutional
Wisconsin Examiner – Republican lawmakers ask Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider redistricting ruling
Cap Times – Buckle up: 2024 is sure to be a wild time in Wisconsin politics
PBS Wisconsin – Wisconsin braces for another consequential election cycle in 2024

Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Common Cause Wisconsin,  Represent.Us WI, Fair Elections Project, Rise, Inc., League of Women Voters WI, Law Forward, Fair Elections Center

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights #FairMaps #StopGerrymandering #WisconsinPolitics

The post 2024 Democracy Rollercoaster in Wisconsin, with Redistricting Challenges, Voting Rights Lawsuits, and a Close Election in Key Battleground State appeared first on American Democracy Minute.