The Independent View: Legislature March 3, 2016 Update

Legislative Updates

California: A bill drafted by two Berkeley students and introduced by legislators from the Bay Area would automatically register to vote California college students attending one of the state’s public colleges and universities when they sign up for classes. "These students want to see more of their friends and colleagues registered to vote and educated about the voting process," Assembly member David Chiu (D-San Francisco) told the Los Angeles Times. "They did their research and found a great solution to get more young people registered and to the polls, and I look forward to working with them on this worthy effort."

Colorado: This week the House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee killed legislation, on a 5-4 party line vote, that would have required Coloradans to show a photo ID in order to vote.

Kentucky: Senate Bill 169 that would prohibit electioneering 100 feet from polling places instead of the current 300 as well as require challenges to absentee ballots returned by mail be delivered to the County clerk’s office before 8 a.m. on Election Day was recently approved by the Senate and now moves to the House.

New Hampshire: A bill to give voting rights to incarcerated felons was approved by the Elections Law Committee 15-3 and now heads to the full House for debate.

New Mexico: Voters in Clovis voted overwhelmingly to approve amending the City charter to require voters to present a photo ID when casting ballots in City elections. The vote was 2,036-666. According to the Clovis News Journal, City Commissioners still must work out the details about which IDs will be accepted.

New York: Legislation is pending in the New York City Council that would require the City Board of Elections to send all eligible voters in the five boroughs a voter history card that would tell people how many elections they voted in and how many they’ve missed. “As far as I’m concerned, true democracy exists not when people can vote, but when people do vote,” Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) said. He felt compelled to introduce the bill, which has its first hearing in the Council on Monday, because of New York’s abysmal voter participation rate.

Also at the State level, the Senate voted this week to consolidate State and Federal primaries, but not the Presidential Preference Primary, to a single date in August. The Assembly had approved legislation to move the Primaries to June.

Ohio: Attorney General Mike DeWine has rejected the initial paperwork of a proposed Constitutional amendment that would have required automatic voter registration with driver’s license applications and renewals. In his letter, DeWine said the amendment was poorly written and could be interpreted to allowing 16-year-olds to vote.

U.S. Virgin Islands: A bill to consolidate the Boards of Elections of St. John-St. Thomas and St. Croix into one board and reduce the membership from 14 to nine has been held in committee.

Washington: According to the Yakima Herald, a proposed State Voting Rights Act that has languished for years in the State Legislature now appears to have bipartisan support in the Senate. Late last week the bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Government Operations & Security.

By a 47-0 vote, the Senate approve a bill that keeps the Secretary of State’s name off the State voter pamphlet in his/her official capacity and also keeps the County Auditor’s name off ballot envelopes and other accompanying materials. The bill is now on its way to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk.