Thursday, June 1, 2017

Electionline Weekly June-1-2017


Legislative Updates

Federal Legislation: Oregon’s Congressional Delegation has introduced the Vote by Mail Act which would require every State in the Nation to provide Voters with the opportunity to vote-by-Mail. The Bill also includes a National provision for Automatic Voter Registration.

Alabama: Senate Bill 108 will require Poll Workers to keep track of which Party Primary Voters participate in and then Check these Records if a Run-Off occurs.

District of Columbia: This week, the Council of the District of Columbia Approved a Spending Plan to Cover the Costs of Implementing Automatic Voter Registration, which was Approved in 2016. The Funds will cover the Cost to Hire Two Employees to run the System and Funding to help the District’s Department of Motor Vehicles complete an Upgrade to their system so the Data can be transferred.

Illinois: The House has joined the Senate in Unanimously Approving an Automatic Voter Registration Bill. A spokesman for Gov. Bill Rauner has said the Governor will Sign the Bill.

Maine: Leaders in Maine’s Statehouse have Approved introducing competing Bills that address Ranked-Choice Voting. One would Repeal the voter-Approved Law and the other would put a Ballot Amendment before the Voters on whether to change the state’s Constitution to Allow it.

Minnesota: In the waning hours of the 2017 Legislative Session, the Legislature Approved a Bill that will allow all Minnesota Voters, whether they vote Early, Absentee, or on Election Day, to receive an “I Voted” sticker.

Nevada: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Assembly Bill 181 which would Restore the Right to Vote to people Convicted of Nonviolent Felonies.

Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed Senate Bill 117 into Law. The new Law requires Polling locations to offer separate Lines for Voters with Disabilities who are not Physically able to wait in line and allow them to Vote before others. The Law goes into effect October 1st.

New Jersey: The Senate has approved S1737 which would end the use of Special Elections to Fill Congressional Vacancies and instead let Voters choose Replacements in the General Election.

Rhode Island: The House unanimously Approved Legislation that will Automatically Register any who Applies for or Renews a Driver’s License. Residents will have the choice to Opt Out. The Bill now goes before the Senate.

Texas: The House and Senate have both Approved Senate Bill 5 which would soften Voter ID Requirements.

Legal Updates

Arizona: Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Gordon has Ruled that Ballot Images produced by Local Voting Equipment are Exempt from Disclosure by Arizona Election Law.

Georgia: A Federal Lawsuit has been filed in Fulton County Superior Court seeking to Require Voters use Paper Ballots in the 6th Congressional District Runoff in June. The Suit names Secretary of State Brian Kemp and the Elections Directors of the three affected Counties as Defendants.

District Court Judge Amy Totenberg agreed that a coalition of Plaintiffs representing Minority Communities has the Right to claim the method of Electing Local Officials in Gwinnett County denies them from participating Equally in Electing Local Officials. Totenberg reject the County’s arguments that Claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act are limited to Members of a Single Minority group.

Minnesota: According to a Press release from the Pacific Legal Foundation, a Petition for Certiorari was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Minnesota Law that Dictates what Voters may not wear at the Polls on Election Day.

Nevada: Stephen Gregory Zority of Las Vegas has pleaded Not Guilty to Illegally Paying a Woman to improperly Register Republican Voters in Rural Nevada in 2016.

North Carolina: A Three-Judge Panel will hear Arguments this week whether it’s Constitutional for GOP Legislators to End the Century-old Control Governors had of Overseeing Elections.

Joy Yvette Wilkerson has been Indicted for Illegally Restoring or was in the Process of Restoring about 250 Felons as Voters for the 2016 General Election.

Ohio: The U.S. Supreme Court has Agreed to consider whether Secretary of State Jon Husted acted Lawfully in Removing hundreds of thousands of Names form the State’s Voter Rolls.











NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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