The Independent View: Electionline Weekly Oct-26-2017

Legislative Updates

Guam: The Amended Version of Bill 45-34, a Measure from Sen. Joe San Agustin seeking to Eliminate Primary Elections on Guam, was Moved to the Voting File during Session this Week. During Debate, San Agustin emphasized the Cost-Saving Goal of the Bill.

Indiana: A General Assembly Committee is recommending that the Full Assembly consider Legislation that would Allow for Election Day Registration and Expanded Voting by Mail. Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus) is Already Drafting the Legislation that will Allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting.

Maine: During a Special Session, the Legislature Voted to Suspend Implementation of the Voter-Approved Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) until December 2021. If a Constitutional Amendment to address Legal concerns over RCV raised by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has not been Passed by the 2021 date, the Law would be Repealed.

North Carolina: This week both Chambers of the Legislature Voted to Override Gov. Roy Cooper (D)’s Veto of Senate Bill 656 that Alters numerous State Elections Laws and Cancels Judicial Primary Elections in 2018.

North Dakota: The Fargo City Commission is Delaying a Decision about whether or not to Place Election Reform on the 2018 Ballot. Instead, the Commissioners Approved Proposal instructing its Elections Task Force to Hold at least One "Public Engagement" Meeting to Inform the Public about its Recommendations. Commissioners also Approved a Motion requiring the Commission to Decide before the End of the Year on whether to Place any Election Reform Proposals on the Ballot.

Pennsylvania: The State Government Committee held a Hearing this week on how to Stop Voter-Registration Glitches that have allowed about 500 Non-Citizens to Vote in the Commonwealth since 2000. After Dissolving into Partisan shouting matches several times, Lawmakers left the Session saying they don’t agree on how to handle the situation or even how Serious it is.

Legal Updates

Arizona: A year-long Inquiry has Found that the Failure of Secretary of State Michele Reagan to get Ballot Brochures out on time to about 200,000 Households in 2016 Broke the Law. The Report also said that Reagan knew about the Delay more than Two Weeks before Notified the Public about it. The Report found No Evidence of Criminal Violations though.

California: Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Drew C. Takaichi has tentatively Ruled that former Councilman Manh Nguyen Failed to Prove that the County Elections Office botched the Ballot Count that lead to his Defeat last year. “There is no reasonable conclusion that fraud occurred in the process,” Takaichi wrote his tentative Ruling issued Oct. 4th after a week-long Trial. He added that Nguyen Failed to “prove fraud by clear and convincing evidence.”

Florida: Jennifer Scott, 52 of Flagler, has been arrested and Charged with Two Third-Degree Felony Charges to making False Allegations on a Voter Registration form and Casting a Ballot in 2016 before going through the State’s Clemency Process to have her Voting Rights Restored.

Kansas: BuzzFeed has filed Suit against Secretary of State Kris Koach alleging that he has Violated the Kansas Open Records Act. BuzzFeed was seeking Kobach’s Emails with regard to this Role as Informal Advisor to the President and as Vice-Chairman of the President’s Election Commission. The Suit alleges that at First the Secretary of State’s Office Demanded an Unreasonable Fee for the Documents and then it Denied Access to the Documents entirely.

North Carolina: The Scotland County Board of Elections requested that a Sheriff’s Deputy be Stationed outside the BOE’s Offices during Early Voting this Week. "Unfortunately, I'm receiving a lot of phone calls that some voters are starting to feel a little bit intimidated. There's a lot of said that's been said and placed on Facebook that are making some people very uncomfortable. Due to that process and due to some issues that have happened on my property, we've asked a sheriff's deputy to just sit in today on our property. To make sure everything runs smooth. That nobody feels intimidated. And everybody feels safe,” Director Dell M Parker said.

Ohio: A Grand Jury Voted not to Charge 17 Cuyahoga County Residents who were among Dozens of Non-U.S. Citizens Identified by Ohio Sec. of State Jon Husted's Office as Illegally Voting or Registering to Vote in Past Elections. The Grand Jury Voted not to hand up False Voter Registration Charges against 16 People, and not to charge a 17th Person with Illegal Voting. The Dates of Offenses listed in Court Records date back to September 1996.

Texas: JJ. Koch, a Republican Candidate for Dallas County Commission has asked a Judge to Remove Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole from Office, alleging Incompetence and Official Misconduct.

Utah: A Lawsuit filed against San Juan County by the Navajo Nation Alleging that the County’s Move to Vote-by-Mail Disenfranchises Tribal Voters will Head to Trial on March 16th, 2018.