The Independent View: Electionline Weekly October-12-2017

Legislative Updates

Florida: Sen. Aaron Bean (R-Fernandina Beach) has filed a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would ultimately make the Secretary of State a Separate Elected Position. Similar Legislation was Approved by the Senate in 2017 but the House did not.

New Hampshire: Members of the House Election Law Committee are considering Expanding the Definition of Voter Fraud as defined under Senate Bill 3. The Expanded Definitions would include People who give False Information on their Age and Citizenship when Registering to Vote.

Tennessee: After receiving a Report from Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips about how Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) would work in Memphis Council Races and how much it would Cost, Members of the City Council are now considering Undoing the 2008 City Charter Amendment Approved by the Voters that makes RCV possible. Council Member Ford said he will introduce a Referendum Ordinance at the Oct. 17th Council Session that would effectively Repeal the move to RCV, if Voters approve. The Ordinance would take Three Readings, with the Referendum placed on one of the regularly scheduled 2018 Election Ballots for City Voters.

Legal Updates

California: The Mendocino Board of Supervisors said that it fully agrees with a 2016 Grand Jury Report that Delayed Election Results left Residents frustrated and that more Resources should be Dedicated to Speeding up the Process. According to the Ukiah Daily Journal, the Board will discuss Purchasing Newer Equipment for Elections in the Next Six Months.

New Hampshire: A Judge has Consolidated Lawsuits filed by the New Hampshire Democratic Party and the League of Women Voters in Cases over the State’s New Law that requires Voters who Move to the State within 30 Days of an Election to Provide Proof they intend to Stay.

Texas: In a 10-4 Ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Declined to have all 14 Judges participate in an Appeal of the State’s Voter ID Law. Civil Rights Groups, Democrats and Minority Voters who Challenged the Voter ID Law as Discriminatory had asked for the entire Court to hear the Appeal as a way to Speed the Case toward Resolution.