The Independent View: Electionline Weekly July-12-2018

Legislative Updates

California: Secretary of State Alex Padilla has given the green light for Petitioners to begin gathering Signatures for a Referendum that would, among other things, Repeal the State’s New Automatic Voter Registration Law.

Massachusetts: The Boston City Council held a Hearing this week to consider whether or not to allow Legal Non-Citizens to Vote in Local Elections. There is No Proposal on the table yet and if there was a Proposal, anything Approved would also have to be Approved by the State Legislature and Governor.

Michigan: Organizers of the Promote the Vote initiative has turned in more than 430,000 Signatures to get the Initiative on the Ballot. If Approved, the Measure would allow for Same-Day Voter Registration and No-Excuse Absentee Voting.

Missouri: Gov. Mike Parson has Signed SB 592 into Law. The Omnibus Elections Bill included a Provision that Allows Voters to Request an Absentee Ballot via Email.

New Mexico: Santa Fe City Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth has introduced a Resolution calling for a Special Election to be Held in Conjunction with the November 6th Election. The Special Election would seek Voter Approval to Amend the City’s Charter to shift City Elections from March to November in Odd-Numbered Years.

North Carolina: Gov. Roy Cooper has Signed a Bill into Law that has Restored Early In-Person Voting to the Saturday before Election Day, only in 2018.

North Dakota: Backers of an Initiative that would Amend the State Constitution to Limit Eligible Voters to U.S. Citizens have turned in almost 36,000 Signatures, which is about 10,000 more than needed.

Legal Updates

Iowa: Polk County District Court Judge Karen Romano heard Arguments from Lawyers representing the League of United Latin American Citizens and Taylor Blair, an Iowa State University Student, who are Suing over the State’s Voter ID Law. Friday's Hearing concerned a Motion for a Temporary Injunction that would only Affect certain Sections of the Law. According to the Des Moines Register, Romano said she would Rule “as soon as I can.”

Kansas: Gov. Jeff Colyer announced that the State’s Attorney General, Derek Schmidt, would take over the Appeal of Kansas’ Proof-of-Citizenship Law. “I think the attorney general will do a fine job, and I intend to win this. I think it’s an opportunity for us to win this thing,” Colyer said.

The Kansas Court of Appeals Rejected Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s Request for a New Hearing to decide whether a Grand Jury should be called to Investigate the Alleged Mishandling of Voter Registrations by his Office. The Secretary of State’s Office has already asked the State’s Supreme Court to Review the matter.

Kentucky: The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has reached a Settlement Agreement with the Commonwealth of Kentucky over Claims that the State was not complying with the National Voter Registration Act. Under the terms of the Settlement, Kentucky will Develop and Implement a General Program of Statewide Voter List Maintenance that makes a Reasonable effort to Remove the Names of Registrants who have become Ineligible due to a Change in Residence in Accordance with Section 8 of the NVRA and State Law.

New York: Essex County is Appealing an April FOIL Ruling from the Supreme Court Appellate Division to the State’s Highest Court. The Case originated in 2015 when County Democratic Party Chairwoman Bethany Kosmider requested Cast-Vote Records and was Denied because County Officials said State Election Law shielded the Records from FOIL Requests.

Tennessee: The Shelby County Democratic Party along with the Memphis NAACP have Sued the Shelby County Election Commission in separate Courts in an effort to Open more Early Voting Sites. Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins Ordered all 27 Voting Site to Open July 16th. The Judge subsequently Ruled that some Sites can Open on Tuesday the 17th.