The Independent View: Electionline Weekly Feb-28-2019

Legislative Updates

Arizona: The Senate has Approved a Bill would Prevent Local Elections Officials from Opening Emergency Early Voting Centers between 5pm on the Friday Before an Election and Election Day.

California: The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Unanimously this week to Overhaul the County’s Voting system and Move to a Vote-by-Mail/Vote Center system beginning in 2020. The Move is Supported by Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley.

Florida: House Bill 967 would Change the Rules of Signature Matches for By-Mail Ballots.

Illinois: Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-27th District, Arlington Heights) has introduced Legislation Banning Firearms at Polling Places. Currently 20% of the State’s Polling Places are in Buildings that are Not Designated as “gun-free zones”.

Iowa: A Resolution proposing a Constitutional Amendment to Automatically Restore Voting Rights to Felons who have Completed their Sentences Unanimously Passed a Three-Member State Senate Panel.

Kansas: The House Elections Committee voted 7-5 Against a Bill that would have Allowed Kansas Residents to Register and Vote on the Same day. Republicans on the Committee who voted Against it argued that it would Increase Costs for County Election Offices.

Lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 130 that would Require Election Officials to try to Notify Voters who send in Ballot Envelopes with Missing Signatures before Ballots are Officially Counted. The Change would also Apply to Any Voter whose Signature on a Ballot Envelope doesn’t Match the Signature on File. The Senate Approved the Bill 40-0. It now moves to the House.

Maine: Legislators are once again considering a Bill that would Require Voters to Show a Photo ID in Order to Cast a Ballot.

Maryland: House Bill 79 would Require Jurisdictions to have Three Early Voting Centers if they have between 100,000 and 200,000 Registered Voters. The Current Requirement is for Those Counties to have just One Early Voting Site.

Under House Bill 706 Online Requests to Absentee Ballots Online would be largely Limited to Military and Overseas Voters, and Voters with Disabilities. Others would Receive their Ballots in the Mail.

Montana: Secretary of State Corey Stapleton is Championing a Bill making its way through the Legislature that would Allow his Office to Replace Antiquated Voting Machines and Replace them with Voting Machines that are more User-Friendly for Voters with Disabilities.

Under House Bill 536 Voters Applying for or Updating their Driver’s License Information would be Automatically Registered to vote unless they Chose to Opt-Out.

County Elections Officials are Supporting House Bill 557 that would Finally Allow the State to Adopt Online Voter Registration. State Elections Director Dana Corson Testified that although the State is Updating the Voter Registration system it would be Difficult to Incorporate Online Voter Registration with that.

Oklahoma: The Senate has Approved Senate Bill 58 that will Allow Employees who Live Two or more Hours from their Polling Place to take Leave to Vote on the Thursday or Friday before an Election when In-Person Absentee Voting is Permitted.

South Carolina: Budget Writers for the House of Delegates have Transferred the State Election Commission’s Funds to Purchase New Voting Machines from the Election Commission to the State’s Department of Administration. According to The State, the SEC will still be able to Choose the New Voting Equipment, but Lawmakers will have the Authority to Approve or Veto the SEC’s Decision.

South Dakota: By a 36-33 vote the House has Approved House Bill 1178 that will Reduce the State’s Early Voting Window from 46 days to 32. The Original Version of the Bill had Shortened the Early Voting Window to just 14 days. On Wednesday, after Hearing from County Elections Officials, the Senate voted Down the Measure.

Tennessee: A Bill that would have Required Residents to Choose a Party Affiliation when Registering to Vote has Failed in the House Local Committee.

Texas: Under House Bill 375, Commissioner Courts would be Required to Designate a Polling Place at “a location on the main campus” of Colleges with at least 10,000 Students Enrolled.

Utah: Under H.B. 259 Straight-Ticket Voting would be Banned in Utah. This is the Third Attempt to Pass such Legislation after Previous Bills Failed in 2013 and 2016.

West Virginia: Sen. Dave Sypolt (R-14th District, Preston), and Delegate Terri Funk Sypolt (R-52nd District, Preston) have each introduced Legislation in their Respective Chambers that would Open Schools on Election Day. Currently State Law Mandates that Election Day is a Holiday although Fewer and Fewer Schools are Used as Polling Places.

Wyoming: By a 14-11 vote, the Senate voted Down House Bill 106 that would have Closed the State’s Primary Elections to Voters who Switched their Party Affiliations.

Legal Updates

Michigan: U.S. District Judge Janet Neff has Granted a Request by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to Pause a Case involving the Legality of Ballot Selfies so Benson and her Team, who came into Office in January, can Review the Case further.