The Independent View: Electionline Weekly Apr-18-2019

Legislative Updates

Arizona: HB2238 has been Approved by the Legislature and now heads to the Governor’s desk for his Signature. Under the Bill, the Secretary of State’s Office will be Required to Issue Updated Election Procedures Manual every Election Cycle.

Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has Signed a Bill into Law Restricting the Use of Emergency Voting.

California: The San Jose City Council has Voted Down a Proposal that would Aligned the City’s Mayoral Elections with Presidential Election years.

Colorado: SB19-235 would Create a System of Automatic Voter Registration through the State’s Motor Vehicle Administration.

Delaware: Both Chambers of the Legislature has Approved an Early Voting Bill that will Allow for Early Voting up to 10 days ahead of Election Day at one of Four Early Voting Sites Statewide. The Governor has said he will Sign the Legislation into Law.

Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has Signed Legislation into Law that will have Voter Registrations Canceled after Nine Years of Inactivity instead of Seven. The New Law also Requires that Voters receive Additional Notice in the Mail before they’re Removed from the Rolls.

Illinois: Under Senate Bill 2090, Approved last week, County Election Officials will be Required to Work with County Jails to make sure Inmates are Aware of Elections happening in the State. The Legislation mainly focuses on Pre-Trial Detainees.

Indiana: By a 65-31 Vote the House has Approved HB1311 that will Move the Deadline for Mail-In Ballots from Eight to 12 Days before an Election. The Bill was Approved 37-9 by the Senate and if Signed by Governor Eric Holcomb (R) will take effect Jan. 1st, 2020.

A Bill Restructuring how Porter County handles its Elections Passed a Final Reading before the House of Representatives and is now headed to Gov. Holcomb Desk for a Signature.

Kansas: Governor Laura Kelly (D) has Signed Legislation into Law that will allow Counties to move to Vote Centers if they choose. It also requires County Election Officials to attempt to Contact Voters who Submit Mail Ballots with Signature Issues.

Mississippi: Bills to Restore the Voting Rights of 16 Felons have Passed through the Legislative process and are Headed to the Governor Dewey Phillip Bryant (R)’s Desk. This is the most to make it through the Legislative Process since 2004 when 34 Felons has their Electoral Rights Restored.

Nevada: A Senate Committee has Approved a Bill that will Allow for a Same-Day Voter Registration.

New York: Senate Bill S4032 has Cleared the Senate Elections Committee. Under the proposed Bill, any Locality wishing to make Changes to Voting Procedures must First Clear it with the New York State Attorney General to ensure that the Changes do Not Infringe on New Yorkers’ Voting Rights on the basis of Race, Color, Language, or Minority Status.

North Carolina: In a 100-9 Vote, the House gave Approval to H646, which Clarifies the Requirements for Student IDs to also Serve as Voter IDs and Extends the Application Deadline.

Pennsylvania: The Senate State Government Committee has advanced a Bill that would Delay the Decertification of Voting Machines until Lawmakers and the Gov. Tom Wolf (D) can agree to a Replacement Plan and how to Pay for it.

Tennessee: The House has Approved a Bill that would Impose Fines of up to $10,000 on Organizations that Pay People to Conduct Registration Drives, and Turn in more than 500 Incomplete Forms. It would also require Groups to Submit the Forms within 10 days. And it would Prohibit Out-of-State Poll watchers.

Texas: The Senate has Approved Senate Bill 9 that among other things Increases Criminal Penalties for anyone who provides False Information on a Voter Registration Form. Currently, providing False Information on an Application is a Class B Misdemeanor. Under the Bill, it would become a “State Jail Felony.” The Legislation also Increases Criminal Penalties for Casting a Ballot, including a Provisional Ballot, if you aren’t Eligible to Vote. SB 9 also requires Paper Ballot Backups for Electronic Voting Machines in Texas.

Washington: Gov. Jay Inslee (D) has Signed Senate Bill 5207 into Law. The Legislation is focused on Streamlining the Process and Notification Requirements to Felons of their Voting Rights Restoration.

Legal Updates

Minnesota: The State Court of Appeals has Affirmed a Lower Court Ruling that sided with the Minnesota Voters Alliance in their attempt to obtain Data of Millions of Voters. The Data pertain to a Voter’s Status including whether they’ve been Challenged, the reason for that Challenge and their Voting History. The Courts say the Data is Public under Minnesota’s Open Records Law. Secretary of State Steve Simon has Vowed to Appeal.

Missouri: A Judge has Ordered a New Election for Parts of Parkville after some Voters were given the Wrong Ballots on Election Day. The New Vote will take place on May 21st.

New Hampshire: A Bench Trial over Senate Bill 3 will take place in Hillsborough County Superior Court from Sept. 3rd-6th and Sept. 9th-13th.

North Carolina: Guadalupe Espinosa-Pena, 61, a Native of Mexico, has been Sentenced to One Month in Federal Prison for Illegally Voting in the 2016 Election.

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart has Subpoenaed City Elections Officials for Documents related to the City’s Voting Machine Selection. The Items requested in the Subpoena include Copies of All Proposals Received, the Names of All Committee Members who Scored them, and Copies of those Evaluations.

Rhode Island: Judge Melissa E. Darigan has Ruled that Watchdog RI does Not have Legal Standing to Appeal the State Board of Elections’ Denial of a Fee Waiver, $400, to for a Public Records Request.

Texas: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has Denied a Request by the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee for Documents related to the State’s Botched attempt to Remove alleged Noncitizens from the State’s Voter Rolls. In a Letter, Paxton and his Staff say the House Committee Lacks “oversight jurisdiction” over his Own Office, or over the Texas Secretary of State, which Launched the Purge Effort in late January. “The committee appears to be inserting itself into the statutorily-required efforts on the part of state officials to detect and prosecute non-citizen voting,” Paxton said.

Charles Nathan Jackson, 51, of No Fixed Address, has been Sentenced to 10 days in Jail after he Pleaded Guilty to Providing False Information on a Voting Application.