The Independent View: Electionline Weekly May-30-2019

Legislative Updates

Arizona: By a 28-2 Vote in the Senate and a 39-21 Vote in the House, the Legislature has Approved Senate Bill 1154 that will Move the State’s Primary Elections to the First Tuesday in August, which is about Three weeks earlier than in the past.

Connecticut: The House has Approved a Bill that proposes to Study the Use of Blockchain Technology to Collect Voter Information. The Bill now Moves to the Senate.

The House has Approved a Bill, on a nearly Party-line Vote, has Approved a Bill that will Grant People on Parole the Right to Vote. The Restoration of Voting Rights would Not apply to those on Parole for Elections-Related Crimes.

Delaware: Under House Bill 175, the State Elections Commission would Administer the Vote-by-Mail program, creating Rules and Regulations for the effort. Ballots would be Processed and Scanned ahead of Election Day but would Not be Tabulated until Election Day. Ballots could be Mailed In, Dropped Off at Any Polling Place on Election Day or Dropped Off in a Secure Drop Box at each County Elections Office ahead of Election Day.

Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has Signed Legislation into Law Preventing the Public from seeing any Felon-related Voter Registration Records even though the Voting Records of Others are Public Information.

Nevada: The Legislature has Approved AB 431, which would Immediately allow Ex-Felons to Vote, including those Convicted in another State, upon Release from Incarceration. The Bill also Allows People Convicted of a Crime but Not Imprisoned, to Cast a Ballot. The Measure applies Retroactively to previously Released Felons. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has Signed the Bill into Law.

New Hampshire: By a Party-line Vote, 215-138, the House Approved SB67 which Essentially Nullifies HB 1264 that when Signed into Law Required Students and other Transients to Pay for Motor Vehicle Licensing and Registration Fees in Order to Register to Vote. Isn't that a Poll Tax?

The House has given Final Approval to a Bill that Clarifies who has the Power to Postpone Town Elections in the Event of Bad Weather. Under the Legislation, a Town Moderator can Postpone an Election after the National Weather Service issues a Storm Warning and after Consulting with Town Officials. Moderators No Longer need to Rely on the Secretary of State to make the Call.

New Jersey: The Assembly, by a 76-0 Vote, has Approve the Voting Precinct Transparency Act, requires the Filing of Election District, County District, and Municipal Ward Boundary Data with the Secretary of State for Posting and Downloading Online. The Bill also Requires the Secretary to Post a Table or Database containing the Election Results per Election District in a Format that Matches the Election Districts Boundary Data.

North Carolina: By a 109-6 Vote, House Bill 646 has Received Final Approval from the House of Representatives. The Bill helps Clarify which IDs are Eligible to be Used to Vote including College IDs. H.B. 646 also Extends the Date for Universities, Private and Community Colleges, Charter Schools, and State and Local Government Entities, to have their Identification Cards Approved for Voting from March 15th to Nov. 15th, 2019.

Ohio: Under House Bill 2014, Counties would be Prohibited from Purchasing DRE Voting Machines or any Marking Devices or Automatic Tabulating Equipment that does Not use a Paper Ballot.

Oklahoma: The Legislature has Approved a Bill that will Legalize Ballot Selfies of Ballots Cast either at the Polling Place or an Absentee Ballot at Home. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has Signed the Bill into Law.

Rhode Island: The House Judiciary Committee has Approved a Bill that would Codify a Current Practice by the Secretary of State’s Office to Limit what Voter Data, included Date of Birth, is Available for Public View.

Texas: Before the End of the Legislative Session, House Bill 1888 was Approved by Both Chambers. The Legislation requires that Each Early Voting Location be Open for Voters on Each and Every day that Voting is Conducted at the Main Early Polling Place, and that Each Location remain Open for at least Eight hours a Day, for All Elections held on the November Uniform Election Date. There are Exceptions for Territories with fewer than 1,000 Registered Voters if the City or County Clerk does Not Serve as the Early Voting Clerk for the area. If Signed into Law, it essentially means that County Election Officials Cannot Set-Up Short-Term Polling Places at Sites like Nursing Homes.

House Bill 2909, which would have required All Voting Machines to include Individual Paper Records of All Votes Cast Stalled in the Legislature before the Legislature eventually Ended.

Wisconsin: People who Vote Early in Wisconsin would be able to Feed their Ballots into Electronic Voting Machines under a Bipartisan Proposal. Current Law requires Local Election Officials to Store Early Ballots for Electronic Processing on Election Day. Under this Proposal, Officials would have the Option to Electronically Process Ballots on the day they are Cast. Votes would still Not be Officially Tabulated until Election Day.

Legal Updates

Indiana: Lake County Judge John Pera has Ordered a Recount in a Contested Hammond At-large Council Race. Pera set the Recount for June 13th, 2019.

Michigan: A day after Attorney General Dana Nessel said a Law Passed by the Lame-Duck Legislature in December which made it Harder to Qualify Proposals for the Statewide Ballot, a Group of Voting-Rights Advocates have Sued the Secretary of State’s Office.

Texas: Jerry Baker, a Losing Candidate for Mayor of the City of Whitney has Filed Suit over the Conduct of the Recent Election Stating that 65% to 70% of Votes were Improperly Cast, and: Election Officials didn’t Use Security Seals on Ballot Boxes, Ballots went Missing, Not All Ballots were Counted, and Voter Election Packets went missing.

Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Court of Appeals Denied an Appeal Candidate for the St. Croix County Board who Alleged that a St. Croix County Circuit Court judge erred in his Handling of a Recount in the Race. The Candidate, Ryan Sherley is appealing to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.