The Independent View: Electionline Weekly June-20-2019

Legislative Updates

Louisiana: Its been Reported what little Money Lawmakers had put aside to Purchase New Statewide Voting Equipment has been Reshuffled and moved elsewhere, called “an election-year legislative scramble to boost spending on education, public safety and health care.” Lawmakers previously had put $2 Million in State Financing into a Voting Technology Fund, as a Down Payment on a Machine Replacement expected to Cost Tens of Millions of Dollars, now even that Money is gone. Work will begin anew in 2020 to find the Funding.

Maine: Gov. Janet Mills (D) has Signed a Bill into Law that will allow for Automatic Voter Registration. Maine will Automatically Register Voters who do Business with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles by 2022 under the Bill, which has a One-Time cost of $140,000 in Federal Funds.

This Week the House joined the Senate in Approving a Bill that would Allow the State to Expand the Use of Ranked-Choice Voting to Presidential Primary and General Elections.

Massachusetts: By an 11-2 Vote, the Springfield City Council Approved an Ordinance that, if Funded, would mean that Postcards will be sent to All Springfield Voters Ahead of Municipal Elections to Remind them of the Upcoming Election. Under the Ordinance, Registered Voters will Receive a City Notice No later than 20 Days Prior to a Municipal Election that will include the Date of the Election, the Polling Location of the Household, and the Elective Offices that will appear on the Ballot. However, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno (D) has Vetoed the Ordinance comparing to Public Campaign Financing.

Nevada: Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has Signed AB345 into Law. The Bill will Implement Same-Day Voter Registration and allow Counties to move to a Vote Center system if they choose to. The Bill also moves forward Automatic Voter Registration, which was Approved by Voters in 2018.

New Mexico: The Albuquerque City Council has Rejected a Bill to Amend a City Ordinance to Allow for the Implementation of Ranked-Choice Voting. The Vote was 5-4. Voters will be asked in November if they want to Move the City to a Ranked-Choice system beginning in 2021.

New York: The Senate has Approved a Bill that would Allow for Automatic Voter Registration. The Bill would make Voter Registration an “Opt-Out” Option when Interacting with State Agencies and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Bill next moves to the Full Assembly.

Oregon: Senate Bill 861 is on its way to the Full Ways and Means Committee after a Subcommittee Approved it this week. Under the Bill, the State would provide Postage-Paid Return Envelopes for All Ballots.

Pennsylvania: The State Government Committee has Advanced Senate Bill 422 that would Create an Election Law Advisory Board that would Identify Statutory Language that can be Repealed or Modified Collaborating with Agencies and Political Subdivisions to Study Election-Related Issues, Studying New Election Technology, Evaluating the Electoral Process, Identifying Best Practices to ensure Voting Integrity and Efficiency, Publishing an Annual Report on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Website.

West Virginia: Although Automatic Voter Registration was Approved several years ago, there was never any Money in Place to Implement it. Now the Legislature, by an 87-9 Vote has Approved Senate Bill 1015 that gives the Secretary of State’s Office Authority to Spend $1.5 Million for Technology Improvements that will allow for AVR.

Legal Updates

Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas has filed a Federal Lawsuit Challenging the State’s 250-foot Buffer Zone that Bans Electioneering near Polling Places during Elections. The Suit calls the Ban Unconstitutional.

Massachusetts: U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell Approved a Consent Decree on a Voting Rights Settlement reached last week that provided Options to the City’s Current Electoral System for the City Council and School Committee.

Louisiana: Delores “Dee” Handy, 68 of Crowley has been Accused by the State Attorney General’s Office of Failing to “mark a ballot in the manner dictated by the when assisting” on Two Separate occasions.

New Hampshire: The Attorney General’s Office has Cleared a Mother being Investigated for Voter Fraud because she Helped her Son with Disabilities Cast his Ballot in 2016.

Charles Cartier, Jr., 80, has been Charged with Knowingly Casting Ballots in both New Hampshire and in Massachusetts in 2016.

New York: By a 4-3 Vote, the New York Court of Appeals has Ruled that Electronic Images of Ballots Cast should Not be Accessible to the Public through the State’s Open Record Law.

Virginia: The Supreme Court Ruled this week that Virginia’s House of Delegates, which has a Republican Majority, Lacks Standing in a Gerrymandering Case that Ruled Voting Districts in the State were Drawn on Racial Motivations, and that Remapping Districts is Constitutional.