The Independent View: Electionline Weekly July-25-2019

Legislative Updates

New Jersey: Legislation that will allow Counties to Expand Board of Elections from Four to Six Members has been Signed into Law by Gov. Phil Murphy (D). The Bill, Sponsored by Assemblywomen Shanique Speight (D-29th District, Newark) and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-15th District, Trenton) and State Sen. James Beach (D-6th District, Voorhees), Requires that County Freeholder Boards Authorize the Additional Board of Elections Members, One from each Party. The Assembly Approved the Measure 71-4, and the Senate 26-11.

Another Bill Signed into Law by Murphy Requires Election Notices to include Information about where a Voter can Find their Polling Place.

Texas: The Jefferson County Commission has, for now, Tabled consideration of creating a Full-Time Elections Administrator Position due to Bbudgetary Constraints. If the County wants to pursue the Creation of an Election Administrator’s Office next year, it needs to be Included in the Budget before it’s Passed. “Obviously we’d have to determine a salary, but more importantly determine: Is this feasible? Is this something that is needed for our county in the future What are the duties and responsibilities? How would this person be chosen?” Commissioner Brent Weaver asked.

Wisconsin: Lawmakers are considering a Proposal that would Restore the Voting Rights to those Released from Incarceration immediately upon their Release even if Terms of their Sentence must still be Met through parole/probation.

Legal Updates

New Hampshire: The Trial in the Lawsuit Challenging Stiffer Election Laws regarding the Registration of New Voters got Pushed Off towards the End of 2019. And Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge David R. Anderson made it clear that once the Trial is Completed he Won’t issue a Final Ruling until after the February Presidential Primary.

North Carolina: By a 2 to 1 Vote, a Panel of State Judges Ruled that a Lawsuit Challenging the State’s New Voter ID Law may move Forward, but they did Not grant a Preliminary Injunction to Delay the Law while the Legal Case plays out.

Texas: A Federal Court has Ruled that Texas can Change Voting Maps without Supervision despite “Grave Concerns” and Findings that Republicans used Racial Gerrymandering. This Overturns the Lower Court Approval of a Bail-In Request.

Virginia: J. Christian Adams, who Served on the President’s Voter Fraud Task Force, has reached a Settlement Agreement with Four Voters who Sued Adams after he and his Organization, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, produced Reports in 2016 and 2017 Alleging to show Thousands of Cases of Voter Fraud. As part of the Settlement, Adams must Apologize to the Plaintiffs and his Group also Agreed to Remove the Personal Information of the Accused from the Reports and Add a Statement to the Front of them Acknowledging that they Falsely Accused People of being Noncitizens. Adams and his Group agreed to Redact Personal Information for any Future Reports they Produce on Noncitizen Registration in Virginia.

Wisconsin: Milwaukee Resident Brandon Baker has Pleaded Guilty to Two Gun Charges and Drug-Related Charges which stem from an Incident on Election Day when he Threatened to go into a Polling Place to “air it out,” which Police understood to mean Opening Fire in the Polling Place.