Voter ID and the Real Threat to Democracy
The Supreme Court concluded in 2008 that voter ID is constitutional and doesn't impose an unreasonable burden on voters.
Court Strikes Down North Carolina Voter ID Law
A federal appeals court struck down North Carolina's voter ID [...]
How Two New Court Rulings Are Impacting the November Election
The same week that Republicans were formally nominating their 2016 presidential candidate in Cleveland, two different courts issued decisions, one positive and one negative, that may affect the security and integrity of the November election in Virginia and Texas.
Court Orders Changes to Texas Voter ID Law
AUSTIN -- A federal appeals court ruled on July 20 [...]
ACLU Sues Kansas over Registration Rules
WICHITA -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action [...]
Attorney General Warns: Not Enough Federal Oversight of November Election
Attorney General Loretta Lynch and top Justice Department political appointees are warning that the upcoming federal election will not have enough federal oversight of state election officials.
Voter ID Ads Begin Running in Wisconsin
July 18, 2016 -- Ads have hit TV and radio [...]
Registering Voters at the DMV? What Could Go Wrong?
The 2014 Connecticut governor's race was decided by about 30,000 votes statewide. Four years earlier, the contest was decided by just about 6,000 votes. So it's a concern for state Rep. Arthur O'Neill, a Republican, that the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles--which recently misidentified more than 50,000 people for having unpaid taxes on their vehicles--will be in charge of voter registration. "If you misidentify 30,000 voters, that's more than enough to swing an election," O'Neill, deputy minority leader of the Connecticut House, told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. "As time goes by, and [the state] see[s] the difficulties and dangers of this, I hope they will at least postpone it," O'Neill said. "The DMV is still coping with regular duties of registering cars and issuing driver's licenses, which has been a catastrophe." The DMV has faced severe computer problems that have led to the tax mistakes, but also identifying vehicles and vehicle owners as living in the wrong town. Connecticut is changing its voting registration system largely in response to the Obama administration's threat to sue over what it calls the state's "widespread noncompliance" with the federal Motor Voter Act.
A Guide to Photo ID, Early Voting and other Voting Law Cases
As the presidential election nears, a number of important voting law cases are still up in the air. And that can be confusing -- for voters trying to figure out what they do or don't need to cast their ballots, for election officials trying to figure out how to run elections, and for politicians trying to make sure supporters get out and vote. Here's a brief guide provided by National Public Radio via WAMU on where some of the big cases stand, as of the end of June. More rulings are expected, although courts are reluctant to make major voting law changes too close to Election Day. Referenced states are: North Carolina; Texas; Ohio; Wisconsin; Kansas; Virginia.
Texas City Official Avoids Jail in Vote Fraud case
A former Weslaco city commissioner has admitted to cheating to get re-elected in 2013. Lupe Rivera on July 11 pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully assisting a voter -- one of 16 counts he was charged with in a mail-in ballot fraud scheme. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped the other 15 charges, which included failing to properly mark mail-in ballots and other counts of unlawfully assisting voters. Rivera was sentenced to one year probation and fined 500 dollars. The accusations had been brought by Rivera's challenger in that 2013 District 5 race, Letty Lopez, who had lost by just 16 votes. When a judge ordered a new election, Lopez defeated Rivera by 39 votes.