House OKs banning online absentee applications, SOS mailings
2 years, 9 months ago

House OKs banning online absentee applications, SOS mailings

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The Republican-controlled Michigan House voted Thursday to prohibit digital signatures on absentee ballot applications and to ban unsolicited mailings of applications to voters, advancing more election bills that are unlikely to be signed by the Democratic governor. Republicans said they would increase voters’ confidence in elections and make voting more secure after the 2018 approval of a constitutional amendment expanding who can vote absentee. A ballot committee, Secure MI Vote, is circulating petitions that would enable Republican lawmakers to enact voting changes into law despite Whitmer’s opposition. The initiative would, among other things, toughen in-person voter identification rules and require people to include additional information such as their driver’s license number on absentee ballot applications.

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History of this topic

Republicans demand purge of Michigan's voter rolls before general election
9 months, 1 week ago

Republicans demand purge of Michigan's voter rolls before general election

Raw Story  

The Republican National Committee is trying to get the Michigan voter rolls purged before November's general election, the non-partisan voting rights legal organization Democracy Docket revealed. Posting a court filing on social media, the group explained that the RNC sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, claiming that Michigan was in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 because …

Eyeing 2024, Michigan Democrats expand voter registration and election safeguards in the swing state
1 year ago

Eyeing 2024, Michigan Democrats expand voter registration and election safeguards in the swing state

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democrats are building on an effort to overhaul election laws in the state by allowing 16-year-olds to register before they can legally vote at 18 and adding more protections for election officials ahead of a 2024 presidential election that the swing state could play a critical role in. “This groundbreaking step will cement Michigan as a …

Michigan governor signs legislation expanding voting rights
1 year, 5 months ago

Michigan governor signs legislation expanding voting rights

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed a bipartisan package of bills into law to expand voter rights by allowing early voting and early tabulation of absentee ballots across Michigan. The measure requires state-funded absentee ballot drop boxes, as well as postage for absentee ballots and applications, and allows voters to join a permanent list to receive absentee …

'What problem are they trying to solve?' Republicans introduce bill to add watermarks to absentee ballots
1 year, 5 months ago

'What problem are they trying to solve?' Republicans introduce bill to add watermarks to absentee ballots

Raw Story  

Late last week, Republican legislators introduced legislation that would require all absentee ballots in Wisconsin to be printed with a watermark as a safeguard against people photocopying ballots. The bill, introduced by Rep. Scott Allen and Sen. Romaine Quinn, comes as Republicans have increasingly focused on Wisconsin’s absentee ballot process as a potential source of election wrongdoing in the years …

Mississippi sets tighter restrictions on absentee ballots
1 year, 9 months ago

Mississippi sets tighter restrictions on absentee ballots

Associated Press  

— Mississippi will set tighter restrictions on who can gather other people’s absentee ballots, under a bill that Gov. The Republican governor said the law, which takes effect July 1, will ban political operatives from collecting and handling large numbers of absentee ballots. Opponents said the new restrictions could hurt candidates, campaign workers, nursing home employees or others who make …

Michigan board approves ballot measure on voting access
2 years, 3 months ago

Michigan board approves ballot measure on voting access

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan election board on Friday voted to put a question on the November ballot about whether the state should expand opportunities to vote, including through absentee and early voting, after the state Supreme Court ordered it to do so. The measure would require state-funded absentee ballot drop boxes, as well as postage for absentee ballots and …

Michigan measure to expand voting access blocked from ballot
2 years, 3 months ago

Michigan measure to expand voting access blocked from ballot

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan elections board decided Wednesday that a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand voting access didn’t qualify for the November ballot, leading the measure’s supporters to vow to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. The proposed amendment to the state constitution would, among other changes, require nine days of in-person early voting and require …

Bogus ballot requests latest issue in Wisconsin elections
2 years, 4 months ago

Bogus ballot requests latest issue in Wisconsin elections

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Harry Wait was so determined to show Wisconsin’s election system is vulnerable to fraud that he logged onto the state website, requested an absentee ballot in the state Assembly speaker’s name and had it delivered to himself. No one was ultimately prosecuted and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul called Schmaling’s demands a “disgraceful publicity stunt.” Schmaling said …

Wisconsin elections commission rejects guidance for clerks
2 years, 5 months ago

Wisconsin elections commission rejects guidance for clerks

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s bipartisan elections commission couldn’t agree Tuesday on what guidance, if any, to give the state’s more than 1,800 local clerks to help them understand how to implement a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling outlawing absentee ballot drop boxes. The conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday ruled 4-3 that absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal and voters must …

Initiatives battle for voter rights in Michigan
2 years, 5 months ago

Initiatives battle for voter rights in Michigan

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — An effort to lock certain voting rights in the Michigan Constitution has taken a major step toward the fall ballot, eclipsing a rival campaign led by Republicans to limit absentee voting and add other restrictions. The ballot question would expand voter rights by allowing nine days of in-person early voting, state-funded absentee ballot postage and drop boxes …

Michigan GOP governor hopefuls off ballot, court fight next
2 years, 6 months ago

Michigan GOP governor hopefuls off ballot, court fight next

Associated Press  

Two of the leading candidates for the GOP nomination for Michigan governor say they will ask the courts to intervene after they were found ineligible Thursday for the August primary, reshaping the race to challenge Democratic Gov. Craig criticized the board’s partisan decision as “a travesty” and said the bureau should have done a line-by-line verification of signatures he submitted, …

Whitmer vetoes bill to add warning against voting twice
2 years, 7 months ago

Whitmer vetoes bill to add warning against voting twice

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed legislation that would have required voter registration applications to include a statement that the applicant understands it is a felony to try to vote more than once in the same election. Her office announced the veto late Friday, after business hours, saying the bill was part of a larger package of election measures …

Michigan Republicans delay absentee ballot signature rules
2 years, 9 months ago

Michigan Republicans delay absentee ballot signature rules

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Republican lawmakers on Tuesday delayed until after the November election rules that will tell Michigan election clerks how to match the signatures of people applying for and submitting absentee ballots. “We will continue to find ways to work across the aisle to do what’s best for every voter, in the hopes they change course and work with …

Michigan Legislature sends more election bills to governor
2 years, 9 months ago

Michigan Legislature sends more election bills to governor

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The Republican-controlled Legislature sent more election-related bills to Gov. One of the bill sponsors, Republican Rep. Julie Calley of Portland, said “leaving the names of dead and ineligible voters in our qualified voter file invites fraud and malfeasance.” Benson spokesperson Tracy Wimmer said the measures were initially drafted in coordination with the department, which supported them. “But …

Benson rejects GOP changes to signature-verification rules
2 years, 9 months ago

Benson rejects GOP changes to signature-verification rules

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Friday rejected many Republican-requested changes to rules that will guide election clerks on how to match the signatures of people applying for and submitting absentee ballots. Benson, a Democrat, accepted one recommended revision but denied eight, saying the pending regulations are “based on facts, data and longstanding nonpartisan standard election administration …

Voting, payday lending ballot drives advance in Michigan
2 years, 10 months ago

Voting, payday lending ballot drives advance in Michigan

Associated Press  

DELTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Ballot drives to expand voting options, restrict payday loans and overhaul Michigan’s citizens initiative process cleared steps before the state elections board Friday, enabling organizers to start collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures to qualify for the 2022 ballot. Its constitutional amendment — proposed months after Republicans launched a veto-proof initiative they contend would improve election …

Sponsor: Ohio voting law overhaul won’t be ready for 2022
2 years, 11 months ago

Sponsor: Ohio voting law overhaul won’t be ready for 2022

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A significant rewrite of Ohio’s election laws that includes new restrictions on voting and some added conveniences long supported by voting rights advocates will not be ready for 2022 elections, its sponsor says. Republican state Rep. Bill Seitz, the bill’s sponsor, said concerns raised by Ohio Republican Party Chair Bob Paduchik about one of those conveniences — …

GOP chair funds Michigan ballot drive to toughen voting law
3 years, 1 month ago

GOP chair funds Michigan ballot drive to toughen voting law

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The primary funder of a ballot drive to toughen Michigan’s voter identification law and restrict mass mailings of unsolicited absentee ballot applications is Ron Weiser, chairman of the state Republican Party. The group needs about 340,000 valid voter signatures for the initiative, which the GOP-controlled Legislature would likely pass into law rather than let it go to …

Michigan governor vetoes stricter voter ID, election bills
3 years, 1 month ago

Michigan governor vetoes stricter voter ID, election bills

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — As promised, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday vetoed Republican- The governor said the bills would disproportionately hurt minority voters who are more likely to not have a photo ID on Election Day than white voters. Republicans said the bills, which follow a wave of new laws in GOP-controlled states that tighten election rules, would secure voting …

Opposition raises $2.5M to fight Michigan GOP voting changes
3 years, 1 month ago

Opposition raises $2.5M to fight Michigan GOP voting changes

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan group has raised $2.5 million from a liberal nonprofit to fight a Republican-backed ballot drive that would toughen voter ID requirements, ban the unsolicited mailing of absentee ballot applications and make other election changes. Jamie Roe, spokesman for Secure MI Vote, said of the effort: “Out-of-state leftists funding an operation designed to create confrontation and …

Michigan Republicans OK tougher voting rules; gov to veto
3 years, 2 months ago

Michigan Republicans OK tougher voting rules; gov to veto

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The Republican-led Michigan Legislature on Thursday approved tougher voter ID requirements and a ban against mass mailing of unsolicited absentee ballot applications, finalizing bills that will be vetoed by Democratic Gov. The legislation headed to Whitmer would require voters who request an absentee ballot to write their driver’s license number, state ID number or the last four …

‘Cannot wait for Washington:’ Voting rights activists scramble to navigate new restrictions ahead of November elections
3 years, 2 months ago

‘Cannot wait for Washington:’ Voting rights activists scramble to navigate new restrictions ahead of November elections

CNN  

CNN — When activist Tammye Pettyjohn Jones knocks on voters’ doors in her rural corner of Georgia this month, she’ll have a new tool in hand: a portable printer. A sweeping voting law Georgia enacted this year now requires voters who do not have a driver’s license or state ID to provide a copy of another form of identification with …

Split Michigan Legislature approves election-related bills
3 years, 2 months ago

Split Michigan Legislature approves election-related bills

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Legislature on Thursday passed election bills that would limit who can access the state voter file, keep voting equipment from being connected to the internet and require election challengers to receive training. Senate Democrats said the bills are unnecessary and expressed concern that voting for them would corroborate lies about the 2020 presidential election. One …

GOP group clears step to pursue Michigan voting restrictions
3 years, 3 months ago

GOP group clears step to pursue Michigan voting restrictions

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Republican organizers of veto-proof legislation that would make it harder to vote cleared a procedural step Thursday when the Michigan elections board approved a 100-word summary that will appear on top of the ballot petition. Once the Board of State Canvassers also clears the petition’s form, likely Monday, Secure MI Vote will soon after begin collecting signatures, …

Here's What Key Republican Legislatures Are Plotting Next On State Voter Restrictions
3 years, 5 months ago

Here's What Key Republican Legislatures Are Plotting Next On State Voter Restrictions

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Republican legislatures in a dozen states have already passed new laws that restrict voting this year, a number that is likely to grow when Texas Democrats eventually return home from a walk-out meant to delay GOP efforts to pass yet another voter suppression law. “It’s unfortunately not quite as kind of cut and dried as, ‘Well, if …

Michigan Republicans pass bills to add voter ID requirements
3 years, 6 months ago

Michigan Republicans pass bills to add voter ID requirements

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Republicans who control the Michigan Senate passed contentious legislation Wednesday that would mandate a photo ID to vote in person and add identity requirements for people who want to vote by mail. Republicans said the bills would ensure election integrity and security, contending the system became more vulnerable following a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment that expanded absentee …

AP Interview: Michigan official warns of democracy threats
3 years, 6 months ago

AP Interview: Michigan official warns of democracy threats

Associated Press  

LANSING, Michigan — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson serves as the chief election official in Michigan, working alongside nearly 1,700 local officials who administer elections in the battleground state. The Associated Press interviewed Benson, a Democrat and election law expert, about combatting disinformation surrounding the 2020 election, preparations for the 2024 presidential election and efforts by Republicans in Michigan and …

Wisconsin disabled community opposes election law changes
3 years, 7 months ago

Wisconsin disabled community opposes election law changes

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin voters with disabilities urged lawmakers on Wednesday to reconsider two Republican-backed bills passed by the state Senate that would make it more difficult to cast absentee ballots as part of the broader GOP push to make it harder to vote by mail following Donald Trump’s defeat. One of the measures that the Wisconsin Senate passed on …

Despite business warnings, GOP moves ahead with voting bills
3 years, 7 months ago

Despite business warnings, GOP moves ahead with voting bills

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Republican lawmakers around the country are pressing ahead with efforts …

GOP-backed voting law rewrite in Ohio offers mix of changes
3 years, 8 months ago

GOP-backed voting law rewrite in Ohio offers mix of changes

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A significant rewrite of Ohio’s election laws will call for prohibiting off-site ballot drop boxes, eliminating a day of early voting and tightening Ohio’s voter ID requirement while also adding new conveniences to elections, such as allowing absentee ballot requests to be submitted online and automating voter registration, according to a description of the forthcoming legislation distributed …

Benson: Michigan voting bills more restrictive than Georgia
3 years, 8 months ago

Benson: Michigan voting bills more restrictive than Georgia

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s top election official on Thursday blasted Republican-backed voting bills that are pending in the Legislature, calling them an “un-American” affront to voters and saying some would be more restrictive than a controversial new law in Georgia. “There’s no evidence or data or even precedent to suggest that that somehow would prevent voter fraud.” Benson noted Michigan …

After Georgia: Here Are 4 States To Watch Next On Voting Legislation
3 years, 8 months ago

After Georgia: Here Are 4 States To Watch Next On Voting Legislation

NPR  

After Georgia: Here Are 4 States To Watch Next On Voting Legislation Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images While the debate and recriminations over Georgia's controversial new election law continue, some attention turns elsewhere, to other states where lawmakers are similarly weighing contested voting legislation. States with Republican leadership — like …

Michigan GOP plans to sidestep gov to enact election changes
3 years, 8 months ago

Michigan GOP plans to sidestep gov to enact election changes

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The GOP-controlled Legislature is planning a maneuver that would enable it to pass contentious election changes into law and effectively nullify a likely veto from the state’s Democratic governor, a top Michigan Republican said. Weiser said the “election integrity” bills — which would, among other things, require photo ID, restrict absentee ballot drop box hours and ban …

Michigan Republicans propose slew of election changes
3 years, 9 months ago

Michigan Republicans propose slew of election changes

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Republicans on Wednesday proposed a slew of election bills that would require voters to submit a photo ID, prohibit the unsolicited mass mailing of absentee ballot applications, and restrict the hours in which people could drop their ballot in curbside boxes. The 39-bill package would let 16- and 17-year-olds preregister to vote, create an “early voting” …

Wisconsin Republicans want to limit ballot drop boxes
3 years, 10 months ago

Wisconsin Republicans want to limit ballot drop boxes

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Ballot drop boxes would not be allowed anywhere other than election clerk offices in Wisconsin, and only voters — not elections officials — could fill out information on absentee envelopes, under the latest election-related bills circulated Wednesday by Republicans. Many communities across Wisconsin had multiple drop boxes to make it easier for voters to return ballots during …

Republicans propose voting changes in battleground Wisconsin
3 years, 10 months ago

Republicans propose voting changes in battleground Wisconsin

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers in battleground Wisconsin have introduced a series of bills designed to make it more difficult to vote absentee, a push that comes after former President Donald Trump made unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud after his narrow loss to President Joe Biden. The bills, spearheaded by Republican state Sen. Duey Stroebel, would require absentee voters …

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots
4 years, 2 months ago

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Clerks in Michigan cities or township of at least 25,000 people can start processing a surge of absentee ballots a day before November’s presidential election under legislation signed by Gov. Benson cautioned that because absentee ballots cannot begin to be counted until 7 a.m. on Election Day, the count may not be final until three days after …

Judge upholds GOP law making absentee voting harder in Iowa
4 years, 2 months ago

Judge upholds GOP law making absentee voting harder in Iowa

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A judge is refusing to block a new Republican-backed Iowa law that makes it harder for county officials to process absentee ballot applications and more likely that incomplete requests won’t be fulfilled. The Trump campaign and Republican Party groups have already invalidated tens of thousands of absentee ballot applications returned by voters in three counties. At …

Judge: Michigan must count ballots that arrive post-election
4 years, 3 months ago

Judge: Michigan must count ballots that arrive post-election

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — A judge on Friday cleared the way for more absentee ballots to be counted in Michigan, saying envelopes postmarked by the eve of the Nov. 3 election are eligible, even if they show up days later. But Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens said there’s a crucial need for flexibility in November, especially after more than 6,400 …

Appeals court: Mass mailing of absent ballot applications OK
4 years, 3 months ago

Appeals court: Mass mailing of absent ballot applications OK

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s mass mailing of unsolicited absentee ballot applications to millions of 2020 voters was deemed legal by Michigan’s appeals court, which ruled Wednesday she had “inherent” authority to act under a 2018 constitutional amendment expanding voting rights. Benson, a Democrat, began sending the applications in May to all voters in the battleground state …

Trump campaign sues key Iowa counties over absentee mailings
4 years, 4 months ago

Trump campaign sues key Iowa counties over absentee mailings

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has sued two Democratic-leaning Iowa counties that are making it easy to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters’ absentee ballot applications. At issue are absentee ballot request forms that the counties are sending to registered voters with personal information already filled in, …

Judge rejects most N.C. election changes sought in lawsuit
4 years, 4 months ago

Judge rejects most N.C. election changes sought in lawsuit

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal judge on Tuesday refused to order a wide array of changes to North Carolina’s election rules sought by voting advocacy groups worried about how COVID-19 could limit ballot access. But he told election officials they can’t reject mail-in absentee ballots unless there’s a way that voters can fix errors. Democracy North Carolina and the League …

Iowa governor signs bill limiting absentee ballot requests
4 years, 5 months ago

Iowa governor signs bill limiting absentee ballot requests

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that limits the secretary of state’s ability to send absentee ballot requests to all registered voters, a move that followed a record turnout in this year’s primary election largely because of a surge in absentee voting. Senate Republicans pushed the measure through the legislature barely a …

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