Archive for 2017

Utah is considering how to schedule a special Congressional election – its first since 1930 – after this week’s surprise announcement that Rep. Jason Chaffetz will not seek re-election and may be stepping down soon. The decision about how and when to hold the special election is obviously important politically, but it will also be important to local officials tasked with running the election.

County election officials in Washington State are wrestling with a proposed new requirement that they increase the number of ballot drop boxes available to Evergreen State voters. They are concerned about cost, and it’s an uncomfortable position for local officials to be in: opposing measures that will improve access for some voters because of fears it will reduce the resources available to serve all voters.

The State of Alabama will be holding a statewide special election for the U.S. Senate later this year after the new Governor announced that the vote would no longer wait until November 2018. Given concerns about the original date, there appears to be widespread support for the change – making the Yellowhammer State that unusual place where everyone seems happy to be voting sooner than later.

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske’s recent allegations, that the state Department of Motor Vehicles has allowed ineligible noncitizens to register to vote, are raising eyebrows and ire in the Silver State. The controversy is almost certainly related to the upcoming campaign for passage of an automatic registration (AVR) bill, which was recently vetoed but will go before voters in 2018 – and it could be a doozy.

Late last week, the Iowa Legislature voted to approve a new voter ID bill and send it to Governor Terry Branstad for his expected signature. If the Governor does sign the bill, it will bring widespread changes to Iowa election law and present challenges for county auditors – both in implementing the law and tracking the inevitable resulting litigation – and it will undoubtedly will draw lots of attention in Iowa and nationwide.

The Center for Public Integrity recently conducted an interview with 2017 EAC Chair Matt Masterson on a wide range of topics regarding the agency, its future, and its plans for 2017 and beyond. It contians some good (preliminary) news on the agency’s budget and is a reminder of the key role the EAC plays in helping states and localities run elections nationwide.

Oregon’s Secretary of State is moving to extend, from five to ten years, how long voters can remain on the rolls before having their status switched to inactive. He says his plan is motivated in part by the success of Oregon’s “new motor voter” automatic registration system – though there may yet be some partisan drama. It will be interesting to see how the plan plays out in both the election and political spheres.

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez has rejected a bill that would have consolidated state and local elections because of concerns it would weaken local laws requiring photo ID to vote.It’s notable that both sides in the Legislature felt strongly enough about consolidation that they were willing to compromise on voter ID – but that agreement goes by the wayside for now with the Governor’s pocket veto.

Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan is asking the state Attorney General for guidance on an emerging dispute with two of the state’s largest counties over the question of access to the state’s voter registration databases. The request involves a classic question about the structure of such databases – but says much more about the current rocky relationship between state and local officials.

The elections team at The Pew Charitable Trusts has released a new resource for tracking the use of electronic pollbooks nationwide. As the technology becomes more common, tools like this will be invaluable in helping states keep track of how and where they’re being used at the polls.