Archive for 2017

Last Friday, after weeks of controversy and maneuvering, the Montana legislature rejected a last-ditch “blast” attempt to establish an all-mail ballot for the May 25 statewide special Congressional election. Now, the county election officials who had supported vote-by-mail as a cost-saving measure are scrambling to get ready for next month’s vote.

Yesterday, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission held a public hearing examining the designation of elections as “critical infrastructure” by the Department for Homeland Security. At that meeting, DHS tried to emphasize that the designation won’t limit states’ control over the election process – but states remain skeptical.

Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case seeking to revive New Hampshire’s prohibition on “ballot selfies.” While yesterday’s (in)action by the Court isn’t a definitive endorsement of ballot selfies, it does suggest that opponents of ballot selfies will have to find different ways, and justifications, for blocking them at the polls.

I’ve written in the past about the ongoing conversation between California counties and the state about election funding, but a new article by John Myers in the LA Times brings the issue into sharp focus for 2017. There is some optimism that the state is coming around on some kind of partnership to ease the mandate crunch – but until it comes together all the counties can do is wait, watch – and hope.

In this week’s electionlineWeekly, Mindy Moretti talks to Seminole County, FL’s Mike Ertel about the election office’s new website, which was built in-house after he realized it needed an upgrade to better serve the County’s voters. It’s a great story of an election office finding a way to serve voters while also being careful with public resources.

The debate in Montana about conducting a May 25 special Congressional election exclusively by mail reached a flashpoint yesterday, as a House committee tabled the bill after supporters attempted to force a vote – but now supporters are going to attempt to “blast” the bill to the House floor.

Some Loveland, CO voters got a surprise recently when their mail ballots for an April 11 special election came back as undeliverable because of an error at the post office regarding the city’s post office box. It’s just the latest example of the concept of “no small stuff in elections” and a useful reminder that there are always potential vulnerabilities in the system outside of an election official’s control.

Fargo, ND is considering a switch that would make it the first community in the nation to use approval voting, where voters can vote for as many candidates as they like in a given race with the highest vote-getter prevailing. A task force studying the issue has suggested it wouldn’t significantly affect the election process, which could make it an interesting policy choice for the city.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed a new state voter ID bill into law, capping a legislative effort to update a bill that was blocked in the courts in 2014. It’s likely to see another court challenge, which could also alter or shape a companion state voter ID referendum campaign in 2018.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are moving ahead with an April 8 special Senate election despite a lingering controversy over the vacancy – and concerns that there are insufficient funds to run the election. It’s an extreme example of the degree to which political and legal developments (over which election officials usually have zero control) can have significant impact on time and resources spent on election activities.