Archive for June 2020

The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks have announced that their home stadium, State Farm Arena, will become a huge early voting location for Georgia’s Fulton County in 2020.

Maryland local election officials are calling on the state to allow them to run a “hybrid” election this November combining vote-by-mail and vote centers, saying the traditional polling place setup will be too difficult in the current coronavirus environment.

Americans’ increasing reliance on vote-by-mail during the COVID-19 crisis makes the security of state and local voter registration data even more crucial, Matt Masterson of the Department of Homeland Security said yesterday.

Voters at the State Fairgrounds in Louisville were provided extra time to vote yesterday when parking delays left them unable to cast a ballot in the Kentucky primary before polls closed at 6pm.

Kentucky election officials are disputing criticism from national figures about today’s state primary, saying strong vote-by-mail and early turnout in the wake of a bipartisan deal should alleviate any long lines at the polls.

Advocates and lawmakers are calling on Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor to expand plans to send absentee ballots applications to senior citizens, saying all voters should get the benefit of mail ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.

New consent decrees on mail ballots for Minnesota’s August primary are drawing criticism from lawmakers who believe it is a tactic for the Secretary of State to use litigation to achieve policy changes he was unable to get enacted.

The Governor of Iowa confirmed yesterday that she will sign an executive order restoring voting rights to many individuals formerly convicted of felonies.

A federal court in Alabama has blocked enforcement of some voting rules, agreeing with plaintiffs that they hinder the voting rights of individuals concerned about casting a ballot during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dramatic rise in the number of vote-by-mail ballots will almost certainly mean a longer wait for election results than usual this November. The effort to prepare voters to exercise patience – especially in a Presidential election – will be almost as important as any actual election preparations as Election Day approaches.