Welcome to the April edition of The Lever – reaching you at the height of the legislative calendar in many states. Our democracy is strongest when everyone has a voice.
Transparency is key when working to build – or rebuild – trust in American elections. But some transparency efforts, such as posting ballot images online, can do just the opposite. In this month's Hot Policy Take, we look at how some states have successfully tested ballot transparency with critical safeguards, while others have blazed ahead with efforts that do nothing but sow distrust, invade voter privacy, and even advance dangerous vigilantism.
Later in the issue, we take a look at Texas, where the Senate approved a number of election bills late last week that could reshape the state's elections for years to come – especially in Harris County. We also encourage you to check out the work of groups like Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, who helped make Wisconsin’s April Supreme Court election a smashing success for turnout and election administration.
Looking for the latest legislative developments out of the states? Look no further than The Markup – our weekly newsletter for voting rights insiders – to follow our coverage as we enter the height of the legislative calendar in many states. Right now, we're tracking 1,752 individual pieces of legislation in all 50 states and DC.
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In the aftermath of the 2020 elections, state lawmakers across the ideological spectrum say they are aiming to restore trust in the electoral process. And one of their methods is to enhance the transparency of ballots and associated materials.
In recent years, efforts to provide greater public access to records related to ballot counting (including ballot images), cast vote records (how electronic tabulation equipment reads and counts ballot selections), voter lists, and even physical ballots themselves, have increased tremendously. But these policies – and their implications – are not all created equally. Read more to see how when it comes to ballot transparency, safeguards are everything.
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BY THE NUMBERS
19
That's how many election bills we’re tracking that have cleared the Texas Senate and are now up for consideration in the House. The legislation includes efforts to establish a statewide system of election marshals, end the countywide polling place program, increase the offense level for illegal voting from a misdemeanor to a felony, initiate the process to cancel a voter's registration if they don't vote in the preceding 25 months, eliminate the position of county elections administrator in Harris County, and more.
An additional 15 bills that we’re tracking have advanced out of the House Elections Committee and are available for a floor vote, and pursuant crossover to the Senate, themselves. The last day of the Texas legislative session is May 29.
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WHAT WE'RE READING
A sizable chunk of the election bills moving in Texas are squarely aimed at Harris County – home to Houston, the state's largest city. One bill would eliminate the position of county elections administrator in counties with a population greater than 3.5 million (which only applies to Harris County), while others would grant the secretary of state unprecedented authority to remove local officials, launch investigations into local election administration, and appoint a state conservator to take over county elections. The Houston Chronicle provides additional context for an effort that's as troubling as it is familiar:
"This is the second straight legislative session Republicans have targeted Harris County with election and voting-related bills. In 2021, lawmakers took aim at 24-hour voting sites, drive-thru polling places and efforts to proactively send mail ballot applications to voters — strategies implemented by then-County Clerk Chris Hollins in 2020 to help Harris County voters access the polls during the early days of the COVID pandemic.”
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FROM OUR PARTNERS
Earlier this month, Wisconsin was home to one of the highest profile elections so far in 2023. With the spotlight shining bright, hard-working election administrators and a number of state-based groups ensured the process – with record-breaking turnout – ran smoothly.
Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT), a Brown and Black-led group that organizes young people of color on college campuses throughout the state, contributed significantly to this unprecedented turnout. And the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, whose election protection operation and Vote411 service reached voters all across the state, helped make the election efficient. All together, the state's election administrators, advocates, and – most importantly – voters helped make the election secure, trusted, and accessible.
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THE MARKUP
The Markup is VRL’s weekly legislative update for voting rights insiders. If you’d like to get insights straight to your inbox each Monday, head here to sign up.
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