THE GOOD:
In good news, the 2023 Pennsylvania Supreme Court race between Daniel McCaffery and Carolyn Carluccio saw youth turnout on college campuses more than doubled, with a staggering 110% increase compared to the previous Supreme Court election in 2021. Particularly noteworthy was the significant upswing in voter participation in precincts affiliated with universities like Penn State, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania. Notably, Temple saw an extraordinary 563% surge in turnout.
THE BAD:
In bad news, the recent refusal by some election board members in metro Atlanta to certify local election results is being viewed as a possible precursor to chaos in the 2024 elections. Despite uncontested outcomes, these members cited minor issues like voter check-in errors and machine concerns as grounds for dissent. This mirrors a broader trend where doubts were cast on election integrity, leading to calls for law changes and recount demands. While investigations consistently debunked these claims, the refusal to certify elections over relatively minor issues is seen as a strategy to erode public trust in the democratic process. Although recent attempts were unsuccessful, concerns linger about the potential for similar challenges on a larger scale in future elections, raising questions about the stability and credibility of the electoral system heading into the critical 2024 elections.
THE UGLY:
In ugly news, a federal appeals court delivered a ruling that has the potential to undermine the Voting Rights Act significantly. The decision, originating from the 8th Circuit, states that only the federal government possesses the authority to bring lawsuits under a pivotal section of this landmark civil rights law, excluding private citizens and civil rights groups from such legal actions. This ruling is expected to face an appeal and end up in front of the Supreme Court.
If upheld, the decision would gut nationwide protections of voting rights and limit cases to what the Department of Justice chooses to take on — meaning that there could be virtually no challenges to things like racially gerrymandered maps.
