Five major trends that will impact in-person voting.
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Welcome to the September edition of The Lever, featuring expert insights and analysis from Voting Rights Lab ([link removed]) . Today, we’re exploring five trends identified by our state election experts that will have major impacts on in-person voting in the 2024 elections.
Plus, we’re highlighting the potential for election misinformation to be spread through popular AI chatbots; examining the implications of new voting laws in seven battleground states; and lifting up the mobilization efforts of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable.
** ELECTION WATCH 2024: CHANGES TO IN-PERSON VOTING SINCE 2020
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The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the 2020 election, from record numbers of voters casting their ballots by mail to the lowest recorded turnout of voters to in-person polling places in 30 years.
Since then, nearly all states have implemented some changes to the rules and regulations governing elections. Our election experts examined these changes and identified five major trends that will impact the in-person voting experience:
1. States offering fewer polling places.
2. States expanding opportunities for in-person, early voting.
3. States enacting stricter voter identification laws.
4. States changing voter assistance requirements.
5. States expanding laws around observing and challenging elections.
Read our latest blog post to learn about what to expect when voting in person, either before or on Election Day. ([link removed])
READ OUR ANALYSIS ([link removed])
** BY THE NUMBERS
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25%
That’s how many responses from commonly-used AI chatbots could “dissuade, impede, or prevent” people from exercising their right to vote, according to a recent report ([link removed]) from the Center for Democracy & Technology ([link removed]) .
In the report, “Generating Confusion,” researchers tested five chatbots with 77 prompts about voting and elections. The answers yielded concerning results – with over one third including incorrect information.
The report focuses on the implications of these new sources of misinformation for voters with disabilities at a time when chatbot usage is gaining broad popularity. One figure cited in the report suggests that 14% of American adults are at least somewhat likely ([link removed]) to use AI to source information on elections.
LEARN MORE FROM STATESCOOP ([link removed])
** WHAT WE'RE READING
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As voters head to the polls across the country, many will encounter significant changes in how their local and state elections are run.
Voting Rights Lab recently spoke with U.S. News & World Report ([link removed]) to offer our analysis of new election laws and policies in seven key states – and how these dramatic changes could impact the election.
“We've seen every single state in this country has adjusted its election systems in some way since 2020. So that in itself is a really significant trend…These elections are going to be very different in many places this year than they were in 2020.” – Liz Avore, senior policy adviser, Voting Rights Lab
READ THE FULL ARTICLE ([link removed])
** FROM OUR PARTNERS
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Mississippi is one of just three states ([link removed]) that does not offer early voting to all residents, and one of only eight states with no option for online voter registration ([link removed]) . Most Mississippi voters must cast their votes in a single 12-hour window on Election Day. This poses a significant challenge for many working people, especially those with child care and caregiving responsibilities.
To help address these challenges, the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable ([link removed]) , a group affiliated with the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, has been hard at work organizing “Power of the Sistervote Boot Camps,” a project of their Sistervote initiative ([link removed]) . These boot camps are designed to encourage voter mobilization and engagement in the election process through a lens that centers Black women’s experiences and responsibilities.
“Good things do come from the South, and we know that Black women have been a part of making that happen.” – Cassandra Welchlin, executive director, Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable
LEARN MORE FROM THE 19TH ([link removed])
** THE MARKUP
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The Markup is Voting Rights Lab’s weekly law and policy update, powered by our Voting Rights Tracker ([link removed]) . If you’d like to get these insights straight to your inbox, head here to sign up ([link removed]) . Here’s a preview of what we’re watching this week:
Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a ruling ([link removed]) requiring counties to reject mail ballots received in ballot envelopes with incorrect or missing dates, even if they are received on time.
Michigan: The state Senate passed a package of bills ([link removed]) , collectively referred to as the Michigan Voting Rights Act, designed to protect voting rights in the state.
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