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Welcome to the March edition of The Lever, featuring expert insights and analysis from Voting Rights Lab ([link removed]) . In this issue, we’ll examine the ramifications of recent DOGE-directed election security funding cuts, visit recent developments in Judge Jefferson Griffin’s ongoing campaign to overturn North Carolina’s State Supreme Court election, and highlight Utah’s abrupt about-face on universal mail voting.


** FEDERAL CUTS TO ELECTION SECURITY PROGRAMS WILL MAKE OUR ELECTIONS LESS SECURE
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Under the guise of “government efficiency,” the Trump administration recently cut $10 million in critical federal funding for state-level election security. In our latest analysis ([link removed]) , we give a brief history of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, investigate the damaging impact of these cuts, and offer predictions for how state and federal governments will adapt without federal support.
READ OUR ANALYSIS ([link removed])


** BY THE NUMBERS
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226

That’s how many state government officials, legal experts, and practicing attorneys in North Carolina urged Judge Jefferson Griffin to drop his lawsuit in a joint coalition letter ([link removed]) released last week. Griffin is demanding that the Wake County Superior Court discard over 65,000 ballots to overturn the results of the 2024 state Supreme Court election, despite multiple recounts confirming his loss.

The letter’s signatories – representing the full political spectrum – collectively expressed concerns that Griffin’s efforts could threaten public confidence in the judicial system.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals heard arguments in Griffin’s case late last week. It remains the last undecided race of the 2024 general election.
READ MORE ([link removed])


** WHAT WE'RE READING
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In a striking reversal of popular policy, the Utah legislature approved a bill that will end the state’s current practice of automatically mailing ballots to all registered voters. Instead, voters will be required to request mail ballots for future elections.

The decision to abolish universal mail ballots in Utah comes after years of attacks on mail voting, emerging from Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeat. These attacks have persisted, despite the popularity of vote-by-mail, especially among rural and older voters ([link removed]) .

As our Director of Legislative Tracking Chris Diaz told The Washington Post, “There’s never been a state that did this, in taking that step backwards after adopting universal mail voting.”

Opponents of the bill have expressed concern that this reversal will create confusion for Utah voters who have relied on the state’s vote-by-mail system for years. If signed into law, the bill will take effect in 2029.
READ MORE ([link removed])


** THE MARKUP
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The Markup is Voting Rights Lab’s weekly law and policy update, powered by our State 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:
* Federal judge strikes down ID requirements for mail ballot applications in Texas. A federal judge in the Western District of Texas held ([link removed]) that provisions in 2021's S.B. 1 ([link removed]) , which required mail ballot applicants to provide an ID number, have a discriminatory impact on voters with disabilities. The decision also struck down provisions requiring individuals assisting voters to take an oath under penalty of perjury. The state is expected to appeal the ruling.
* Wyoming enacts documentary proof of citizenship mandate. Wyoming became the first state to enact a documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) bill into law this year when H.B. 156 ([link removed]) became law without the governor's signature. The new law mandates that all voter registration applicants present proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or certain driver's licenses. At least 19 additional states ([link removed]) have similar bills pending.

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