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Welcome to Bad News Weekly, your rundown of key attacks on voting rights and independent elections across the country – it’s a way to keep up with what the opponents of democracy are up to. We’ll highlight some of the worst anti-voter efforts, with a spotlight on the South, the original frontline in the fight for voting rights, and still its fiercest.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Everyone in our democracy should be encouraging participation, and that’s not a partisan issue.” – Ann Webb, policy director at Common Cause North Carolina, on the “red flag” provision in NC HB 958 that prohibits state and local election officials from promoting voter turnout.
NOTABLE TRENDS
U.S.Department of Justice (DOJ) Eyes Criminal Charges for Election Officials:
The Trump regime is directing DOJ lawyers to explore criminal prosecutions of state and local election officials based on vague claims about voting system security. Experts say the move is rooted in conspiracy theories, not evidence — and would bring unprecedented federal threats into local election offices.
Military & Overseas Voters Targeted:
Military and overseas voters continued to be targeted after multiple recent legal efforts aimed at limiting their voting access. In Arizona, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the AZ Republican Party filed a lawsuit that sought to block a state law that allows overseas voters to register in AZ if one of their parents are a registered AZ voter. In North Carolina, the NC House Elections Law Committee passed HB 958 which would require military and overseas voters to provide photo ID with their mail ballot or sign an affidavit explaining why they could not include one.
DOJ Continues Anti-Voting Efforts:
In Wyoming, the DOJ filed a statement of interest defending the newly enacted state law HB 156, which requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and state residency in order to register to vote, in a lawsuit. The filing, which does not address the potential burdens on voters imposed by the law, defended the state’s authority to enact bills that “secure the voting process.” The DOJ’s statement of interest came a few days after the RNC filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit.
STATE ACTIVITY
Arizona • Maricopa County Recorder Sent Incorrect Letters To 83,000 Voters Warning They Would be Moved to Inactive if They Did Not Respond:
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office mailed roughly 83,000 voters, or about 3% of the total registered voters in the county, an incorrect letter that warned the voters they would be moved to the inactive voter list. The 83,000 voters were supposed to be sent a letter informing them that they were among the voters caught in the state’s error in not collecting proof of citizenship and would need to provide documentary proof of citizenship in order to be able to vote for state and local elections. The Recorder’s Office stated that the voters would not be moved to the inactive voter list and claimed the mistake was due to a printing error, but emails obtained show that a staffer at the office approved the incorrect letter.
North Carolina • House Committee Passed HB 958 Which Would Prohibit Election Officials From “Promoting Voter Turnout”:
The NC House Elections Law Committee, without public comment and with little debate, passed HB 958, a sweeping anti-voting bill. Among many provisions, the bill would convert more than one-third of existing staff positions within the State Board of Elections into political positions and prohibit state and local election board members from making public statements “promoting voter turnout.” The bill now moves to the NC House Rules Committee; however, no action is expected on the bill until the House returns from a summer break.
ANTI-VOTING GROUP ACTIVITY
RNC Filed Motion To Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging Wyoming’s HB 156 In Support Of The Proof Of Citizenship Law:
The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging WY’s HB 156, which requires documentary proof of citizenship and state residency in order to register to vote. In their filing, the RNC dismissed “the notion that disenfranchisement is a concern, claiming instead that it’s the perception of noncitizen voting that is the real threat.”
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