WHEN WE ALL VOTE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY: A roundup of recent voting news

Hi John,

Welcome back to The Good, The Bad, The Ugly — your go-to source for the latest in voting rights. In Georgia, the state’s highest court struck down several restrictive election rules, blocking efforts to force hand-counts and add new ID barriers for absentee voters. However, in Michigan, lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would remove infrequent voters from the rolls. And at the federal level, the Department of Justice is ramping up efforts to strip naturalized Americans of their citizenship through expanded denaturalization proceedings.

So, buckle up as we break down the wins, the setbacks, and the urgent fights ahead in the battle for our democracy. 😉

😃 Good: The Georgia Supreme Court ruled the State Election Board overstepped by making voting harder. The overturned rules included hand-counting ballots, stricter ID requirements for absentee returns, and vague certification mandates. Moving forward, any major changes to Georgia’s election procedures will require legislative approval, ensuring greater accountability and protecting voters’ rights.

😠 Bad: Michigan is advancing a bill to cancel voter registrations of residents who haven’t cast a ballot in the last 10 years, marking them inactive and removing them if they don’t respond or vote. Supporters say it will improve election security by cleaning up outdated rolls, while others warn it could disenfranchise eligible voters, especially those who are low-income, elderly, or move often. The bill now heads to the full House and Senate.

😡 Ugly: The Department of Justice is renewing efforts to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans. These civil proceedings offer fewer legal protections, no guaranteed representation, and a lower burden of proof, raising serious concerns about due process and potential abuse. This move disproportionately impacts immigrant communities, threatening the security that citizenship guarantees. While Supreme Court precedent limits denaturalization to rare, serious cases, this shift signals potential constitutional challenges ahead as legal advocates prepare to push back.

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I’ll be back soon with more important voting news and updates.

— Beth