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Welcome to Fair Elections Alert, your rundown of key attacks against voting rights and independent elections across the country over the past week. It’s a way to keep up with what the opponents of democracy are focused on. We’ll highlight critical updates you need to be aware of, with a spotlight on the South, the original frontline in the fight for voting rights.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Quote of the Week
“The current level of confusion and conflict is not sustainable and does not serve the interests of county staff, election workers, or the public.” – Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on County Recorder Justin Heap’s felony charge threats [ [link removed] ].
NOTABLE TRENDS
Southern States Redistricting:
The South Carolina House passed [ [link removed] ] (74-36) a White House-endored congressional map aimed at flipping the state’s only Democratic-held congressional seat. Voters’ rights groups filed suit to stop the process, but a judge denied a motion [ [link removed] ] challenging a mid-debate rules change. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced (15-7) the map to the full Senate for a debate. State Election Director Conway Belangia warned [ [link removed] ] senators that holding a second set of primaries would cost between $5 and $6 million.
The Louisiana House and Governmental Affairs Committee passed [ [link removed] ] (10-7) an amended congressional map, with adjustments to several parishes. A House committee hearing continues on the map, which would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts.
Acting Attorney General Confirms DOJ Working to Restrict Mail Voting Despite Court Challenges: Todd Blanche confirmed [ [link removed] ] at a Senate panel Tuesday that top DOJ officials are working with other Trump administration agencies to implement Trump’s executive order restricting mail voting. Blanche confirmed recent reports that Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon was meeting with senior DHS and Postal Service, despite ongoing legal challenges to its constitutionality. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) raised concern that Heather Honey is leading DHS’s efforts, to which Blanche said he takes policy direction from the president.
Vote-by-Mail Errors Affect Hundreds of Thousands of Voters: The Maryland State Board of Elections announced [ [link removed] ] last week that a vendor error led to roughly 400,000 voters receiving ballots for the wrong party ahead of the state’s upcoming primaries. The error sparked swift rebukes from Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters and Maryland’s conservative Freedom Caucus, as well as Trump threatening a DOJ investigation – his latest clash with Democratic Gov. Wes Moore over unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud. Meanwhile, about 226 independent voters in York County [ [link removed] ], Pennsylvania did not receive their mail-in ballots for the special election, a mistake tied to the fact that those voters cannot vote in the primary.
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STATE ACTIVITY
Arizona • Maricopa County Election Recorder Justin Heap Threatens Felony Charges: The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved [ [link removed] ] ballot drop box locations for the July 21 primary despite last-minute warnings from County Recorder Justin Heap (R) and his attorney that the action could expose election workers to criminal liability. Heap’s attorney argued [ [link removed] ] that only the recorder has authority to designate drop box locations under Arizona law, and that workers handling ballots from “unauthorized” drop boxes could face felony charges for criminal ballot harvesting — a threat supervisors called “shocking and appalling.”
Colorado • Gov. Jared Polis Commuted Tina Peters’ Prison Sentence: Gov. Jared Polis (D) commuted [ [link removed] ] the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted for her role in an effort to breach her county’s election systems in 2020 to try to prove fraud. Polis cut Peters’ sentence in half, claiming that it was too harsh for a first-time nonviolent offender. Election officials across the state had urged [ [link removed] ] Polis not to commute her sentence and said they felt betrayed [ [link removed] ] by his decision. “Rather than standing with those public servants and defending one of our nation’s most cherished rights, the right to vote, Governor Polis is bending the knee to the same political forces and conspiracy movements that are actively undermining confidence in our democratic institutions,” Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said in a statement.
North Carolina • Legislators Introduced Bill to Cut A Week From Early Voting: Republican state legislators introduced [ [link removed] ] SB 1084 to cut North Carolina’s early voting period from 17 days to 10 for all elections. The bill does not have a committee hearing yet, but both the Senate leader and House Speaker have expressed interest in cutting the early voting period for primary elections recently.
Pennsylvania • Explosive Device Detonated Outside Polling Place: An “unknown explosive device” was thrown [ [link removed] ] from a vehicle near a polling location located at a church while voting was happening for the May 19 primary elections in Lehigh County. County officials stated that no one was injured and voting was not interrupted. Local, state, and federal law enforcement are investigating and it is unclear if the polling place was the target.
Texas • ICE Conducts Enforcement Action in San Antonio Polling Location Parking Lot: ICE agents swarmed [ [link removed] ] a vehicle in the parking lot of a San Antonio polling site. Sheriff Javier Salazar and DPS say it was a traffic stop that led to a warrant arrest for burglary. “The stop had nothing to do with the election or the voting taking place,” the DPS spokesperson said [ [link removed] ]. But voters who witnessed it say the scene felt like anything but routine — and many fear the show of force could keep people away from the polls. Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert said [ [link removed] ] the decision by ICE agents to conduct their work in the parking lot of a polling place displayed “bad training and bad judgment.
ANTI-VOTING GROUP ACTIVITY
Trump and Allies push to Revive SAVE Act: Notable groups [ [link removed] ] and individuals [ [link removed] ] are pushing the Senate to pass [ [link removed] ] the SAVE Act, while Trump pressuring lawmakers to attach the SAVE Act to must-pass bipartisan legislation on housing and government surveillance powers. Republicans are already seizing [ [link removed] ] on Trump’s push as fresh momentum to pressure GOP leaders to revive the bill.
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