All eyes are on NJ and VA to see how their new voting laws take shape during their upcoming elections.

You're receiving this email because of your interest in voting rights and election issues, or because you are a trusted partner of the Voting Rights Lab. If you prefer not to receive emails, please unsubscribe ([link removed]) .
[link removed]
[link removed]
Welcome to the September edition of The Lever. This month, we take a close look at Virginia and New Jersey ([link removed]) , two states putting their new voting laws to the test with upcoming statewide elections.

You’ll also find a detailed policy breakdown ([link removed]) that provides some national context for the provisions of the Freedom to Vote Act. Let’s get right to it.


** HOT POLICY TAKE
------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia and New Jersey both have statewide elections on November 2, 2021 – outliers among the states – with state legislators, the governor, and other statewide offices all on the ballot. Early voting in Virginia is already underway.

In this month’s Hot Policy Take ([link removed]) , we analyze how the consequential voting law changes in these two states will shape their upcoming elections.

READ OUR HOT POLICY TAKE ([link removed])


** #TRENDING
------------------------------------------------------------
Today is National Voter Registration Day! Our friends at IntoAction created some easily shareable GIFs ([link removed]) to spread the word about this important milestone in the election calendar.
[link removed]
You can also check out the social toolkit from the folks at National Voter Registration Day ([link removed]) .

HELP SPREAD THE WORD! ([link removed])


** FROM THE EXPERTS
------------------------------------------------------------
Among its provisions, the Freedom to Vote Act would create nationwide standards for early voting, mail voting, voting restoration, voter identification, and voter registration. But how exactly would it affect voting laws in the states?

Check out our recent post ([link removed]) where we summarize how the bill’s provisions would affect existing state laws across the country, and how states approached these issues in the 2021 legislative session.

READ THE FULL POST HERE ([link removed])


** WHAT WE'RE READING
------------------------------------------------------------
The Atlantic recently took a deep dive into California’s recall election ([link removed]) and its implications for future attempts to undermine elections.

“For races that conservatives are unlikely to win, like the California recall race, activists, pundits, candidates, and officials are preempting those losses with the idea that something is wrong with the election.” The result, Griswold said, “is it sows doubt in the entire election system to make it easier for extreme legislators to come in and suppress the vote.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ([link removed])


** THE MARKUP
------------------------------------------------------------
The Markup ([link removed]) is VRL’s weekly update for insiders on state election legislation. Here’s a snippet from yesterday's edition ([link removed]) – a sample of what you can expect each week:

North Carolina legislature passes bill to grant itself broader election authority. North Carolina’s legislature passed S.B. 360 ([link removed]) and sent it to the governor. The bill would require parties for any litigation challenging a statutory or constitutional provision to seek the approval of the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate prior to entering a consent judgment if the legislative leaders have intervened in the litigation or have been named as parties in their official capacities. This move takes power away from the Attorney General and the State Board of Elections, who previously could have settled these lawsuits without any additional approval. Fourteen states have enacted 21 bills ([link removed]) this year that result in a shift in election authority.

If you’d like to get insights like this straight to your inbox each Monday, head here to sign up ([link removed]) .

SUBSCRIBE NOW ([link removed])
Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to get your own edition of The Lever, delivered fresh each month. ([link removed])

============================================================
** Voting Rights Lab ([link removed])

1828 L Street NW | Suite 300 | Washington, DC 20036

We're grateful for your interest and support, but if you'd prefer not to receive emails from the Voting Rights Lab, click here to ** unsubscribe ([link removed])
.