John,

Here are some updates from the last few days you may have missed.

New York Expands Voting on College Campuses and More in 2023 Budget

• On Saturday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed New York State’s 2023 budget into law, which includes a provision requiring the establishment of polling places on college campuses in the state with more than 300 registered voters. It also requires the Board of Elections to send pre-paid postage with any mail-in ballot sent to voters. Get more details here.

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Nine Republican Election Bills

• Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed nine election bills passed by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature. The bills would have made it harder to vote absentee, banned private election grants and more. Read more about the bills here.

9th Circuit Revives Arizona Ballot Order Challenge

• In 2019, a lawsuit, Mecinas v. Hobbes, was filed against Arizona’s ballot order statute. In Arizona, candidates of the same political party whose gubernatorial candidate won the most in the previous election in that county are listed first on the ballot. Because candidates listed first often receive an electoral boost, the law benefits certain political parties at the expense of others.


• A district court dismissed the case in 2020, holding the plaintiffs lacked standing and the lawsuit raised a political question not suitable for courts to decide. But last Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s decision. The case will go back to the district court, which will now have to rule on the merits of the case. Find out more here.

Lawsuit Challenging Colorado’s Primary System Dismissed

• Colorado uses an “open primary” system wherein voters not affiliated with a party (about 44% of Colorado’s active electorate) can vote in any party’s primary. Conservative activists challenged this system, alleging closed primaries violate the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.


• Last Friday, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, finding the plaintiffs lacked standing. Read more about the decision here.

Can’t get enough news? You can always find more details about these updates on our Alerts page.

Thanks for staying in the fight,
Team Democracy Docket