THE WEEKLY REVEAL

Hello! In this issue, we’re focusing on our latest investigation into the attack on U.S. democracy:

• In a first-of-its-kind analysis, we looked at all 50 states and identified an alarming trend since the 2020 election: Lawmakers across the country are trying to dramatically increase law enforcement involvement in elections. The proliferation of legislation represents the most intense voter suppression threat in decades.

• We took those findings and built a first-of-its-kind database tracking the bills. Look up your state.

• On the show, we go to Arizona to see how one law, which was supposed to target widespread voter fraud, has been used – and who it’s been used against.

• Finally, we made a voter guide to help you figure out the confusing rules about who can turn in an absentee ballot on behalf of someone else.

If our reporting resonates with you because it’s affected how you or anyone you know votes, you can help us deepen our future reporting by sharing your story with us.

DEEP DIVE

State Legislatures Are Dramatically Increasing Law Enforcement Involvement in Elections

Credit: Jess Suttner for Reveal

In the last two years, at least 130 bills have been introduced across 42 states that would increase the involvement of law enforcement in the voting process, a Reveal analysis shows. Of those bills, 28 have passed in 20 states. One expert told us the growing criminalization push is more intense than even the Jim Crow era.

Reveal’s first-of-its-kind analysis shows those bills were part of a larger movement, mostly led by Republican state lawmakers and fueled by conspiracy theories. 

Three trends from the analysis stand out: 

• In 14 states, lawmakers have tried to empower law enforcement officials, such as prosecutors and police officers, to investigate suspected election crimes, arming them with new powers and requiring them to more aggressively pursue alleged offenses.

• Republican lawmakers have focused in particular on ballot collecting, a practice at the heart of false claims of fraud in the 2020 election. 

• In 12 states, lawmakers sought to increase the penalties for existing election crimes, changing the classification of some to felonies from misdemeanors.

While some of those efforts have so far failed, they show no sign of relenting, as the myth of voter fraud has become a central GOP platform. Read the investigation.

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST

The Ballot Boogeymen

In their zeal to pursue election crimes, Arizona officials have often been ahead of the curve. The state outlawed ballot collection back in 2016. 

Reveal reporter Ese Olumhense travels to a small Arizona town to see how the state’s ballot collection laws, which were supposed to be used against widespread voter fraud, have played out. She tells the story of Guillermina Fuentes, a longtime community leader who faces possible prison time for having handled four ballots during the 2020 primary election. 

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin state Legislature has been on the cutting edge of another threat to democracy: gerrymandering. Mother Jones senior reporter Ari Berman delves into how Republicans redrew voting maps there, helping them cement control of the Legislature despite not winning a majority of the vote statewide. Republicans’ strong hold on power has allowed them to keep in place deeply unpopular laws like an abortion ban that dates back to 1849. But this isn’t about just state politics: It’s also about the next election for president in 2024.

🎧  Other places to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
🎨  Illustration by Sébastien Thibault

RELATED

INTERACTIVE

Search for the Crime Bills That Target Voting and Elections in Your State

We’ve created a first-of-its-kind database of election crime legislation proposed in all 50 state legislatures since November 2020. Look up your state.

EXPLAINER

Ballot Collection Rules Have Changed in Many Places. See What the Laws Are in Your State.

Credit: Jeremy Nguyen for Reveal

In the last two years, former President Donald Trump has led a movement to crack down on what’s known as ballot collection. This is when another person or group helps a voter deliver their absentee ballot. People often return ballots for friends, family members or people with disabilities who have challenges getting to the polls. 

Since the 2020 election, six states – Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Georgia, Texas and Kentucky – have added criminal penalties for ballot collecting. Election attorneys and voting rights experts worry these laws will scare people away from voting. Indeed, the rules can be confusing and vary vastly from state to state.

CALLOUT

How Are Voter Suppression Tactics Affecting You and Your Community?

Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Help us understand whether new election rules and threats are keeping people from voting. Share your story with us.

In Case You Missed It

Final Notes

• Planet Aid paid $1.9 million to settle a six-year libel lawsuit it filed against us. It’s the largest-ever settlement of a fees dispute under California’s anti-SLAPP statute.

• Our new documentary feature film, “The Grab,” is being screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival on Sunday, the Denver Film Festival on Nov. 4 and 5, and DOC NYC on Nov. 13 and 14. If you’re outside these cities, DOC NYC has tickets available to watch the film online Nov. 14-27.