Author: Joseph Greaney
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Nevada Gov. Lombardo vetoes bills to require voter ID and open primaries to unaffiliated voters
On June 12, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed two election bills that passed the legislature in the final days of the 2025 session, including new voter ID and drop box requirements, and changes to rules for unaffiliated voters in primary elections. Voter ID AB 499 would have required in-person voters to present a valid photo…
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Iowa Gov. Reynolds signs bill banning RCV
On June 2, 2025, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed HF 954, making Iowa the sixth state to ban ranked-choice voting (RCV) this year. The new law says: “An election in this state shall not be conducted using ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting.” The bill also makes other changes to election laws in the…
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Nevada Governor vetoes drop box bill
On May 22, 2025, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed AB 306, a bill that would have increased the availability of mail ballot drop boxes and added new security requirements for maintaining them. Under current law, county clerks must make a ballot drop box available at every polling location while that polling place is open, including…
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Boston City Council advances RCV proposal for city elections
On May 14, 2025, the Boston, Massachusetts city council voted 8-4 to approve a home rule petition to adopt ranked-choice voting (RCV) for city elections. The petition needs approval from Mayor Michelle Wu (D), who said she would sign the measure, before it goes to the state legislature for consideration. If passed by the legislature…
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Montana Gov. Gianforte (R) signs bill banning the use of extreme risk protection orders
On May 8, Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed HB 809 into law, banning local governments in the state from enacting or enforcing extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs). The Republican-sponsored bill passed the legislature largely along party lines, but two Republicans in both the Montana House of Representatives and Montana Senate voted against the bill. With…
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West Virginia enacts bill aligning municipal election dates
On April 24, 2025, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) signed SB 50, requiring all local municipal elections to be held concurrently with a regularly scheduled statewide primary or general election by 2032. The Republican-sponsored bill passed the West Virginia Legislature with bipartisan support, including a unanimous vote in the West Virginia Senate. Supporters of…
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Republican-led election policy bills advance in Kansas legislative session
All but two state legislatures are currently convening their regular 2025 legislative sessions. Lawmakers in these states have already introduced more than 2,300 bills related to election administration this year. Among states where lawmakers have advanced election policy bills is Kansas. Kansas has a divided government and is one of two states, along with Kentucky,…
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Checks and Balances, December 2024
In this edition of Checks and Balances: Federal stories: State stories: Commentary: Regulatory Tally: In Washington President-elect Trump announces Department of Government Efficiency creation What’s the story? President-elect Donald Trump (R) on Nov. 12 announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to advise the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on cutting…
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Changes to voting laws and state board of election included in North Carolina veto override
On Dec. 11, 2024, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) veto of S 382. Cooper vetoed the bill on Nov. 26, and the North Carolina Senate voted along partisan lines to override the veto 30-19 on Dec. 2. The 72-46 vote in the House confirmed the override. The bill combines disaster relief funding for communities and businesses…
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Nebraska Attorney General issues opinion declaring laws restoring voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony unconstitutional
On July 17, 2024, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) issued a formal opinion that said that only the Nebraska Pardons Board—which consists of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state—and not the legislature, has the authority to restore voting rights or shorten the waiting period for the restoration of voting rights for individuals…