Author: Joseph Greaney
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New rules for ballot return in three states with Republican trifectas among changes to absentee/mail-in voting
Three states with Republican trifectas added new definitions of who may return another voter’s ballot in 2024. Idaho adopted H 599, which stipulates that only election officials, postal workers, common carrier employees, a person paid by the voter, a relative of the voter, a member of their household, or a caregiver may collect or deliver another…
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House passes bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote for federal elections
On July 10, the U.S. House passed HR 8281, a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in elections for Federal office. The bill, titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, was introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and ultimately gathered 104 cosponsors in the House, all Republicans. The bill passed…
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Tennessee has adopted the most new election laws in 2024
Tennessee lawmakers have adopted 36 election-related bills so far in 2024, the most of any state. Among the new election laws are changes to state voter roll maintenance procedures, an earlier absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline, and new rules for voter registration drives. Tennessee legislators also adopted the Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act which requires presidential…
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Hawaii Governor Josh Green signs bill requiring application to ERIC
On July 5, 2024, Hawaii Governor Josh Green (D) signed Senate Bill 2240, requiring the state’s Office of Elections to apply to join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). The bill passed the Hawaii House of Representatives and State Senate unanimously on April 24. As of July 2024, 24 states and the District of Columbia were members of ERIC, a multi-state voter list maintenance…
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Changes to voter registration and absentee/mail-in ballot counting are among new election laws in Georgia
Legislators in Georgia adopted 33 new election laws related to elections this year, including changes to voter registration challenges and a new deadline for counting absentee/mail-in ballots. They also established new requirements for poll workers, rules for poll observers, and a new system for posting images of voted ballots: SB 189 is an omnibus elections bill…
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Maryland was the most active Democratic state in terms of new election laws in the first half of 2024
Maryland adopted 10 election-related bills in the first half of 2024, making it the most active state with a Democratic trifecta in terms of new election laws. Lawmakers adopted bills expanding protections for election officials, and created a portal intended to address election misinformation. They also adopted a new law modifying post-election canvassing procedures, including a process…
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Colorado Governor Polis (D) signs election omnibus legislation including amendment related to ranked-choice voting
Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed SB 210 into law on June 6, 2024. The omnibus elections bill makes changes to several areas of election law, including adding provisions to state law that would make it more difficult to adopt ranked-choice voting (RCV) in statewide elections. The bill lowers the age for voter preregistration from…
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Louisiana is fifth state to ban RCV in 2024, tenth overall
On May 28, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landy (R) signed SB 101 into law banning ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state. Louisiana is the fifth state to ban RCV in 2024 and 10th to do so overall. All 10 states to ban RCV have done so with a Republican controlled legislature. The new law states: “A…
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With Mississippi’s new law, more states have banned ranked-choice voting in 2024 than any other year
On May 13, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) signed SB 2144 into law, banning ranked-choice voting (RCV). With the new law, more states have now banned RCV in 2024 than in any other year. Mississippi joined Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alabama, who all adopted legislation banning RCV this year, and became the ninth state overall to prohibit the electoral system. SB 2144 bans RCV “in…
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Trump leads Biden in PredictIt’s presidential general election market for first time since March
As of May 21, 2024, PredictIt’s 2024 presidential general election market shows President Joe Biden (D) at $0.47 and former President Donald Trump (R) at $0.50. The last time Trump led Biden in this market was March 21, when he held a $0.47 to $0.46 advantage. Biden led Trump from March 31 until May 14…