Tag: election administration
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South Dakota voters to decide on citizenship voting requirement amendment in 2026 after eight states approved similar measures in 2024
The South Dakota State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to the 2026 ballot that would provide that noncitizens of the United States are disqualified from voting in any election in the state. This will be the 15th statewide ballot measure related to citizenship voting requirements since 2018. In 2024, eight states approved similar…
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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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Idaho voters will decide on a ballot initiative for top-four primary and ranked-choice voting system in November
The Idaho Secretary of State announced on July 10 that a ballot initiative to establish top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections for congressional, statewide, and county elected offices qualified for the Nov. 2024 ballot. Currently, Idaho state law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections. …
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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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Oklahoma adopts legislation restoring voting rights to felons after a pardon or commutation of a sentence
On May 13, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 1629, a bill that restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony after receiving a pardon or commutation of their sentence. The legislation had bipartisan sponsorship and the final version of the bill passed the Oklahoma State Senate 41-0 on April 16. It then…
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South Carolina becomes the fourth state to send a constitutional amendment providing that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections to the Nov. 2024 ballot
South Carolina voters will join Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin voters in deciding on ballot questions to add language to their respective state constitutions to provide that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections. All four ballot questions were placed on the Nov. 2024 ballot by their respective state legislatures. Similar measures have appeared on ballots…