Tag: voting rights
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Virginia legislature advances three constitutional amendments on abortion, same-sex marriage, and felon voting rights restoration to the 2026 legislative session
The Virginia State Legislature gave final approval to three constitutional amendments, advancing them for approval by the legislature during its 2026 session. If the amendments are approved by the legislature in 2026, they will appear on the Nov. 2026 ballot. In Virginia, for a constitutional amendment to qualify for the ballot, it must pass the…
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Update on 2025 and 2026 ballot measure certifications: Wisconsin certifies Voter ID Amendment for April 1
The number of certified ballot measures for 2025 and 2026 is trending above the average as of Jan. 21, 2025. For 2025, six statewide ballot measures have been certified in three states—Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Six is three measures more than the average of three for this point in an odd-numbered-year election cycle since 2010.…
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Voter identification initiative certified in Nevada for November ballot
A Nevada initiative that would require photo identification to vote was certified for the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot. On July 19, county officials announced that 131,590 signatures were verified out of the 179,000 signatures submitted. In order for the constitutional amendment to qualify for the ballot, 102,362 valid signatures were required. The initiative would require…
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Republican states adopt more voter list maintenance bills than states with Democratic trifectas and divided governments
Fourteen states adopted new laws related to maintaining accurate voter registration rolls in the first half of 2024. Ten of these bills came from states with Republican trifectas, two from states with Democratic trifectas, and two from states with divided governments. New laws in five states expand data-sharing procedures or create new requirements for reviewing…
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Republican legislators supported amendments to require citizenship to vote in state and local elections, Democratic support varied by state
Since 2018, ballot measures to amend state constitutions to prohibit noncitizens from voting have appeared in six states. In Nov. 2024, voters in eight more states will decide on ballot measures to prohibit non-citizen voting: North Carolina, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The ballot measures are designed to amend the states’…
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Two states with Republican trifectas adopted new requirements for voter registration drives
Tennessee and Louisiana joined a group of six other states with Republican trifectas that have adopted laws related to voter registration drives or third-party assistance for voter registration applications since 2020. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed HB 1955 / SB 2586 on May 1, prohibiting the pre-filling of information on a voter registration…
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Six states passed laws related to the restoration of voting rights for felons or voting by incarcerated individuals
Six states adopted new laws related to voting by individuals convicted of a felony or voting by incarcerated individuals, including two states with Republican trifectas that passed bills to restore voting rights to certain individuals convicted of a felony more quickly. In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 1629 on May 13, restoring voting rights to people convicted…
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Nine states approved bills related to noncitizen voting, voters in eight states will consider ballot measures this November
Nine states, including seven with Republican trifectas, have enacted legislation this year related to the eligibility of noncitizens to vote. In total, voters in eight states will consider ballot measures related to noncitizen voting at the November general election. In Louisiana, SB 436 requires proof of citizenship for voter registration applications. In 2022, Louisiana voters approved a ballot…
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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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North Carolina becomes seventh state to add citizenship requirement for voting amendment to Nov. ballot
Voters in North Carolina will join those in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin in deciding a ballot measure to prohibit non-citizen voting. The ballot measures would amend language to their respective state constitutions to provide that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections. All seven ballot questions were placed on the Nov.…