Opposing mandatory voter registration at the state level in Oregon. Tucked away in an amendment to an otherwise mundane bill related to updating voter addresses, Brown’s proposal would use DMV data to register you to vote automatically, whether you wished to be or not.”
“So imagine the surprise when, over the past month, Salem’s Democrats shifted concentration to the curious cause of election reform. The ideas put forth by Secretary of State Kate Brown would create an electorate that, while larger, will be less informed and less able to participate in the process itself.
Plenty of people intentionally opt out of the political process. They view participation as sanction of policies with which they disagree. Forcing mandatory registration raises questions about infringement on First Amendment rights.
Voting Rights Act Not at Risk
Iowa Fraud, Nevada Lawyer, Peculiar Defense
Iowa voter fraud charges have been filed. A Nevada lawyer is representing the Iowa defendant and has bizarre comments:
“A Melbourne man has been charged with election misconduct in a case his attorney says proves the Iowa voting system works without the need for the criminal investigations launched by Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz last year.”
The lawyer is saying that the charges against his client proves that the power to investigate voter fraud in Iowa should not be expanded? Why would a criminal defense attorney wade into that policy debate?
North Dakota Voter Fraud Identified
Study shows “People Hate Talking About Voting”
Wall Street Journal reports: Many people head to the polls in political elections not because they
expect to cast the decisive ballot but because they like being able to
say they voted. They also don’t want to have to lie, if asked whether
they voted.
That’s among the findings in research under way.…
Deal reached on military voting bill in Kentucky
Kentucky military personnel serving overseas will be able to get ballots
electronically under legislation approved late Tuesday in the Kentucky
General Assembly. How they send them back is still to be determined. Working until the last minute of the 2013 session, legislators went back to the original Senate version of the military voting bill that allowed for electronic sending of
ballots to overseas military, but snail mail return of the ballot.
Link to story.
“Arkansas Senate overrides veto of voter ID law”
Fox News reports: The Arkansas Senate voted Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Mike
Beebe’s veto of legislation that would require voters to show photo
identification before casting a ballot. A few highlighted quotes:
… Beebe vetoed the bill Monday, saying it amounts to “an expensive
solution in search of a problem” and would unnecessarily infringe on
voters’ rights.
…King dismissed Beebe’s concerns after Wednesday’s vote. “It’s unfortunate that his attitude is just a continuation of the
attitude by Democrats in Arkansas that voter fraud isn’t happening and
they won’t do anything about it,” King, R-Green Forest, told reporters
after the vote.
We shall see if the mainstream media coverage of the override is equal to media coverage of the veto.
True the Vote Summit Info
True the Vote holds the annual summit on April 12 – 13. Some more information here:
http://www.truethevotesummit.com/
The theme of this year’s Summit is “The Power of Citizen Engagement:” how to use 2013 as a team building year for bigger and better citizen led election integrity groups in 2014. We’ve put together a fantastic line-up of speakers, many of whom are brand new voices to the movement. What can you expect?
- Discussion panels with Secretaries of State from across the nation
- Voto Honesto, our Latino outreach program, featuring presentations by Dr. Victor Guerra, Director of Mexico’s Institute of Federal Elections and former US Treasurer Rosario Marin on the shocking truth of US election integrity compared to Mexico
- Messages from two outstanding young American leaders, Bethany Bowra and Cesar Ruiz, on the power of engaging the youth electorate
- The roll out of a new, national Voters’ Bill of Rights
- All the latest True the Vote programs and plans for 2013 and beyond
The Summit is going to be a powerful, important event, and we’d like you to be a part of it. So I’m extending this special invitation for a very limited time.
Veto override expected in Arkansas voter ID saga
Link to story.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State says State Attorney General should defend the voter ID law
State Attorney General Kathleen Kane doesn’t want to do her duty and defend the Pennsylvania voter ID law because she doesn’t believe in it politically.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele said Attorney General
Kathleen Kane should present a “vigorous defense” of the controversial
Voter ID law in court this summer.
Aichele referred to earlier news reports that said Kane is weighing
defending the law because of constitutional objections to the law.
“It is a core responsibility of the Office of Attorney General to
defend the constitutionality of statutes passed by the General Assembly
and signed into law by the governor,” Aichele said during a budget
hearing Thursday.