elections
Election officials make their voices heard as battleground states debate voting laws
When Georgia legislators pushed through a restrictive voting bill during the 2021 session, Bartow County election supervisor Joseph Kirk said he felt frustrated and sidelined. Lawmakers largely didn’t take election officials’ views into account, he said, and what resulted was a law that included a number of provisions that he said election officials believe are “to the […]
Voting Rights Act is hanging by a thread; FL ruling may allow Supreme Court to cut it
In an exceedingly rare federal ruling striking down restrictions on voting that the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature approved last year, the state has effectively been placed on probation. In the March 31 ruling, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker struck down central provisions of that law, SB 90, approved at the urging of Gov. Ron DeSantis. […]
Early voting starts today. Here are the basics
Despite drawn out legal battles over district lines for state legislative and U.S. House seats, yes, there’s still a May 3 primary in Ohio. Monday was the final day to register to vote in time to participate in the May 3 primary. Early voting starts Tuesday. Here are some of the basics from there. May’s […]
Decline in federal grant funding for local elections criticized by advocates
WASHINGTON — The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress last week includes $75 million in Help America Vote Act grants — a major reduction compared to years past. Experts say the $75 million is insufficient to fund local elections and leaves local election offices without resources to improve election infrastructure and protect the […]
Governor appoints former lawmaker to elections board who hyped up 2020 voter fraud claims
Gov. Mike DeWine appointed a former lawmaker to a state board that oversees political campaigns who has publicly amplified debunked notions of election fraud in 2020. Christina Hagan-Nemeth, who served in the Ohio House before mounting two unsuccessful congressional bids, was appointed Tuesday to the Ohio Elections Commission. Her term runs through the end of […]
Voting snafus in Texas primary show what may be on the way for other states
HOUSTON — Standing outside a polling location in the historically Black neighborhood of Kashmere Gardens on Election Day, lieutenant governor candidate Carla Brailey predicted that Texas’ performance in 2022’s first primary would gain national attention — no matter the outcome. Texas is already a model for other Republican-controlled states for its new law that makes […]
Religious groups, legislators butt heads on new election law
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Ohio congregations are known for their efforts to encourage people to […]
Voting begins today for congressional primaries in Ohio’s 11th, 15th districts
Early voting begins today for the Aug. 3 special election in Ohio, which features two congressional primary elections and a handful of local ballot issues across the state. Most Ohioans do not have anything to vote for in this special election. But all eyes are on the 11th and 15th Ohio Congressional District primaries: 11th […]
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Arizona ban on ‘ballot harvesting’
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s ban on third-party ballot collections, reversing the 9th Circuit’s ruling last year that the prohibition violated the Voting Rights Act and raising the bar on future voting rights lawsuits. In a 6-3 opinion, the high court ruled on Thursday that Arizona’s 2016 law doesn’t violate Section 2 of the Voting […]
Should Ohio candidates be able to use campaign funds on child care costs?
If Ohio wants a more diverse set of political candidates, state Sen. Tina Maharath believes the campaign rules should be more favorable to busy parents. Maharath, a Columbus Democrat, proposes the way to do that is to allow candidates to use donations to pay for child care costs while they are on the campaign trail. […]
Ohio’s future is on the line(s) with redistricting in 2021
The most important issue to face Ohioans in 2021 isn’t even on most of our radar screens. Seriously, when was the last time you dove into the ramifications of redistricting with friends? I get it. Not a sexy subject. The map drawing process to reconfigure district boundaries in the state is complicated. But there’s a […]
Senators deadlock on major U.S. elections bill in committee vote
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Tuesday tackled a massive voting reforms bill in committee in a heated daylong debate. But the final vote on the bill by the Senate Rules Committee was a 9-9 tie, which means Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer likely would have to use a Senate procedure to bring the legislation to […]