Category Archives: absentee ballots

“Ballot Collection and Native American Voters: An Assessment of Benefits and Costs”

July 17, 2024, 4:48 amabsentee ballotsDan Tokaji

A new paper by Daniel McCool and Weston McCool in American Indian Culture and Research Journal. From the conclusion: If the trend toward using the mail to deliver ballots rather than voting in person continues, the issue of ballot collection… Continue reading

Ballotpedia on Recent State Election Legislation

July 16, 2024, 1:13 pmabsentee ballots, felon voting, voter registrationDan Tokaji

Ballotpedia News yesterday published articles regarding state laws enacted this year on voter registration, noncitizen voting, criminal disfranchisement, and return of absentee ballots. All of them are based on Ballotpedia’s State of Election Administration Legislation 2024 … Continue reading

CMD on Wyoming Voting Restriction Efforts

July 16, 2024, 1:00 pmabsentee ballots, election administrationDan Tokaji

Center for Media and Democracy: A right-wing think tank in Florida put its thumb on the scales of Wyoming’s election reform efforts, an investigation by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) reveals. Emails obtained by CMD show that… Continue reading

“Appeals court makes it harder to disqualify absentee ballots in battleground Wisconsin”

July 13, 2024, 5:34 amabsentee ballotsDan Tokaji

AP: Absentee ballots still count in Wisconsin even if voters’ witnesses fail to give election clerks their full address, a state appeals court has ruled. The decision Thursday by the 4th District Court of Appeals is expected to expand… Continue reading

Pew Finds Partisan Divide Over Absentee & Early Voting

July 10, 2024, 6:41 pmabsentee ballotsDan Tokaji

A highlight from the Pew survey: Americans are now less likely to support no-excuse early or absentee voting than they were prior to the 2020 election. This is the result of shifting views among Republicans. In 2018, when we… Continue reading

“GOP jump-starts 2024 election challenges with Trump-inspired lawsuits”

July 10, 2024, 5:17 amabsentee ballots, fraudulent fraud squad, voter registrationDan Tokaji

Washington Post: The Republican National Committee has expanded legal challenges to voting and election procedures in key swing states since March, when presumptive nominee Donald Trump installed new party leaders with a mandate to pursue his unsubstantiated claims of… Continue reading

“Where’s Mr. Postman? The Struggles of Voting by Mail in Indian Country”

June 26, 2024, 3:33 pmabsentee ballots, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

New article by Torey Dolan in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.

“Trump, GOP urge early and mail voting while continuing to raise specter of voter fraud”

June 20, 2024, 3:08 pmabsentee ballots, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

CBS News reports.

“Partisan gridlock prevents fixes to Pennsylvania’s voting laws as presidential election looms”

June 16, 2024, 7:49 amabsentee ballots, political polarizationJustin Levitt

I can co-sign the AP’s lede: Pennsylvania is seeing lots of action targeting gaps in its vote-by-mail laws. The problem is that it’s in the courtroom and not the legislature. And no, I’m not suggesting that’s a problem of… Continue reading

“Illinois Republicans grapple with mail voting amid mixed signals from Trump — ‘We have to adapt'”

June 16, 2024, 7:45 amabsentee ballotsJustin Levitt

WBEZ has the story about trying to motivate voters in the face of very mixed messaging. Related, I recently learned about the origin story for the VRA’s 1970 guarantee of uniform protections for absentee balloting in presidential races: none other… Continue reading

“Nevada has a plan to expand electronic voting. That concerns election security experts”

June 11, 2024, 7:31 amabsentee ballots, internet votingJustin Levitt

The AP covers the attempt to expand access for remote Tribal voters via electronic ballot delivery. FWIW, meaningfully increasing Postal Service presence in remote areas helps connect those voters to the process in a way that isn’t limited to ballots.

“1,900 New Jersey ballots whose envelopes were opened early must be counted, judge rules”

June 11, 2024, 7:21 amabsentee ballots, election administration, election law and constitutional lawJustin Levitt

Here’s the follow-up from the story Rick noted last week. The judge ruled from the bench, I believe, and I don’t know if there’s been a written opinion yet. But reporting indicates that the court’s decision relies on the… Continue reading

“Tampa Bay’s vote-by-mail requests plunge as 2024 election nears”

June 11, 2024, 7:20 amabsentee ballots, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

In the wake of a law requiring voters to re-up requests for mail ballots, mail ballot requests look to be way down in Florida, compared to requests in the midterm.

“Trump’s mail-in ballot reversal: As he backs it, GOP lawyers are still fighting against it”

June 10, 2024, 7:48 amabsentee ballots, election administration, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

This USA Today piece highlights Republican efforts to tighten mail vote practices. I’m quoted in the piece explaining a dynamic that I think extends well beyond mail-in voting. Most restrictions on voting practices – and particularly restrictions that may seem… Continue reading