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Conservatives opposing drive for early voting in Connecticut

Prominent conservatives in Hartford are lobbying state Senate Republicans to abandon legislation making Connecticut the 40th state with at least some early voting, which has boosted turnout in almost every place it's been instituted.

"Once you get away from the idea that there's an Election Day, then you get on a constant slippery slope," former Sen. Joe Markley, the GOP nominee last year for lieutenant governor, told the Hartford Courant.


The state House overwhelmingly approved an early voting measure this year, but it won't pass unless five of 14 Republicans in the Senate join the 22 Democrats to form a two-thirds majority. If that happens, voters statewide would have the final say in a 2020 referendum.

Democrats originally proposed just three days of advance balloting, but in a compromise with the GOP the current measure would only authorize state legislators to set the specifics once the public backs concept.

Prospects for the bill, which failed four years ago, seem to have been improved by Election Day chaos last year in New Haven, where a surge in last-minute registrations led to long lines at the polls.

"When voting becomes a hassle, the democratic process falls by the wayside," said Democratic Sen. Will Haskell, at 22 the youngest member of the legislature. "The right to vote means nothing without the opportunity to vote."

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True Confessions of an AI Flip Flopper
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True Confessions of an AI Flip Flopper

A few years ago, I would have agreed with the argument that the most important AI regulatory issue is mitigating the low probability of catastrophic risks. Today, I’d think nearly the opposite. My primary concern is that we will fail to realize the already feasible and significant benefits of AI. What changed and why do I think my own evolution matters?

Discussion of my personal path from a more “safety” oriented perspective to one that some would label as an “accelerationist” view isn’t important because I, Kevin Frazier, have altered my views. The point of walking through my pivot is instead valuable because it may help those unsure of how to think about these critical issues navigate a complex and, increasingly, heated debate. By sharing my own change in thought, I hope others will feel welcomed to do two things: first, reject unproductive, static labels that are misaligned with a dynamic technology; and, second, adjust their own views in light of the wide variety of shifting variables at play when it comes to AI regulation. More generally, I believe that calling myself out for a so-called “flip-flop” may give others more leeway to do so without feeling like they’ve committed some wrong.

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Support for International Students’ Mental Health Fails As Federal Visa Revocations Rise

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Support for International Students’ Mental Health Fails As Federal Visa Revocations Rise

The University of Washington’s international student population is raising concerns about the lack of mental health support provided to them by International Student Services, particularly in the context of visa revocations.

“I've personally sacrificed so much to get to UW,” first-year Kaira Wullur said. “I know my parents have also sacrificed so much. It is super draining to think that what I've been working towards could be stripped away from people who don't even know who I am.”

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Strengthening Elections, Rights, and Citizen Engagement

Strengthening Elections, Rights, and Citizen Engagement

Strengthening Elections, Rights, and Citizen Engagement

Welcome to the latest edition of The Expand Democracy 5. From Rob Richie, with Eveline Dowling and Juniper Shelley’s assistance, we highlight timely links and stories about democracy at the local, national, and global levels. Today's stories include:

🔁 The primary problem is a lack of general election competition

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