Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

The state of voting: Dec. 12, 2022

voting legislation updates

This weekly update summarizing legislative activity affecting voting and elections is powered by the Voting Rights Lab. Sign up for VRL’s weekly newsletter here.

The Voting Rights Lab is tracking 2,217 bills so far this session, with 584 bills that tighten voter access or election administration and 1,062 bills that expand the rules. The rest are neutral, mixed or unclear in their impact.

The Ohio House of Representatives’ Government Oversight Committee on Monday approved a bill that would restrict mail voting and make the state’s voter ID law more stringent.

Last week, New York enacted a bill that will ensure eligible votes cast at an incorrect polling place are still counted. And Missouri lawmakers prefiled legislation to give voters an opportunity to correct errors on their mail ballot envelopes.

Looking ahead: Ohio H.B. 294, the restrictive bill that moved out of committee this morning, may be heard on the House floor tomorrow, followed by a concurrence vote in the Senate either tomorrow or Wednesday. In the aftermath of the long lines and lower turnout in this year’s runoff election, Georgia officials are discussing reforms to 2021’s controversial S.B. 202.

Here are the details:


New York enacts legislation to ensure eligible votes cast at the wrong polling place are counted. On Dec. 6, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S.B. 284, which ensures that if a voter casts a provisional ballot (called an “affidavit ballot” in New York) at the wrong polling place, all votes they were eligible to cast will count, so long as the person voted in the correct county and state Assembly district. Under the previous law, these ballots would have been rejected.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Ohio moves legislation to restrict mail voting and make the state voter ID law more stringent. Earlier today, the Ohio House of Representatives’ Government Oversight Committee voted out a substitute for H.B. 294, an omnibus bill that would, among other provisions, restrict acceptable forms of voter identification, limit the secretary of state’s authority, prohibit prepaid postage for mail ballots, and limit the number of drop boxes for mail ballots to one per county. The next step for this bill is a vote on the House floor, which could happen tomorrow.

Missouri lawmakers prefile a bill to give voters an opportunity to correct errors on their mail ballot envelopes. Under Missouri law, mail ballots are rejected if the ballot envelope is not notarized or is missing a signature. S.B. 210 would ensure that, prior to rejecting a ballot, county officials contact the voter and give them an opportunity to correct the problem so their ballot may be counted. Most states have this type of “cure” process; Missouri is currently one of 19 states without a statewide cure process.

After long lines and lower turnout, Georgia officials eye additional runoff reforms. Last year’s S.B. 202 moved runoff elections forward by a month, cutting the number of required days of early voting by over two-thirds. In the first election since the bill’s passage, turnout was down over 20 percent as compared to the January 2021 runoff. These changes contributed to hours-long lines and thousands of mail ballots being sent too late for voters to return them by the required deadline. Following last week’s election, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger expressed openness to several reforms for future election cycles, including eliminating runoffs in favor of ranked-choice voting; lowering the threshold for triggering runoff elections; and requiring that counties open more early voting locations. One lawmaker announced plans to prefile a bill that would extend the runoff period.

Read More

World Vaccine Congress Washington Tackles Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric in U.S. Politics

The World Vaccine Congress Washington is held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, April 23, 2025

(Erin Drumm/Medill New Service)

World Vaccine Congress Washington Tackles Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric in U.S. Politics

WASHINGTON—A vaccine policy expert challenged attendees of the World Vaccine Congress Washington to imagine a deadly disease spreading in various places around the country. We have the tools to stop it, but lawmakers were instead debating whether or not to use them.

In fact, that describes what is currently happening across the United States, according to Rehka Lakshmanan, M.H.A.

Keep ReadingShow less
young girl pouring fresh juice or milk into cup sitting at table with classmates while eating lunch in school cafeteria.

Young girl pouring fresh juice or milk into cup sitting at table with classmates while eating lunch in school cafeteria.

Getty Images, SeventyFour

The Real Monster: Hunger in America’s Schools

Boo wasn’t afraid of monsters. In Monster, Inc., a popular Disney animated film, the wide-eyed, giggling little girl toddled fearlessly through a world of towering, furry creatures—completely unfazed by their fangs, claws, or booming voices. The only thing that scared her was Randall, the lurking, slithering villain who threatened her safety.

I once met a little girl just like Boo. She was about three years old, her hair tied up in tiny ponytails, her eyes filled with curiosity. At a food site I visited during my evaluation of the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), she struggled to climb onto the picnic bench, her small hands gripping the edge as she hoisted herself up. When she finally settled, she shared something no child should ever have to say: “When I stay with my dad, we don’t always eat lunch.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Jar full of american coins.

Jar full of american coins.

Getty Images, MariuszBlach

Congress Bill Spotlight: Suspending Pennies and Nickels for 10 Years

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a weekly report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about but that often don't get the right news coverage.

Trump recently discontinued production of the one-cent coin. What about the five-cent coin too?

Keep ReadingShow less
Anxiety, Fear, and Betrayal: The Emotional Impact of Trump’s 100-Day Blitz

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters on April 23, 2025, in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Anxiety, Fear, and Betrayal: The Emotional Impact of Trump’s 100-Day Blitz

Few can deny that whether you love or hate President Donald Trump, the first 100 days of his second term have been marked by bold and controversial actions that will shape American life for years, if not decades, to come. His administration has unleashed a torrent of dramatic moves: a record blitz of executive orders reshaping immigration, trade, and environmental policy; the escalation of trade wars, especially with China, that have rattled global markets; an aggressive effort to slash the size of federal agencies; and policy shifts in international relations, including a realignment on Russia and Ukraine. The stock market’s volatility reflects just how deeply these decisions are impacting the economic climate.

Yet, while the policy fireworks dominate headlines, a less visible but equally profound story is unfolding: the emotional toll Trump's presidency is having on millions of Americans.

Keep ReadingShow less