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Bipartisan group launches bid for automatic registration in Ohio

Ohio may become the biggest battleground state to have automatic voter registration in time for the next election.

A bipartisan coalition of state legislators joined GOP Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Wednesday in announcing the drive to enact a measure making Ohio the 18th state where eligible people are automatically registered whenever they interact with a state agency – most frequently the motor vehicle bureau – unless they say they want to opt out.


"If we don't hear from you for six years, and if you don't respond to this mailing, we make the assumption that you've moved or that you've passed on," LaRose said. "We can do a lot better than that in the year 2019, and come up with a system that doesn't inconvenience infrequent voters ... while at the same time maintains an accurate list."

The lawmakers said the switch could add as many as 1 million to the rolls in Ohio, which has voted for the winner in 14 straight presidential elections. Of the 17 states that have created automatic voter registrations, just four went for Donald Trump in 2016.

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The Democracy for All Project

The Democracy for All Project

American democracy faces growing polarization and extremism, disinformation is sowing chaos and distrust of election results, and public discourse has become increasingly toxic. According to most rankings, America is no longer considered a full democracy. Many experts now believe American democracy is becoming more autocratic than democratic. What does the American public think of these developments? As Keith Melville and I have noted, existing research has little to say about the deeper causes of these trends and how they are experienced across partisan and cultural divides. The Democracy for All Project, a new partnership of the Kettering Foundation and Gallup Inc., is an annual survey and research initiative designed to address that gap by gaining a comprehensive understanding of how citizens are experiencing democracy and identifying opportunities to achieve a democracy that works for everyone.

A Nuanced Exploration of Democracy and Its Challenges

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America Is Not a Place, It’s an Epic Road Trip
empty curved road
Photo by Holden Baxter on Unsplash

America Is Not a Place, It’s an Epic Road Trip

Despite its size, Afghanistan has only a single highway running through it. It’s called National Highway 1, or Ring Road, and I spent a little time on it myself years ago. It has no major intersections, not really. Just 1,400 miles of dusty road that cuts through mountains and across minefields to connect small towns and ancient cities.

Over many decades, America helped build and rebuild Ring Road to support free trade and free movement throughout the country.

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A “Bad Time” To Be Latino in America

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AI generated

A “Bad Time” To Be Latino in America

A new Pew Research Center survey reveals that most Latinos in the United States disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration and the economy during his second term, underscoring growing pessimism within one of the nation’s fastest-growing demographic groups. Conducted in October, the survey highlights widespread concerns about deportation efforts, financial insecurity, and the broader impact of Trump’s policies on Hispanic communities.

Key Findings from the Pew Survey
  • 65% disapprove of Trump’s immigration policies, citing heightened deportation efforts and increased immigration enforcement in local communities.
  • About four-in-five Latinos say Trump’s policies harm Hispanics, a higher share than during his first term.
  • 61% of Latinos believe Trump’s economic policies have worsened conditions, with nearly half reporting struggles to pay for food, housing, or medical expenses in the past year.
  • 68% feel their overall situation has declined in the past year, marking one of the bleakest assessments in nearly two decades of Pew surveys.

Immigration Enforcement and Fear of Deportation

The study found that about half of Latinos worry they or someone close to them might be deported, reflecting heightened anxiety amid intensified immigration raids and arrests. Many respondents reported that enforcement actions had occurred in their local areas within the past six months. This fear has contributed to a sense of vulnerability, particularly among mixed-status families where U.S. citizens live alongside undocumented relatives.

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