News
Scorecard rates states on mail and early voting policies
Mail and early voting practices were expanded and widely used during the 2020 election, to mitigate exposure to Covid-19, and since then they've been a main focus of states' election overhauls. A recent report provides a comprehensive look at the ways these voting methods have changed.
On Wednesday, the Campaign Legal Center released a 40-page report analyzing the modifications to vote-by-mail and early voting practices states have made so far this year. The report focuses on the 39 states that had completed their legislative sessions by the end of June.
The nonpartisan nonprofit graded each state based on its existing voting laws and the changes it made this year, if any, and then grouped states into three categories: least restrictive, restrictive and most restrictive. The scorecard is meant to show what provisions states may have that promote voting access, but it is not intended to be reflective of states' election systems overall.
Debate
Claims of voter suppression in newly enacted state laws don't all hold up under closer review
As states across the U.S. enact new laws relating to elections, there have been efforts to capture, in aggregate, the effects of those laws. Reports that new election laws will "restrict" voting or have an "anti-voter" effect misrepresent what many of the laws will do, writes Derek T. Muller, a Bouma fellow in law and professor of law at the University of Iowa.
Podcast: Pete Davis is Dedicated to the Hard Work of Democracy
Pete Davis is cofounder of the Democracy Policy Network and author of "Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing." Davis discusses how he's turning his ideas into action through the Democracy Policy Network in this episode of the Democracy Works podcast from The McCourtney Institute for Democracy.
Community
Stay-cation Advocacy: Building Relationships Back Home
In this session hosted by Congressional Management Foundation, participants will learn about who lawmakers listen to and why; the most effective tactics and strategies to use in the district or state; how to build long-term relationships with lawmakers and their staff; and the best opportunities for setting up meetings and events back home.