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Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis
Governor's 'ballot integrity' proposal would limit Florida voting by mail
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a slew of election changes mostly aimed at restricting mail voting, which he and other Republicans erroneously claim is riddled with fraud.
During a Friday news conference, DeSantis said his proposal would protect the state's election integrity, and at the same time touted Florida's election system as the most "transparent and efficient" in the country.
In last year's election, more than 9 million Floridians cast their ballot early, either in person or by mail — a 41 percent increase from 2016. And former President Donald Trump, who instigated the attacks on mail voting, won the state and its 29 electoral votes by 3 percentage points.
- State lawmakers seek changes to voting rights laws - The Fulcrum ›
- Florida's DeSantis seeks boost in election security funding - The ... ›
- Swing states build protections around 2020 elections - The Fulcrum ›
Alaska's new elections system challenged in state court
The sweeping overhaul of Alaska elections that won narrow approval last month is already being challenged in court.
A lawsuit filed in state court Tuesday by members of three political parties argues the new system must be stopped before it violates Alaskans' right to free political association, free speech, petition, due process and other rights guaranteed by the U.S. and state constitutions.
If the suit fails, starting in 2022 the traditional partisan primaries will be eliminated in favor of single contests open to all candidates for governor, state executive offices, the Legislature and Congress. The top four finishers, regardless of party, will advance to a general election reliant on ranked-choice voting.
- The 10 most important ballot proposals for fixing democracy - The ... ›
- Alaska decides to switch to open primaries and ranked elections ›
Independents favored Joe Biden by 13 points nationally and in many battleground states he carried narrowly
Independents vital to Biden win, boon to a good-governance cause
Americans not aligned with either major party favored Joe Biden for president by 13 percentage points, exit polls show.
It's the biggest margin among independents in more than three decades. That's welcome evidence to those who perceive American democracy's problems as largely rooted in the major-party duopoly, and who say the system will work better if independents are awarded more political influence.
- Survey: the pulse of independent voters - The Fulcrum ›
- Covid made partisanship even worse, independent voters say - The ... ›
- Ranked-choice poll showed Harris favored for VP nod - The Fulcrum ›
- Share of independent voters is forecast to increase steadily - The Fulcrum ›
Kentucky is the only state with rules that make it virtually impossible to vote in person if an absentee ballot has been requested.
How to vote in person after seeking (or getting) a mail ballot in 49 states
More Americans will be casting their ballots by mail this fall than ever before. But in a year as chaotic and unusual as this, voters' confidence levels and best-laid plans can change quickly.
So what happens when people receive an absentee ballot but decide that heading to the polls is the more reliable or even convenient option than using the Postal Service or a drop box ? Or what if they apply to vote by mail but their envelope never shows up?
In every state except Kentucky, these are not insurmountable problems. But the degree of permissiveness varies considerably for voters who change their minds about their voting method of choice.
Source: - Poll: Young people want to vote by mail, but don't know how - The ... ›
- 17 states can get a head start on counting mailed-in ballots - The ... ›
- 34 states are making voting easier, if only for this fall - The Fulcrum ›
