DENVER -- A majority of voters across party lines say they want the option to mail in their ballots during the pandemic, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos polL, and many states are giving Colorado's all-mail ballot voting model a harder look.
Since 2014, all registered voters in Colorado have received ballots by mail.
Amanda Gonzalez, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, says the state's system shows that when voters can mail in ballots, cast ballots at any center in their county and drop ballots off before or after work, people want to vote.
"When they have several weeks of early voting available, it's not just one day," she points out. "They participate in our system. And when they turn in their ballots, we get better policies, we get more accountable politicians, and that's good for all of us."
Last week President Donald Trump received a fact-check notice for a tweet he sent out warning of widespread fraud if states roll out vote-by-mail options before the November election. Others have called for witnesses and notaries for mail-in ballots.
According to a Denver Post report, a tiny fraction of 1% of all votes cast in 2018 in Colorado were flagged by election officials to be investigated for fraud.
Gonzalez says voter participation increased by almost 10% after the state switched to an all-mail system, while other states saw declines. She notes increased voter turnout has not favored one political party over another.
But Gonzalez agrees that it's important to have security features in place, such as matching signatures on ballots with handwriting samples.
"But a signature verification and an attestation does really well in Colorado," she notes. "I think that when you talk about needing a notary or a witness, you're creating barriers to voting that really disenfranchise whole communities."
After the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked an effort to enable remote voting in the state's April primary, it's estimated that 67 voters and workers were infected by COVID-19.
While delivery options and restrictions vary, voters in all 50 states currently have the right to request a ballot by mail.
Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
get more stories like this via email
Groups working for human rights causes in Iowa warn proposed cuts being debated in Congress would trickle down to the people least able to sustain them.
The Trump administration has proposed $880 billion in cuts over the next decade to Medicaid and other services, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Progress Iowa Executive Director Mazie Stilwell said those cuts would fall most squarely on average Iowans, many of them kids, who don't have a voice in the process.
"There is so much fear right now, and it's fear from everyday working Iowans who know there's no one fighting for them," said Stilwell. "It's the Iowans who know that when push comes to shove, and when programs are put on the chopping block, they're the ones who are going to suffer."
The Trump administration has said it is working to downsize the federal government and cut expenses.
About 270,000 Iowans receive SNAP or federal food assistance, and more than 700,000 get their health coverage from Medicaid.
Stilwell contended that Iowans aren't the only ones afraid of potential social service cuts, but politicians are too.
She said she suspects that's one reason they aren't showing up at town hall meetings, that have long been the hallmark of grassroots democracy in the state.
"What we've seen is these members of Congress running away from their constituents," said Stilwell. "They are refusing to answer their questions. They are trying to make a mockery of their constituents and their efforts."
Stilwell said in light of the just-passed income tax filing deadline, Iowans want to know their money is being used to represent their interests - and not to fund tax cuts or corporate interests.
Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, both Republicans, voted in favor of the measure that would social service programs.
Disclosure: Progress Iowa contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Environment, Health Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
click here.
Adrian Fontes, Arizona's Secretary of State, argued there is nothing wrong with American elections but some leaders in Washington, D.C., disagree.
The U.S. Senate will consider the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act this week. It would require people to show documents in person, like a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote. Republican proponents said it is needed to keep noncitizens from voting.
Fontes countered it is an exceedingly rare occurrence and he has yet to see proof of widespread voter fraud or abuse.
"This 'documented proof of citizenship' issue, where is the data that shows that we have a significant and severe problem with nonqualified voters, voting? Where is the data?" Fontes asked. "This is another example of the tail wagging the dog."
The measure faces a long shot in the Senate. At the same time, one of President Donald Trump's latest executive orders would overhaul major facets of the nation's election system, in part by restricting people's ability to register by mail or online. Voting rights advocates said the president does not have the legal authority to do it.
Liz Avore, senior policy adviser for the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said many states have taken Trump's executive order as a call to action, as 24 states so far this year have considered legislation to impose or expand proof of citizenship requirements. Since 2013, Arizona voters have had to provide documents proving their citizenship to vote in state and local elections. Avore suggested it was not the administration's intent to change federal law.
"The goal of the executive order was and is to send clear marching orders to the states, and also to Congress, to tell them exactly what President Trump wants them to be doing," Avore contended. "The states are listening."
Democratic attorneys general in 19 states, including Arizona, have a filed a lawsuit, arguing the Trump executive order "sows confusion and sets the stage for chaos" in state election systems.
get more stories like this via email
Despite voter approval in November, Missouri lawmakers are moving to undo part of Proposition A, specifically, the clause requiring employers to provide paid sick leave.
The Missouri House passed the repeal legislation last month by a 96-51 vote. The provision was approved by nearly 60% of voters, who also supported raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026.
Prop A proponents said repealing any part of the measure so soon after its approval undermines the will of the voters.
John Davis, partner at the bipartisan polling firm Red America, Blue America Research, said its latest survey showed 75% of respondents oppose efforts to repeal the legislation.
"Legislators who are thinking about what voters had approved just this past November should be concerned that there's such a strong response in opposition to that particular type of proposal," Davis noted.
Supporters of the repeal contended the sick-leave mandate is too rigid and burdensome, warning it could lead to reduced hiring or even business closures. The bill is now in the Senate, which has two weeks to act before the mandate takes effect May 1.
Business groups have filed lawsuits claiming Proposition A violates Missouri's single-subject rule by linking minimum wage hikes with paid sick leave. Supporters of the repeal also argued the Legislature can amend the law without a public vote since it changed state law, not the constitution.
Davis highlighted the importance of public opinion surveys.
"Some of the decisions made at statehouses are of extraordinary consequence," Davis pointed out. "What we have tried to do is just establish sort of baselines, to take a look over time how folks are feeling about a variety of topics, because state laws really do impact people very, very directly."
If the Missouri Senate approves the bill, it will move to Gov. Mike Kehoe's desk, where he can sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.
get more stories like this via email
Contact
