SEATTLE -- The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against rogue 2016 Electoral College voters in Washington state.

The unanimous decision upholds the Evergreen State's law to fine or remove "faithless electors" who refuse to cast their ballots for the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in the state.

Paul Smith is vice president for litigation and strategy with the Campaign Legal Center, which filed a brief supporting Washington state's law. He said electors could be influenced in other ways if states weren't allowed to rein them in.

"There's no conflict-of-interest rules. There's no disclosure rules. They could be getting paid by the Russians. None of that would be illegal," Smith said. "And so, that was just one of the arguments that was made to the Court about how we really ought to keep the electors as mere placeholders, figureheads who just vote the way the state voted."

Thirty-two states have laws on faithless electors, but only 15 impose a penalty, such as a fine or removal. The Washington state elector involved in this case, Bret Chiafalo, said he wanted to expose the Electoral College as an undemocratic institution.

Wilfred Codrington, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, said he agrees with Chiafalo's argument that the Electoral College is undemocratic. In the past two decades, for instance, two presidents have won the Electoral College vote but not the popular vote.

But Codrington said the justices didn't touch that issue, instead making a narrow decision about faithless electors.

"It patches up what was a crack in the Electoral College," Codrington said. "There's many arguments about the problems with the Electoral College, and this is one of them."

He said the justices understood that the November election likely is going to be contentious, especially with a pandemic raging.

"What we don't need is another curveball in our elections, and particularly this election," he said. "So they were trying to decrease the possibility of chaos in an already chaotic system."

Under Washington state law, the penalty for faithless electors back in 2016 was a $1,000 fine. Since then, lawmakers have strengthened the law so that electors are removed and replaced if they don't vote for the candidate who wins the state.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.




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Early voting for the fall election begins one week from today in North Dakota. Candidate debates are on the horizon, too, and older residents are being urged to know what those running for office have to say about key issues.

The midterm elections will see North Dakotans decide races for Congress, state legislative seats and state attorney general. Nationally, there's been talk about the future of programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Janelle Moos, advocacy director for AARP North Dakota, said their outreach with voters indicates protecting the programs is important.

"Over 96% said that they want to make sure that the benefits that they've earned are there for them as they look towards retirement in this unstable time of rising costs," Moos reported.

Another top priority from the recent survey is reducing prescription drug costs. While the new federal Inflation Reduction Act has such provisions, Moos noted there is hope state lawmakers can take separate action.

Voters will have a chance to hear from some candidates during AARP-sponsored debates to be aired by Prairie Public broadcasting. The first is next Tuesday at 7 p.m., featuring those running for the state's lone U.S. House seat.

Voters 50 and older have traditionally had high turnout in North Dakota elections, and Moos stressed this is a crucial time to continue the trend.

"Your voice does matter, and that you have an opportunity in a state like ours to really make an impact," Moos asserted. "We know during the primary a couple of legislative primary races came down to one and two votes."

Voters also are reminded to double-check any changes to their legislative boundaries due to redistricting, which was recently completed after the 2020 Census count. The changes could affect your polling location, as well as what appears on your ballot.

We're 50 days away from the 2022 midterms, and advocates are encouraging Ohioans to not only learn more about the candidates on the ballot, but the importance of the offices they wish to hold.

Collin Marozzi, deputy director of the ACLU of Ohio, explained state and local officials have a much bigger effect on the daily lives of voters than many high-profile federal leaders. He used the state auditor as an example:

"It's not a very flashy position," Marozzi acknowledged. "In all honesty, the biggest role the state auditor plays is to investigate corruption and public malfeasance. But another equally important function is to be one of the seven map-drawers for state and Congressional legislative districts."

The governor, attorney general and chief Supreme Court justice are just a few of the key stakeholders who will be elected by Ohio voters Nov. 8. To help give voters a clearer picture, the ACLU of Ohio has created a "Power Of" video series which defines the scope of the duties for certain political offices, as well as the unique powers and privileges.

Meanwhile, today is National Voter Registration Day. In 2018's midterm, nearly eight million people were registered to vote in Ohio, which was close to the same number as the 2020 presidential election.

Marozzi pointed out policy decisions seem to be driving registrations this time around.

"Dobbs v. Jackson Health decision that overturned Roe v. Wade has sparked a registration boom amongst Ohio women," Marozzi noted. "And women across states are leading the charge in new voter registrations."

Marozzi encourages eligible Ohioans to check their voter registration, or register to vote if they haven't done so already.

"It can be done in less than five minutes, and you don't have to go buy a stamp; print out your voter registration form," Marozzi emphasized. "Utilizing these new online tools is a major plus."

Ohio's voter registration deadline is Oct. 11. Early in-person voting starts Oct. 12.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Today is National Voter Registration Day, and one Native American rights organization in Montana is ensuring people are ready to vote in November.

With less than two months to go until Election Day, efforts to ensure people can cast their ballots are ramping up.

Natanya O'Neill, field director for Western Native Voice, said her group has been working in communities to check voters' registration status, which will make it easier on Nov 8.

"They have all of the information that they need, they're prepared, got their identification with them, and they know that they are able to vote," O'Neill explained. "With the changes in the laws last year, it is a learning curve for a lot of people."

In 2021, Montana lawmakers passed legislation affecting voter registration. One measure tightens voter identification laws so people who are registering with a student ID, for instance, need a secondary form of identification. Another measure eliminates Election Day voter registration, requiring people to sign up to vote by the Friday before Election Day.

A judge in Yellowstone County District Court has heard challenges to both laws and could make decisions on their legality before the November election. In the meantime, O'Neill emphasized people should be prepared to vote in what will be a consequential election. Because of the 2020 census results, Montana will have two congressional districts for the first time in 30 years.

"With the changes in the congressional seats that we've got, we need to make sure that people are aware of how much this will impact them," O'Neill urged.

Montana is also in the middle of redistricting on the state level, although maps will not be finalized until after the election.