YAKIMA, Wash. -- Voting-rights groups want Yakima County residents to rank candidates in elections.

How would that benefit the county?

Latino community members and other groups have sued the Board of Yakima County Commissioners under the Washington Voting Rights Act, alleging the current election system disenfranchises the large Latino population.

Colin Cole, policy director for the group More Equitable Democracy said under ranked choice, winning candidates would need to get at least 25% of votes.

He said under the new system, if a voter's preferred candidate failed to reach that threshold, their second choice would move to the top of their list.

"If you can walk into an ice cream shop, you ask for rocky road, and they say they don't have it - if you understand that you don't have to leave the store because you have a second choice - if you get that, you get ranked-choice voting," Cole explained.

Latinos make up about half of the county's population. For its countywide elections of three seats, Latinos have only won a seat once.

The city of Yakima faced a similar issue and drew districts to create better representation. But Cole noted Latinos are widely dispersed throughout the county, making districts less effective.

Aaron Hamlin, executive director for the Center for Election Science, said there are many varieties of ranked-choice voting.

He said the process has to be well-explained and transparent to the public to work effectively, but has potential to create better representation.

"It would definitely give people more of a sense of involvement and empowerment," Hamlin said. "And seeing that through their vote they're actually having a meaningful outcome in terms of making sure that people who represent them are being elected."

Robin Engle, communications and development director for OneAmerica, said the Latino population in Yakima County has been frustrated with the commission, especially in response to COVID-19, which is disproportionately affecting Latinos.

"We heard again and again that the county commission doesn't represent the Latino community, doesn't invest in the Latino community," Engle said. "And that just the way that the democracy is working in Yakima County isn't working."

The Board of Yakima County Commissioners is being sued under the Washington Voting Rights Act but could settle the case.

Commissioners have expressed interest in working with the community to come up with a solution. Two dozen jurisdictions across the country have adopted ranked-choice voting.

Voting advocates say more and more Michiganders are choosing to cast absentee ballots to save time and avoid long lines on Election Day.

In 2020, two-thirds of the 5.5 million votes cast in Michigan were mail-in or absentee ballots. Although turnout is historically lower for midterm elections, officials expect voting early will remain a popular option this time around.

Lynna Kaucheck, communications and development coordinator for Progress Michigan, said if you want to vote with an early ballot, you have to ask for one.

"You need to request a ballot even if you're on the permanent absentee voter list," Kaucheck noted. "You can do that online, by mail, by calling your city or township clerk's office and requesting a ballot, or just going to your clerk's office and requesting the ballot."

Kaucheck stressed voters must request an early ballot between now and Nov. 4.

The ballot must be either mailed by Oct. 25, or returned by hand to your county or township clerk's office, a drop box provided by your clerk, or a satellite office of your clerk by Nov. 8.

Kaucheck added it is easy to follow your ballot through the process by logging on to the Secretary of State's Michigan Voter Information Center at Mi.gov/vote.

"Once you go in to check your ballot, it will tell you if your clerk has received your application," Kaucheck outlined. "Once they've mailed it, it will show that they've mailed it. Once you submit it, and they receive it, it will show that they have received it."

Elections usually go smoothly in Michigan, but Kaucheck suggested if you have questions about your mail-in ballot or any other facet of voting, Progress Michigan has a hotline.

"All of our information comes from michiganvoting.org," Kaucheck explained. "It's a voter education site. It's nonpartisan, and it's been reviewed by legal experts. It's very factual."

She added if you encounter illegal interference or voter fraud at the polls, you should call the watchdog group Election Protection at 866-Our-Vote (687-8683).

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

Those 50 and older make up more than half of Wisconsin's registered voters, and a new statewide poll shows they want candidates to hear their concerns about issues such as inflation.

AARP's 2022 election survey found along with inflation, taxes, government spending, and protecting Social Security and Medicare are key concerns for older voters around Wisconsin.

Lisa Lamkins, advocacy director for AARP Wisconsin, said while rising consumer costs affect everyone, they are especially felt by those 50 and older, with 65% of respondents noting they are worried about their personal financial situation.

"The rising grocery prices, gas prices dipped but are going back up again, and folks who are on fixed income actually feel those hits a little bit more," Lamkins outlined. "I think that's where we can see that inflation factor really driving older voters."

As for statewide races, the poll indicated the contests for governor and U.S. Senate are tight, but Republican candidates hold a slight edge. In the race for governor, Tim Michels narrowly leads incumbent Democrat Tony Evers 50% to 47%. For the U.S. Senate, Republican incumbent Ron Johnson leads Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes by five percentage points.

The two Democratic candidates do see large support among Black voters 50 and older. Meanwhile, Lamkins pointed out the survey indicates older Wisconsinites are fed up with what they think is a cold-shoulder coming out of Washington D.C.

"They think that members of Congress don't listen to people like them," Lamkins explained. "I think it really behooves politicians to pay attention and to listen especially to older voters who could truly be the difference in this election."

More than 80% of survey respondents back the sentiment about not being heard by Congress. Another 74% think the country is headed in the wrong direction, with a similar result for Wisconsin's outlook.

A Nevada democracy watchdog group said social media, blogs, websites and hyperpartisan news organizations are all working overtime to spread disinformation in an effort to influence the midterm elections in November.

One debunked claim said voting machine algorithms are changing votes, which has driven two Nevada counties to move to hand-count their ballots, a much less secure process, and more vulnerable to manipulation.

Lisa Lynn Chapman, Nevada disinformation state manager at the Institute for a Progressive Nevada, said the problem with intentional falsehoods goes beyond the usual exaggerations sometimes heard on the campaign trail. She argued people need to be skeptical and try to pinpoint the source.

"Well, in general, trolls, white nationalists, men's rights activists, the 'alt-right' conspiracy theorists," Chapman outlined. "All manipulate social media algorithms to amplify their messages."

She cited one recent false narrative, which claimed undocumented immigrants are being registered to vote at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Chapman added another falsehood going around blames undocumented immigrants for the fentanyl crisis in Nevada.

"In a recent report from the Cato Institute, U.S. citizens were 86% of the convicted fentanyl drug traffickers. This is 10 times the greater convictions of undocumented immigrants, for that same offense."

She warned people that lies about who is eligible to vote, as well as when, where and how to cast a ballot, are expected to surge in the coming weeks. Voters can check the Nevada Secretary of State's website for the correct information.

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