When North Dakotans head out to cast their ballots later this year, there is a chance some will do so in a voting center and not a designated precinct.

Jurisdictions cited the flexibility of voting centers when measuring what worked in the pandemic. North Dakota approved voting centers in 2007.

In the 2020 general election, all but five counties offered them. Unlike precincts, the sites are not bound by strict residential requirements. Local residents can choose to vote at any participating site in their respective county.

DeAnn Buckhouse, election coordinator for Cass County based in Fargo, said they intend to make more use of them this year.

"So, if they want to go on their lunch hour, they can go someplace that's close to where they work as opposed to rush home, get the kids," Buckhouse explained.

She noted freedom and convenience on Election Day mirrors the options people have if they choose to do early voting. Election experts pointed out while voting centers have advantages, they warn about confusion if they are not advertised enough.

It is unclear exactly how many counties will stick with voting sites in 2022. A much smaller number used them in 2018.

Buckhouse emphasized technology plays a big part in moving forward with voting centers, noting the state purchased new equipment in 2019, which means local offices do not have to rely on stacks of preprinted ballots if they want to make better use of the sites.

"We can have blank ballot stock that the machine will print once the voter has made their selection," Buckhouse added.

She stressed it is important because in more populated counties, voters in one area are likely to have different races to decide on than voters in other areas.

Currently, voting centers are allowed in 18 states. Among neighboring states, South Dakota is on the list.

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

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said a bill to require Maine voters to present photo identification in order to cast ballots is unnecessary and could reduce eligible voter turnout.

Bellows testified Monday before the Committee for Veterans and Legal Affairs against Legislative Document 34, noting a new voter ID law would create logistical problems at the polls and place new financial burdens on the state.

"Maine already requires proof of identity and residency at the time of voter registration," Bellows pointed out. "That is a safeguard to ensure that only Maine citizens are participating in Maine elections."

Bellows noted voter ID laws disproportionately impact seniors, people with disabilities, people of color and transgender people, and a voter ID law may undermine trust in the fairness of Maine elections among those communities.

The voter ID legislation is part of a broader effort by Republicans to focus on election security and stems from the perpetuation of unfounded claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Another bill before the Maine Legislature would require voters to update their voter registration every four years.

Bellows argued Maine elections are already free, fair and secure.

"Responding to unfounded fears by passing legislation in response to those fears is not the best way to increase public confidence in our elections," Bellows asserted.

Maine makes it easy to vote, allowing voter registration on Election Day, and consistently ranks as a top state in voter participation.

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

Wisconsin's primary election is two weeks away, and a high-profile state Supreme Court race is on the ballot.

Several advocacy groups are behind a campaign to educate voters with the hopes of hearing from candidates at public forums.

Political analysts say this race could alter the ideological balance of the court. Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority, but the primary features two liberal candidates, along with two conservatives.

Timothy Cordon, chief organizer of the Wisconsin Tour for Justice and Democracy, which will visit regions around the state during the primary and up until the April vote, said they are not endorsing anyone, but added they feel responses are needed for certain topics.

"Issues like reproductive justice, defending our democracy, upholding fair maps - things like that," Cordon outlined.

The maps he cited are political boundaries from redistricting, and Wisconsin's maps have often led to court fights over gerrymandering concerns. The group's tour kicks off today with forums scheduled for Saturday in Milwaukee and a week later in Racine.

Cordon noted if candidates do not appear, they hope to have written comments for the public in a town-hall-style event.

The tour came together under the umbrella of the Building Unity initiative, which works with several groups.

Cordon explained the coalition is nonpartisan when it comes to candidates, but he acknowledged they take policy stances often aligned with progressives. He insisted with the urgency behind some issues, there should not be a political tag.

"We are in terribly dire straits, and if we don't come together as humans who love our children and want to pass on a livable world, we're very likely going to lose the opportunity, and it'll be too late," Cordon contended.

As for abortion access, the state's high court could eventually decide Wisconsin's decades-old ban, which came to light after federal protections were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judicial races are technically nonpartisan, but political overtones have become more pronounced. Cordon stressed voters have the right to hear from candidates about pressing matters, which he said also include election policy after the fallout from the 2020 presidential vote.

Other forums are likely to be scheduled as the tour moves forward.

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

While the Pennsylvania House is still out of session and won't resume until late February, the public and advocacy groups are voicing their concerns.

A statewide listening tour was organized by state House Speaker Mark Rozzi - D-Berks - and his six-member workgroup, to hear from Pennsylvanian about ways to move the state forward on legislative rules.

Fair Districts PA Chair Carol Kuniholm said she spoke about the state Legislature not passing bipartisan solutions. Her group recommends that legislative leaders put rules in place that allow bills with clear bipartisan support to get a vote in committee.

"And then if they are voted out of one chamber with bipartisan support, they should be given a vote in the other chamber," said Kuniholm. "Because what we're seeing is only about one in five bills get considered in committee. Half the bills that get voted out of one chamber are ignored by the other chamber and only about 7% of bills introduced actually get passed."

Fair Districts PA's most recent report shows during the session, members of both political parties signed on as co-sponsors of many bills affecting both rural and urban Pennsylvanians.

Kuniholm added that, however, many of the bills never received votes to move out of committee.

Kuniholm said she and others spoke about bills to address the lack of funding and staffing for firefighters since the 1970s. She added that for two decades, there have been legislative solutions to address the lack of broadband access in rural communities.

She said her organization has been trying to get redistricting reform bills passed, but the leadership has blocked those - even though some have had more co-sponsors than any other bills in the chamber.

"Many people talked about the sexual-abuse statute limitations bill that has been bundled into a constitutional amendment," said Kuniholm. "There were firefighters who talked about the concern for remedies for firefighters, there were people who talked about school funding, and quite a few people talked about gun violence."

Kuniholm said they recommend that there would be a discharge petition, which means if a bill is stuck in committee and has a certain number of signatures, that bill would move directly to the House floor for a vote.

She said a proposal that they put forward is that every legislator would be able to have one priority bill that if they could get at least five co-sponsors from both parties, that bill would be guaranteed a vote.