Citizenship/Representative Democracy / Public News Service

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed Senate Bill 442 after the Senate had adjourned, leaving lawmakers no chance to override the veto of the popular measure. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 20, 2024

Marijuana revenue veto override fails as critics claim 'judicial overreach'

Montana constitutional experts say the state Supreme Court did the right thing by providing lawmakers a chance to override the governor's veto of a po…

Signatures for Idaho's open primary initiative were due May 1. (Tracy King/Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 20, 2024

Idahoans vote in primaries Tuesday, but future primaries could look different

As this year's primary approaches, supporters of a voter initiative in Idaho hope future primaries will look different. Idaho's primaries are being …

In 1996, Congress passed a law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections, although some municipalities allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, including school board races. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Monday, May 20, 2024

NH veterans, service members say proposed voter ID law betrays their sacrifice

Veterans and service members in New Hampshire said legislation to create one of the nation's strictest voter ID laws would be a betrayal of their sacr…

Nationally, the number of state legislators from the working class has declined since the prior session where 129 or 1.8% were working class. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 20, 2024

Report: Only 1% of MD lawmakers are from working class

A new study found the number of state legislators from working-class backgrounds are scarce in Maryland and nationwide. Researchers from Duke …

As of 2020, around 3.4 million individuals, which equated to approximately 26% of the total population of Pennsylvania at the time of 13.0 million residents, were living in the 48 counties considered rural areas within the state. (Synthex🇺🇦/AdobeStock)

Monday, May 20, 2024

Poll: Rural Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly oppose bans on abortion

Pennsylvanian's general election takes place in November and a new poll from the Rural Democracy Initiative showed likely voters from rural areas of t…

In Nevada, same-day registration allows a voter to register for the first time or update their existing registration on the same day they vote. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, May 17, 2024

NV's Election Protection Program eases access to voting information

The Nevada state primary is coming up June 11 and one voting-rights group wants to make sure all Nevadans have the information they need to make their…

The poll by the civil rights coalition Intersection of Our Lives found women of color think things have gotten worse in the country over the last year. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, May 17, 2024

Poll: AZ women of color are discontent with policymakers

The majority of women in Arizona belong to communities of color and a new poll found they do not feel heard or seen by most policymakers. The poll …

Among adults in their 50s and early 60s, 57% express support for legal abortion, as do 59% of those ages 65 and older, according to The Pew Research Center. (triocean/Adobe Stock)

Friday, May 17, 2024

Poll: Women want 2024 election results to deliver reproductive justice

Surrounded by states banning nearly all abortions, its legalization in New Mexico has made the state a top place to travel for the procedure and a …

Montana is among 10 election battleground states featured in a new report on attitudes of rural American voters. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Montana battleground voters are 'economic populists'

A new report by the Rural Democracy Initiative shows voters in key battleground states, including Montana, could play a significant role in the 2024 …

AARP polling data show nationwide, most 50+ voters said candidates' stances on Social Security and Medicare are very important factors affecting their vote in November. (Adobe Stock)

Kentuckians 50+ expected to head to polls for early voting on May 16

Early voting begins on Thursday for Kentucky's Primary Election and runs through May 18. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day…

A new AARP Pennsylvania poll revealed incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., D-Penn., leads GOP challenger Dave McCormick, 48% to 44%, in a very competitive race. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)

Poll: Pennsylvanians 50+ to play major role in Nov. elections

A new poll for AARP Pennsylvania revealed candidates must focus on issues critical to voters age 50 and older ahead of the November elections…

There are 1.45 million Independent and unaffiliated voters in the Grand Canyon State, the largest voting bloc, according to Make Elections Fair Arizona. (Adobe Stock)

AZ veterans support open primaries initiative

Memorial Day is less than two weeks away, and for two Arizona veterans, it's a time to honor those who lost their lives while defending the United …

A new poll from the civil rights group Intersection of Our Lives found women of color believe racism has persisted far too long and there is a need for elected officials who will address it. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Women of color 'fed up' with policymakers

More than 50% of voting-age women in Nevada are people of color, and a new poll found they do not feel heard or seen by most policymakers. The poll …

The nonpartisan Votebeat organization says in measuring their use, ballot dropboxes have been embraced by both Republican and Democratic voters in various jurisdictions around the United States. (Adobe Stock)

WI Supreme Court takes up ballot dropbox case

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday took up arguments in a highly watched case concerning ballot dropboxes. Supporters of lifting a near-total ban …

The Pikes Peak Challenge helps provide support to brain injury survivors, including stroke victims, in Colorado, one of just two states in the nation with a brain injury organization. (Adobe Stock)

Brain injury survivors aim to defy the odds climbing Pikes Peak

Several hundred hikers are expected to climb to a summit of over 14,000 feet for this year's Pikes Peak Challenge in Colorado Springs, an annual …

A new poll finds that policies designed to prevent gun violence and improve racial equity are highly important among women voters of color. (Seventyfour/Adobestock)

Women voters of color say lawmakers focus on wrong issues

More than one in five Americans is a woman of color - and a new poll shows they are not feeling heard and want policymakers to address issues they car…

Constructed in a Spanish-Colonial style, the Parco/Sinclair Theatre opened on June 9, 1924. (Photo by Alliance for Historic Wyoming Staff)

$2 million investment in historic theater winning over skeptics

On May 21, the town of Sinclair is hosting a free screening of the Wyoming PBS documentary "100 Years on the Lincoln Highway" at the newly restored …

Bates was born in Huttig, Ark., in 1914, three white men allegedly murdered her mother while she was an infant, which inspired her to fight for civil rights. (Photo Courtesy of Barry Jefferson)

Arkansas civil rights icon Daisy Bates honored with statue at U.S. Capitol

A new statue at the U.S. Capitol honors Arkansas civil rights activist Daisy Gatson Bates. The eight foot bronze statue is in the National Statuary …

About 10% of Mississippi residents have lost their voting rights because of past felony convictions. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)<br />

Push continues to restore voting rights for formerly incarcerated in MS

Voting-rights advocates continue their push to restore these rights for formerly incarcerated Mississippians after lawmakers failed to act. House …

Around 43% of participating voters said that while they are personally against abortion, they do not believe government should be preventing someone from making that decision for themselves. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Rural AZ voters not a 'cultural monolith'

Arizona's primary election will take place in July, and a new Rural Democracy Initiative poll shows that likely voters from rural areas of the state …

The current Louisiana Constitution protects Medicaid and salary stipends for police, firefighters and other first responders. (Felix Mizioznikov/Adobe Stock)

Potential state constitution changes worry LA teachers

Teachers in Louisiana are trying to stop an upcoming constitutional convention proposed by Gov. Jeff Landry. The governor, who has been in office for …

In a new poll commissioned by the Rural Democracy Initiative, nearly half of rural voters indicated they would vote for a culturally aligned rural Democrat over a Republican businessperson from an urban area on the East Coast. (Adobe Stock)

New poll shows rural voters aren't pigeonholed on key topics

Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear at a Minnesota fundraising event later this month. It comes amid new polling data in battleground …

Working-class representation in state legislatures is 1.6% according to a new report, down from 1.8% percent two years ago. (ZackFrank/Adobe Stock)

NM's working-class folks are MIA among state legislators

Tracking down a New Mexico state lawmaker from the working class is like hunting for a needle in a haystack, a new study showed. The share of U.S…

A report from the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project showed student demonstrations make up around one-third of all U.S. protests related to the Israel-Hamas War since it began. (Kalaya'an Mendoza)

NY group offers resources for student protestors, bystanders

New York groups are providing student protesters with resources to help sustain demonstrations safely and peacefully, as the war between Israel and …

In a 2018 survey by the Native American Voting Rights Coalition, 32% of respondents not registered to vote in South Dakota said long distances to travel for registration were prohibitive. (Adobe Stock)

Ballot dropbox ban a barrier in SD primary

South Dakota's June 4 primary will be the first national election here since ballot dropboxes were banned in 2023. It is one of 12 states to ban …

Students and faculty at Northeastern University in Boston surround a pro-Palestinian encampment on their school's campus, which stood for two days before administrators called in police to remove it. (Ehn)

Northeastern University students, staff condemn arrests, charges of antisemitism

Students and faculty at Northeastern University are demanding their school issue a public apology for what they say are false charges of antisemitism …

According to the Brennan Center, since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, the gap in voter participation in Alabama between white and nonwhite voters has been expanding. (Adobe Stock)

AL faces battle at ballot box; groups look to federal laws for protection

Alabama has long been at the forefront of voting rights issues in the United States and despite some progress, advocates said residents continue to …

At Bryn Mawr College, President Kim Cassidy asked the organizers of the pro-Palestinian encampment on Merion Green to leave the site by the end of the day. (Halfpoint/Adobe)

Students at Bryn Mawr College in PA protest war in Gaza

Pennsylvania is among the states where massive protests and tent encampments opposing the war in Gaza are growing. Elez Beresin-Scher, a sociology …

Protest encampments such as this one at San Francisco State University against the war in Gaza have now spread to a half dozen campuses across California. (Sam Cheng/Adobestock)

Campus protests opposing war in Gaza grow across CA

Massive protests and tent encampments opposing the war in Gaza are growing at universities across California, with classes canceled at the University …

A new report from UCLA and the Bipartisan Policy Center found election officials in larger cities, especially in swing states, have been more likely to be harassed or threatened in the past few years. (Krakenimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Report: CA election worker turnover has soared in recent years

A new report showed turnover among California chief election officials reached 57% in 2022, a record high. It then declined this year to 40%…

Housing affordability was the most important issue to Utahns in a new Utah Foundation survey, while earning enough to pay for non-housing needs came in third. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Cost of living, government dysfunction rank as top issues for Utahns

More than three in five Utahns believe the state is on the wrong track and their quality of life is worse today than it was five years ago. A new …

In 2023, MnDOT says volunteers spent nearly one hundred thousand hours clearing little along state highways and rest areas in Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota-Duluth)

MN appeals for roadside cleanup volunteers

Minnesota is closing in on the 35th anniversary of a volunteer program for clearing litter and debris along highways and rest areas. With spring in …

Nevada has 62,000 Urban Indians, according to the University of Nevada, Reno. (Adobe Stock)

Initiative champions Native voices in Nevada political arena

A Nevada grassroots organization has launched its inaugural endorsement process for the 2024 elections in an effort to champion indigenous voices in t…

Five of nine full-time maternal-fetal medicine specialists have left Idaho since the state's strict abortion law took effect, according to a report from the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative. (Adobe Stock)

Supreme Court hears arguments on Idaho's near-total abortion ban

By Mary Anne Franks for Ms. Magazine.Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Northern Rockies News Service reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News …

Pushback vs. pushback: MN parents respond to political forces in education

Minnesota's largest school district is at the center of a budget controversy tied to the recent wave of school board candidates fighting diversity pro…

A 2022 poll found just 41% of Americans said they feel safe at voting sites, while 23% of Gen Z voters said they are too nervous or afraid to vote. (Adobe Stock) <br /><br />

NH lags behind other states in restricting firearms at polling sites

Concerns about potential voter intimidation have spurred several states to consider banning firearms at polling sites but so far, New Hampshire is …

Despite making up more than 5% of North Dakota's population, fewer than 2% of state legislators are Native American. Advocates said with more Native candidates running, the gap could soon begin to shrink in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)

ND sees flurry of campaigning among Native candidates

North Dakota's June 11 primary is inching closer and those running for legislative seats are trying to win over voters, including Native American …

Independent and unaffiliated candidates must collect up to six times the number of signatures compared with partisan candidates, according to Make Elections Fair Arizona. (Adobe Stock)

Experts, officials discuss electoral discontent in AZ

A new poll finds a near 20-year low in the number of voters who say they have a high interest in the 2024 election, with a majority saying they hold …

A report by the Bipartisan Policy Center found an aging election workforce may be a factor in the increasing turnover rate. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Increasing turnover among election officials a long-term trend

A new report shows the increase in turnover among election officials in Maryland and nationwide is not as dramatic as many have feared. The …

The Brennan Center for Justice says women serving in state legislatures are nearly four times as likely as men to experience abuse of a sexual nature. (Adobe Stock)

In politics, women candidates bear brunt of hateful threats, harassment

Wisconsin women have made progress in closing gaps when it comes to being elected to public office. But some voices worry the movement might slow …

Native American tribes and support organizations have pursued several lawsuits since the 2020 redistricting cycle, in hopes of securing fair political boundaries. There is also a push to get more tribes to be active when maps are drawn, so legal action will not be necessary. (Adobe Stock)

Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps

Across the U.S., most political boundaries tied to the 2020 Census have been in place for a while, but a national project on map fairness for …

128 of the 351 cities and towns in the state have had a change in their local clerk or chief election official since the 2020 presidential election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

Heightened scrutiny and harassment are helping fuel an increasing turnover rate of election officials in Massachusetts and beyond, according to a new …

New chief election officials have an average of eight years of incoming experience, according to a report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NV election officials face unusual level of threats

A new report examined the turnover of election officials from 2000 to 2024 and found it is increasing, albeit slowly. Rachel Orey, senior associate …

More than two million Kentuckians showed up at the polls during the last presidential election in 2020, according to the Kentucky State Board of Elections. (Adobe Stock)

KY primary voter registration deadline approaches

Kentuckians have less than a week to register to vote in next month's primary election. If folks miss the April 22 deadline, residents can still …

Forty-three states currently have statewide training available to election administrators. (Adobe Stock)

Report: AZ sees high levels of threats against election officials leading to turnover

A new report examines election official turnover since 2000 and found it's something that has been increasing steadily and might continue to rise…

Faith in Action Alabama is a nonprofit working toward community safety, equal access to liberty and inclusive democracy. (Adobe Stock)

Alabama groups focus on year-round voter education, activism

Alabama civic-engagement groups are searching for strategies to maintain voter engagement outside of major election years. As candidates gear up for …

Turnover of election officials has been lower in smaller jurisdictions over the past two decades. (Adobe Stock)

New data illustrates turnover trends among local election administrators

Local offices around the country that help administer elections have seen higher rates of turnover in the past two decades. Newly compiled data show …

In a 2022 South Dakota News Watch poll, 79% of South Dakota voters said they think the state tax on groceries should be lowered or repealed. (Adobe Stock)

Measure to end sales tax on groceries could go to SD voters

South Dakotans face high prices at the grocery store and some are working to ease the burden. A new report from the Federal Trade Commission finds …

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PNS Monday Afternoon Update

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Civic Engagement & Voting

Marijuana revenue veto override fails as critics claim 'judicial overreach'

Idahoans vote in primaries Tuesday, but future primaries could look different

NH veterans, service members say proposed voter ID law betrays their sacrifice

Report: Only 1% of MD lawmakers are from working class

Poll: Rural Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly oppose bans on abortion

NV's Election Protection Program eases access to voting information

Poll: AZ women of color are discontent with policymakers

Poll: Women want 2024 election results to deliver reproductive justice

Poll: Montana battleground voters are 'economic populists'

Kentuckians 50+ expected to head to polls for early voting on May 16

Poll: Pennsylvanians 50+ to play major role in Nov. elections

AZ veterans support open primaries initiative

Poll: Women of color 'fed up' with policymakers

WI Supreme Court takes up ballot dropbox case

Brain injury survivors aim to defy the odds climbing Pikes Peak

Women voters of color say lawmakers focus on wrong issues

$2 million investment in historic theater winning over skeptics

Arkansas civil rights icon Daisy Bates honored with statue at U.S. Capitol

Push continues to restore voting rights for formerly incarcerated in MS

Poll: Rural AZ voters not a 'cultural monolith'

Potential state constitution changes worry LA teachers

New poll shows rural voters aren't pigeonholed on key topics

NM's working-class folks are MIA among state legislators

NY group offers resources for student protestors, bystanders

Ballot dropbox ban a barrier in SD primary

Northeastern University students, staff condemn arrests, charges of antisemitism

AL faces battle at ballot box; groups look to federal laws for protection

Students at Bryn Mawr College in PA protest war in Gaza

Campus protests opposing war in Gaza grow across CA

Report: CA election worker turnover has soared in recent years

Report: Cost of living, government dysfunction rank as top issues for Utahns

MN appeals for roadside cleanup volunteers

Initiative champions Native voices in Nevada political arena

Supreme Court hears arguments on Idaho's near-total abortion ban

Pushback vs. pushback: MN parents respond to political forces in education

NH lags behind other states in restricting firearms at polling sites

ND sees flurry of campaigning among Native candidates

Experts, officials discuss electoral discontent in AZ

Report: Increasing turnover among election officials a long-term trend

In politics, women candidates bear brunt of hateful threats, harassment

Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps

Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

Report: NV election officials face unusual level of threats

KY primary voter registration deadline approaches

Report: AZ sees high levels of threats against election officials leading to turnover

Alabama groups focus on year-round voter education, activism

New data illustrates turnover trends among local election administrators

Measure to end sales tax on groceries could go to SD voters