Notices by BoltsMag.org (bolts@journa.host), page 2

“There’s a general sense that Oregon has proudly been a leader in so many ways, but it is a laggard in others,” says Phil Keisling, a former Oregon secretary of state.

How will Oregon's next secretary of state address these lingering exclusions? https://boltsmag.org/democracy-in-oregon-secretary-of-state-race-manning-read/

NEW in Bolts: @taniel guides you through 15 primaries to watch in Pennsylvania next week, from Congress to the legislature.
https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/primaries-on-the-pennsylvania-ballot-april-23/

Analysts spend countless hours and resources compiling the precinct-level election results they need for litigation and research. They want legislation to force states to make it all accessible.

NEW in Bolts: https://boltsmag.org/election-data-is-vital-to-voting-rights-but-hard-to-track-down/

Thirty-three states have elections for their supreme courts this year, some with as many as five or six seats on the ballot. Is your state one of them? Find out here: https://boltsmag.org/your-state-by-state-guide-to-the-2024-supreme-court-elections/

Crystal Mason, a Black woman in Texas who had been sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot while on probation, was acquitted last week after a long legal saga. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/28/crystal-mason-texas-woman-acquitted

Paid organizers who help collect or deliver absentee ballots in Alabama could now face a class C felony charge under a controversial new law — the same felony class as looting, stalking, and more, and which is punishable by up to ten years in prison. https://boltsmag.org/alabama-law-absentee-voting-law/

Wisconsin voting rights advocates are alarmed about an under-the-radar GOP amendment that could limit the work of election volunteers.

“People are treating it like an afterthought," says one, "but Question 2 is a big deal.” https://boltsmag.org/wisconsin-question-2-ballot-measure-election-administration/

Our new cheat sheet is out to guide you through what’s on the ballot next Tuesday! We outline more than 20 races to watch and why they matter — including key primaries for state supreme courts, prosecutors, the U.S. Senate, and more. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/elections-to-watch-march-19-2024/

Supreme courts are under a bright spotlight everywhere, and voters on Tuesday will settle heated battles around the country to decide who joins the bench in states around the country—including Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/elections-to-watch-march-5-2024/

After years of being whittled away, the Voting Rights Act unexpectedly survived an existential threat in 2023.

But the reprieve may have been temporary: Conservatives are targeting the law with major threats this year. Bolts breaks them down: https://boltsmag.org/threats-to-voting-rights-act-section-2/

JUST IN: Democrat Tom Suozzi has prevailed in a special election tonight for New York's third congressional district. The Democratic Party has flipped the seat, which was formerly occupied by Republican George Santos.

This is one of several key elections we're tracking tonight. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/february-2024/

JUST IN: Democrat Jim Prokopiak prevailed in a special election tonight for Pennsylvania's 140th legislative district, according to the Associated Press.

This means that Pennsylvania's state House will retain a Democratic majority.

This is one of several key races we're tracking tonight. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/february-2024/

There’s more bad news for Nikki Haley after she lost the Nevada primary last night, getting fewer votes than “None of these candidates.”

The GOP is holding separate caucuses tomorrow, with Trump all but certain to secure every delegate. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/february-2024/

When Nevadans vote in today's primary, they will see Nikki Haley's name but not Trump's.

Fast forward to the GOP caucuses on Thursday, and the scenario will be switched. https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/february-2024/

Democrats in November won control of Dauphin County, home to Pennsylvania's capital city of Harrisburg, for the first time since the Civil War. The majority flips tomorrow. https://boltsmag.org/dauphin-county-commissioners-jail-deaths/

New Hampshire's supreme court told plaintiffs that it won't review state maps, but that lawmakers could pass redistricting reform. And yet, the legislature is already gerrymandered, a circular dynamic that explains why voting groups tried to turn to courts. https://boltsmag.org/partisan-gerrymandering-rucho-and-new-hampshire/

Michigan automatically registers people to vote when they get a driver's license.

This year, it adopted a new law to also register people automatically when they sign up for Medicaid, obtain a Native American tribal ID, or are released from prison.
https://boltsmag.org/michigan-automatic-voter-registration-prison/

New Mexico adopted a wide-ranging voting rights package this year. Among other reforms, it restored the rights of thousands of residents and strengthened voting access for Native voters. https://boltsmag.org/new-mexico-voting-rights-package/

North Carolina’s supreme court earlier this year ruled that it won't consider partisan gerrymandering lawsuits. “Courts are not intended to meddle in policy matters,” Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote.

Now New Hampshire has followed suit: https://boltsmag.org/partisan-gerrymandering-rucho-and-new-hampshire/

Michigan is poised to adopt the first law in the nation that would automatically register people to vote as they leave prison.

The bill, adopted last week by lawmakers, now sits on the governor's desk. New in Bolts:
https://boltsmag.org/michigan-automatic-voter-registration-prison/