The Voting News Weekly: The Voting News Weekly – April 8-14 2013

A new study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that while long lines weren’t a big issue for most voters, they were a huge issue for some – and those people tended to be African-American or Hispanic and live in urban areas. The Federal Election Commission will soon have a dubious distinction: as of April 30, all five of its remaining commissioners will be serving expired terms. Colorado Democrats introduced sweeping election reform legislation that met with sharp criticism from Republicans. Proposed rules for absentee ballot witnesses in Florida were met with disapproval from election officials. The use of State funds in a voting rights lawsuit has raised questions in Montana. Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown has proposed automatic voter registration and concern about costs and security have slowed efforts to introduce inter voting in New Zealand and Pakistan.