National: Violent threats, racist messages: Bipartisan officials call the aftermath of the 2020 election ‘terrifying’ | Sudiksha Kochi/USA Today

Officials from various states have reported receiving threats and facing intimidation from supporters of former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election. For instance, Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir faced threats and had to change his daily routines due to concerns for his safety. Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers received threats after refusing to reject the 2020 election results, and Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his family received threats as well. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also expressed concerns about threats and a plot to overturn the results of the election in her state. These incidents shed light on the consequences of the false claims of election fraud and the pressure campaign that followed the 2020 election. Read Article

Pennsylvania will track voting machine malfunctions under new settlement with election security groups | Carter Walker/Votebeat Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Department of State has settled a lawsuit with election security groups that will require counties to publicly report voting machine malfunctions, potentially becoming the first such initiative in the U.S. This measure is seen as a way to enhance transparency, improve efficiency, and counter election misinformation. The settlement follows a lawsuit by election groups against the state, claiming that some counties adopted flawed voting machines. The settlement agreement also requires better public access to voting equipment examination processes and mandates that three counties using the voting machine in question upgrade to its latest software. The new reporting requirement is set to begin with this November’s municipal election. Read Article

National: Federal judge rejects bids to halt Georgia prosecution of Trump aides over 2020 election | Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein/Politico

A federal judge rejected the emergency filings made by former Trump administration officials Mark Meadows and Jeffrey Clark, ensuring that they will face arrest this week. Meadows and Clark, who are charged with former President Donald Trump in a racketeering conspiracy to undermine the results of the 2020 election, had requested the court to prohibit the arrest by a Friday deadline, arguing that their cases should be handled and dismissed by federal courts due to their work for the Trump administration. The judge ruled that state proceedings can continue while the federal court considers whether to shift the case to the federal system. This is part of a broader case by District Attorney Fani Willis to prosecute the 2020 election subversion conspiracy. Read Article

National: In Trump cases, experts say defendant’s rhetoric will be hard to police | Devlin Barrett, Spencer S. Hsu, Isaac Arnsdorf/The Washington Post

The challenge of keeping politics out of a criminal prosecution becomes particularly difficult when politicians are both the alleged perpetrators and the candidates for higher office. In the case of the 2020 election obstruction charges against former President Donald Trump, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan’s efforts to prevent political influences from affecting the case are met with significant complexities. Trump’s political activity and rhetoric during his candidacy could potentially hinder the fair progression of legal proceedings. Balancing the protection of the judicial process with First Amendment rights and potential voter influence proves to be a challenging endeavor for the judge. Read Article

National: This issue could knock Trump off ballots nationwide. Get ready for it to dominate primary season | David Lauter/Los Angeles Times

Efforts are underway to use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to bar Donald Trump from running for office, citing his conduct during the Capitol attack. Section 3 disqualifies individuals from office if they’ve engaged in “insurrection.” This provision has been receiving renewed attention as conservative legal scholars argue that Trump’s behavior aligns with its meaning. Liberal legal groups have started researching state laws and working with voters to challenge Trump’s access to the ballot. The challenges are likely to come towards the end of this year and early next year, possibly leading to a Supreme Court showdown, which could significantly disrupt the primary season. Read Article

National: Republicans want the next GOP president to curb election security agency that angered Trump | Laura Gersony/ABC

In preparation for a potential Republican victory in the next U.S. presidential election, an influential group of Republicans, under the initiative called Project 2025 led by the Heritage Foundation think tank, is proposing to scale back the federal government’s oversight of online misinformation. The proposal specifically targets the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a part of the Department of Homeland Security focused on guarding critical infrastructure, including election systems. Project 2025 recommends ending CISA’s efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation, arguing that the federal government shouldn’t be the “arbiter of truth.” Critics, including some democracy experts, are concerned that such a move could hamper efforts to address false information online and its potential impacts on democracy. Read Article

National: To Protect Elections, Protect Researchers | Center for Democracy and Technology

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) underscores the crucial role that independent election integrity researchers play in identifying and mitigating threats to free and fair elections, including foreign influence operations, domestic disinformation, and cyberattacks on election infrastructure. However, these researchers are facing unprecedented obstacles and attacks, including lawsuits, hostile political actors, limited access to platform data, and platforms’ reduced commitment to online trust and safety. The CDT emphasizes that election integrity researchers are essential for evidence-based policymaking and complement the research conducted by platforms themselves. With the upcoming convergence of major elections globally, the spread of generative AI, and increasing political attacks on researchers’ work, the CDT calls for support and empowerment of these researchers, suggesting actions by funders, governments, and platforms to ensure their ability to combat election disinformation and safeguard democracy. Read Article

Arizona: Cochise County votes no on extending controversial ballot paper security pilot | Jen Fifield/Votebeat Arizona

Cochise County in Arizona has voted against extending a $1 million state grant that would have allowed them to work with Authentix, a company partnered with former state Rep. Mark Finchem, to test security features on ballots, including watermarks and special ink. The decision means that County Recorder David Stevens will only be able to use supplies he had already ordered from another company, Runbeck Election Services, for the pilot testing. Authentix has been linked to Stevens through personal connections, and some residents expressed concerns about the contract, believing it to be unnecessary and potentially tied to political favoritism. This decision follows controversies around the county’s election processes, including disputes over hand-counting ballots and claims of fraud. Read Article

Arizona Supreme Court rules against attorney seeking to void 2022 election | Howard Fischer/Arizona Capitol Times

The Arizona Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to void the results of the entire 2022 election. A Scottsdale attorney, Ryan Heath, had asked the court to order Maricopa County to redo the process used to verify signatures on early ballot envelopes. However, the court ruled that only those involved in the original lawsuit have the legal right to appeal the trial court’s decision and that Heath’s legal relief sought, which is an order to redo the 2022 election or revisit the ballots, is only appropriate when there are no facts in dispute, which is not the case here. Read Article

Georgia Trump indictment invokes justice for election workers | Ella Lee and Rebecca Deitsch/The Hill

The indictment in Georgia covering former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election includes references to poll worker Ruby Freeman, who was accused by Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani of mishandling ballots and subsequently faced threats. The indictment highlights the harassment campaign against Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, and underscores the impact on individuals beyond just the voters in the state whose will Trump sought to deny. The indictment takes seriously the harassment of election workers and considers the human cost of Trump and his allies’ alleged actions, creating a racial component to the case due to the involvement of white, powerful men intimidating Black women. Read Article

Georgia: Spaulding County approves counting ballots by hand; change pushed by election skeptics | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Conservative election critics in Georgia are advocating for hand-counting ballots as a response to doubts about Dominion voting machines. The hand-counting movement recently gained approval in Spalding County, with local election boards voting to require manual tallies before results from computer-scanned ballots can be certified. However, election experts and officials point out that manual counts are often less accurate and more time-consuming than machine tabulations, and that election procedures should focus on building voter confidence rather than catering to partisan skepticism. The hand-counting initiative is driven by concerns about hacking, manipulation of computer-printed ballots, and programming errors. Read Article

Fury at Michigan officials charged in 2020 false electors scheme: ‘This isn’t who we are’ | Alice Herman/The Guardian

Sixteen Republicans in Michigan, including prominent local politicians, are facing anger, prosecution, and recall for their alleged involvement in signing a false electors certificate for Donald Trump during the 2020 presidential election. The charges, which Michigan’s attorney general announced, have triggered a push for elected officials involved to resign. The accused individuals face felony charges, and their constituents are demanding accountability. This situation highlights the legal and ethical challenges surrounding the actions of these officials, with residents and good government groups calling for consequences in light of their attempt to overturn the election results. Read Article

Michigan: Dispute over documents delays considerations to move election tabulators trial | Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance

Attorneys Stefanie Lambert Junttila and Matt DePerno, along with former state representative Daire Rendon, are facing charges related to alleged tampering with voting tabulators following the 2020 presidential election. Lambert Junttila has requested to move the trial to Antrim County in Michigan, while Special Prosecutor DJ Hilson has argued that Oakland County Circuit Court is the proper venue due to the crimes being committed there. The judge will consider the request to move the trial in two weeks. The charges involve alleged attempts to access and tamper with voting tabulators in relation to the 2020 election. Read Article

North Carolina governor vetoes election bill, sparking override showdown with GOP supermajority | Hannah Schoenbaum/Associated Press

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has vetoed a Republican-backed elections bill that would eliminate a grace period for voting by mail and introduce new provisions for partisan poll observers. The bill, which the governor accused Republicans of using to undermine voting rights for young and nonwhite voters, would make voting harder for certain demographics, potentially impacting their ability to elect Republicans. The governor’s veto comes as both major parties gear up for competitive elections in North Carolina, which is anticipated to be a presidential battleground and home to a closely contested gubernatorial race. Read Article

Texas officials can’t toss mail ballots over ID mistakes, federal judge rules | Cayla Harris/San Antonio Express-News

A federal judge has ruled that a provision of Texas Senate Bill 1, which rejected nearly 40,000 absentee ballot submissions due to errors like mismatched numbers, violates the Civil Rights Act. The court found that these errors are not material in determining whether voters are qualified under Texas law to vote by mail. The decision is seen as a win for Texas voters, especially those who rely on mail-in ballots due to disabilities or age, and is aimed at ensuring that eligible voters’ ballots are not rejected based on minor errors or omissions. This ruling follows concerns about the impact of the law, especially on minority voters, who were 50% more likely to have their mail ballots rejected, according to a study. Read Article

Texas Supreme Court denies Harris County request to run November election and delay state law | Jen Rice/Houston Chronicle

The Texas Supreme Court has denied Harris County’s request for an emergency order that would have allowed the Harris County Elections Administrator’s Office to oversee the upcoming November election. This decision clears the way for Senate Bill 1750, a new state law abolishing the office, to go into effect on September 1. The county had sought an emergency order to delay the law’s implementation while the state’s appeal was pending. The Supreme Court’s decision means that Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett will be responsible for overseeing the election, which is now just weeks away. Read Article

Wisconsin elections administrator won’t appear before Senate committee | Anya van Wagtendonk/Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, will not appear before a Senate committee hearing about her future in the job following new guidance from the state Department of Justice. This comes amid an ongoing dispute between the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission and the GOP-led Legislature over Wolfe’s future. A hearing was scheduled to discuss Wolfe’s position, which if attended, could lead to official confirmation proceedings and a potential firing. However, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has stated that state law does not allow for such proceedings, allowing Wolfe to remain in her post indefinitely. The situation highlights the legal ambiguity around her tenure and its implications for upcoming elections. Read Article