National: Growing threat of political violence looms over 2024, former members of Congress warn | Jacob Fischler/Michigan Advance

Former members of Congress, including ex-Senator Doug Jones and former Representative Barbara Comstock, express deep concern about the rising acceptance of political violence ahead of the 2024 presidential election. They attribute much of the blame to former President Donald Trump and his supporters, citing coded language and intentional threats. A recent poll indicates an increase in the number of respondents who believe resorting to violence is necessary to save the country. The former lawmakers stress the importance of addressing this trend to protect democracy, acknowledging the impact on election workers, with concerns raised about threats and abuse faced by state and local officials. Read Article

National: States that left ERIC are struggling to maintain voter rolls, documents show | Jen Fifield/Votebeat

Several Republican-led states are facing challenges in finding effective ways to update their voter rolls after withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a cross-state voter roll cleaning program. Virginia paid $29,000 to regain limited access to ERIC data. Alabama and Missouri devised less rigorous plans for cleaning voter rolls. A proposed alternative system faced a server attack. Documents reveal that lies were spread about ERIC, and officials in some states tried unsuccessfully to prevent their withdrawal. The exodus from ERIC, fueled by misinformation, compromises the ability to share data and maintain accurate voter rolls, raising concerns about election integrity and access to voting. Read Article

Georgia: Local elections officials inundated with records requests by rightwing activists | Jewel Wicker/The Guardian

Georgia elections officials are facing an increased workload and stress due to an influx of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and open records requests from rightwing activists who believe in unfounded claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. Deb Cox, elections director of Lowndes County, has seen the number of FOIA requests rise significantly, straining resources and requiring additional staff hours. Across the U.S., similar trends are observed, with election-denying activists seeking extensive information to substantiate false claims about the 2020 election and to influence future elections. The increased workload adds pressure to elections officials, particularly in swing states like Georgia, as they prepare for the 2024 presidential election. Read Article

National: Meta ad policy allowing 2020 election denial followed warning of political backlash, sources say | Max Zahn/ABC

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, faced internal discussions over its policy toward election-denial claims in political advertising in 2022. The company considered banning political ads that denied the results of previous elections, including the 2020 contest, but some employees warned of potential harm to Meta’s standing with Republican elected officials and candidates. Ultimately, Meta decided to permit political advertisements featuring false claims of a rigged 2020 election on Instagram and Facebook, while prohibiting ads that question the validity of ongoing or future elections. Critics argue that the policy decision was influenced by political considerations and the prevalence of 2020 election denial among Republicans. Read Article

National: The cyber expert who took Mike Lindell’s $5 million challenge and won | Deena Winter/Minnesota Reformer

Bob Zeidman, a cyber forensics expert, was initially reluctant to take up MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s $5 million challenge to disprove claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. Zeidman, who voted for Donald Trump, attended Lindell’s “cyber symposium” and discovered that the data presented as evidence was bogus. An arbitration panel ruled in Zeidman’s favor, stating that Lindell’s claims were not substantiated. In an interview, Zeidman discussed Lindell’s lack of understanding of the technology involved, the mistakes in presenting data, and his belief that there was no purposeful effort by voting machine companies to change the election results. Read Article

National: Russia’s 2016 election meddling could play a role in Trump’s 2020 election case | Eric Tucker/Associated Press

In an upcoming trial focused on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, both the defense and prosecutors have expressed a desire to highlight events from the 2016 election, each for distinct purposes. Trump’s defense team seeks materials related to Russian interference in 2016, claiming it’s relevant to his confidence in the 2020 election’s security. Prosecutors, on the other hand, want to present Trump’s “historical record” of sowing doubt in election results, including claims of fraud in 2016, to establish a pattern of behavior indicating intent and motive to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results. Read Article

Editorial: Threats on election workers surge ahead of presidential year | The San Antonio Express-News

Any threat against an election worker is a threat against democracy, and with the 2024 presidential election looming, the peril is real and chilling. Self-styled freedom fighters, confusing anarchy with patriotism, are attacking our single most important right — the vote. The polls give the people a voice, a say, in how government is run. To pervert that process is to squander our legacy of democracy. The targets are election workers who keep the machinery of democracy running. Some are well known, including secretaries of state who lead the effort throughout the country, but most are anonymous, and for good reason. They do their jobs so well that they attract little attention, whether positively or negatively. Read Editorial

Colorado county clerks call on officials to defend election system against ‘dishonest actors’ | Marianne Goodland/Colorado Politics

The Colorado County Clerks Association is taking a stand against what they label as “dishonest actors, grifters, and bullies” who they claim undermine voter confidence in the state’s election system. The association’s executive board, dominated by Republicans, sent a letter to all election officials in the state, urging them to participate in a coordinated effort to counter misinformation and regain trust in elections. The letter addresses claims of vulnerabilities in the 2023 election and questions the credibility of such assertions, pointing to the defeat of Proposition HH, endorsed by Democrats. The clerks criticize Republicans in certain counties who initially refused to certify election results, citing concerns about voting equipment and voter rolls. Read Article

Georgia Secretary of State Calls for Ballot Confirmation Tech | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is seeking $4.7 million from legislators to purchase devices allowing voters to verify that the QR codes printed on their ballots accurately reflect their choices. This technology would be available in every Georgia voting location, enabling skeptical voters to confirm that the codes match the printed text on ballots before they are scanned and counted. Critics argue that QR codes prevent human verification of ballots and could be manipulated by hackers. The proposed funding also includes $10.4 million to upgrade Dominion Voting Systems software after the 2024 election, $6 million to replace power supplies for voting equipment, $3 million for a voter education campaign, and $2.7 million for 24 new staff positions in the state’s Elections Division. Read Article

Georgia county to use private voter verification tech EagleAI to check voter registrations  Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Columbia County’s decision to adopt EagleAI, touted as an alternative to the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) for voter registration list maintenance, is raising concerns about its efficacy and the risk of disenfranchising lawful voters. Critics argue that EagleAI lacks access to crucial private voter information, increasing the likelihood of removing eligible voters. Skepticism is particularly voiced by Kristin Nabers of the voting rights organization All Voting Is Local, who emphasizes the potential for the software to cause more problems than solutions. While the bipartisan election board approved the use of EagleAI, questions persist about its ability to accurately update voter rolls and its compliance with state and federal laws, possibly jeopardizing voter registrations. Read Article

Indiana: Judge dismisses federal suit concerning Warrick County voting machines | Jon Webb/Evansville Courier & Press

A federal lawsuit accusing Warrick County officials in Indiana of using uncertified and vulnerable voting machines was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds by Judge Richard L. Young on November 21. The lawsuit, filed by two Chandler residents in September 2022, claimed that Warrick County officials misled voters by not using paper ballots and failing to provide transparency regarding the voting systems. Commissioner President Terry Phillipe emphasized that the decision should instill confidence in the fairness and accuracy of elections in Warrick County. Read Article

Kansas: Will Johnson County destroy old ballots per state law? Sheriff and officials near showdown | Susan Ritter and Jonathan Shorman/The Kansas City Star

Johnson County officials are moving forward with the destruction of old ballots as mandated by state law, despite objections from Sheriff Calvin Hayden, a hard-right Republican who has been conducting an election investigation that has not led to any criminal charges. Hayden’s investigation has been criticized for encouraging conspiracy theorists and election deniers. The county has stored ballots from the 2019 election onwards at Hayden’s request, but the patience of the Johnson County Commission appears to be waning. The commission, dominated by Republicans, has received reminders from the Kansas Secretary of State about the legal requirement to destroy the ballots. The destruction of the ballots would signal a rebuke to Hayden, who has promoted his investigation at right-wing events. Read Article

Michigan vote machine tampering case heads to trial. Are ‘fake electors’ next? | Jonathan Oosting/Bridge Michigan

The trial for three Trump loyalists facing charges related to tampering with Michigan voting machines after the 2020 election has been scheduled for March 4. The suspects, including attorneys Matthew DePerno and Stefanie Lambert, along with former state Rep. Diare Rendon, are accused of illegally seizing election equipment in an unsuccessful attempt to prove voter fraud. Separately, a judge rejected motions to dismiss felony conspiracy and forgery charges against two of the 15 Republicans accused in the false elector scheme. The defendants, including Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden and former Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock, are accused of conspiring to forge a “certificate of votes” falsely claiming Trump won Michigan, each facing up to 14 years in prison if convicted. Read Article

Montana: Broken seals, shredding and a FBI investigation: Carbon County couple raise election concerns | Darrell Erlick/Daily Montanan

Albert “Chip” and Lisa Bennett filed a lawsuit in Carbon County, Montana, and initiated an investigation by the state Department of Criminal Investigation, now reportedly with the FBI, seeking answers regarding Election Night 2022 irregularities. The Bennetts, not aligning with any party, became concerned when they observed broken safety seals on voting machines during a demonstration, suggesting possible tampering. Despite their claim that the 2020 election was not rigged, the Bennetts sought information about the broken seals, shredded ballots on video, and a commissioner handling ballots. Carbon County officials stated the seals were replaced during servicing, but the Bennetts allege unresponsiveness, prompting them to request thousands of emails for clues. Read Article

New Hampshire voting machine vendor: New machines may not be deployed in 2024 | Kevin Landrigan/Union Leader

The president of LHS Associates, the company that services New Hampshire’s voting machines, stated that the next generation of new voting machines by Dominion Voting Systems may not meet state testing requirements in time for the 2024 general election. The existing Accuvote machines have been in use for three decades and were last manufactured in 2008, with officials scrambling to find replacement parts. Dominion’s ImageCast optical scanning machines were approved for use by March 1, but the testing plan is still pending. While LHS proposed leasing new machines for cities and towns, Secretary of State David Scanlan opposed the idea, emphasizing fairness to other vendors and the need for a uniform standard. Read Article

New Hampshire: Ahead of Biden write-in effort, towns and cities issue calls for more poll workers | Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin

In preparation for the New Hampshire presidential primary, where President Joe Biden has launched a write-in campaign, cities and larger towns are gearing up for a meticulous hand count due to the absence of Biden’s name on the ballot. This write-in effort will require additional poll workers to manually count each Democratic write-in vote. Local organizations and city officials are actively recruiting volunteers, emphasizing the need for more people this time due to the potentially record-breaking number of write-in votes. Larger cities, in particular, are feeling the pressure to find enough volunteers, and efforts are underway to connect with various organizations and individuals to ensure sufficient staffing for the election day tasks, including sorting and counting write-in ballots. Read Article

Pennsylvania’s loss of county election officials raises concerns about errors | Anthony Hennen/The Center Square

The Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee conducted a post-election evaluation marked by amiable discussions between Republican senators and the secretary of the commonwealth. While there was mutual concern over human errors in the electoral process, some divides persisted. The department has focused on reducing human errors by hiring a chief training officer and redesigning ballot envelopes to minimize voter errors. However, concerns were raised about significant turnover in election administrators at the county level, affecting experience and potentially leading to unintentional mistakes. The audit process also drew differing opinions, with the secretary emphasizing existing audit measures, while Sen. Cris Dush expressed a desire for comprehensive machine verification akin to auditing gas pumps and slot machines. Read Article

Washington GOP fights secretary of state’s effort to track election misinformation | Jim Brunner/The Seattle Times

The Washington State Republican Party has filed a formal complaint against Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, accusing him of violating the constitution and his oath of office by contracting British artificial intelligence company Logically for nearly $273,000 to monitor social media for harmful narratives and threats related to Washington elections. The GOP claims the effort amounts to “political surveillance,” allowing Hobbs to suppress free speech on a massive scale. Hobbs defends the contract, stating that the posts being monitored are public, rejecting claims of suppressing free speech, and emphasizing the importance of countering misinformation. Read Article

Wisconsin clerks could soon process absentee ballots a day early. Why is the change happening? | Hope Karnopp/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin’s “Monday processing” bill, which would allow clerks to start processing absentee ballots one day early, has passed a Senate committee and is expected to be signed into law by Democratic Governor Tony Evers. The bipartisan-supported bill aims to prevent voter confusion and conspiracy theories resulting from late processing of large numbers of ballots. Advocates argue that the change will offer a more accurate picture of election results earlier on Tuesday night, reducing the impact of late-night “ballot dumps.” The bill is particularly relevant for communities using central locations to count absentee ballots. Read Article