South Dakota: Minnehaha County auditor might want to hand count election ballots | Annie Todd/Sioux Falls Argus Leader

During a routine approval for an election systems agreement in Minnehaha County, a debate arose regarding the future of voting in Sioux Falls. County Auditor Leah Anderson suggested the possibility of hand counting ballots in upcoming elections, expressing a preference for combining random hand counts at precinct levels with tabulators to ensure caution in using election technology. She referenced a state statute allowing county commissions to decide how elections are conducted, including the use of automatic tabulation or electronic ballot marking systems. Read Article

Texas: Loving County’s epic elections feud is back, and bitter as ever | Eric Dexheimer/Houston Chronicle’

Loving County, the least-populated county in the U.S., is grappling with a peculiar political issue: it has around 65 residents but about 110 registered voters. This discrepancy arises from former residents who, though having relocated elsewhere, still designate Loving County as their voting residence. Some maintain primary residences just beyond the county’s borders, while others reside hundreds of miles away. This situation has led to legal challenges, prompting questions about the legitimacy of their voting ties to the county, as Sheriff Chris Busse notes that many only appear during elections or the annual Christmas party. The article also highlights the intense personal and familial rivalries within the county’s politics, which have further complicated election matters. The recent November 2022 election resulted in three legal challenges, with candidates alleging that out-of-town voters favored powerful local families. The legal proceedings have become intricate, with lawyers scrutinizing voters’ personal lives, homes, and ties to the county, creating a complex web of allegiances and disputes. The judge presiding over the case is expected to make a decision by the end of October, with possible appeals looming. Read Article

Wisconsin legislation to protect election workers moves forward | Anya van Wagtendonk/Wisconsin Public Radio

A bipartisan set of voting-related bills is under consideration, with public testimony held five months ahead of the 2024 elections. The proposals aim to enhance protections for election workers, making attacks on them a felony and providing whistleblower safeguards. Additionally, a bill suggests implementing a text message notification system for absentee voters, updating them on the status of their ballots. The proposed measures come in response to increased harassment and threats against election workers, particularly after the 2020 presidential election, and aim to ensure their safety and job security. While supported by various organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Counties Association, and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the ACLU of Wisconsin has expressed concerns over the whistleblower protection component. Read Article

National: Cyber experts set out plan to secure crucial 2024 US election | Alex Scroxton/Computer Weekly

The Election Security Research Forum, facilitated by the Information Technology – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC), is piloting a collaborative approach to enhance election security and restore public confidence in the political process, especially in light of increasing cyber risks. The forum brings together security experts, ethical hacking firms like Bugcrowd and HackerOne, Microsoft, Protect AI, nonprofits including the Center for Internet Security, and former state and local election officials. It aims to proactively address cybersecurity challenges associated with election technology by conducting testing and assessments. The focus will be on new election technology slated for deployment in 40 U.S. states in the 2024 elections, with researchers and companies committed to coordinated vulnerability disclosure and best practices for disclosure timelines. The initiative aims to complement existing security measures in U.S. elections, including rigorous federal testing and certification standards, ultimately bolstering transparency and resilience in the electoral process. Read Article

National: Vivek Ramaswamy has called for ‘paper ballots.’ Most Americans vote that way already. | Amy Sherman/Politifact

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been advocating a four-point plan for improving elections, which includes making Election Day a national holiday, implementing single-day voting on Election Day, using paper ballots, and requiring government-issued photo IDs matched to the voter file. However, the idea of “paper ballots” is not a new concept and is already widely used in American elections. Paper ballots, where votes are hand-marked on paper, are a standard practice in many states, and federal laws do not dictate whether states or local jurisdictions must use paper ballots. Efforts to pass a bill mandating paper ballots at the federal level ultimately failed, but many states have chosen to move towards using paper ballots over the past two decades. This trend towards paper ballots is considered one of the most successful movements in elections over the past two decades, as they provide a secure and verifiable way for voters to cast their ballots. Read Article

North Carolina Republicans Seek More Control Over Elections | Michael Wines/The New York Times

The North Carolina House recently passed legislation that would grant the legislature authority over all election board appointments, as well as change the composition of these boards to evenly divide seats between Republican and Democratic members, eliminating the governor’s tiebreaking seat. Republicans, who hold a veto-proof majority in both houses, are likely to override a potential veto by Governor Roy Cooper. Critics argue that this move, along with other recent measures such as exempting legislators from open records law and expediting appointments to the Environmental Management Commission, represents a power grab by the majority. Read Article

National: CISA Director: AI Posing Risks to Election Information Environment | Grace Dille/MeriTalk

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly assured Americans of the integrity and resilience of U.S. election infrastructure, citing the dedicated efforts of state and local officials over the past six years to secure election systems. While she emphasized confidence in the established security measures, Easterly acknowledged concerns about the information environment. She highlighted the use of AI in generating deceptive content, particularly deepfakes and generative AI in the context of disinformation. Easterly stated that CISA is actively focused on supporting local offices, employing tactics like rumor control and collaboration with partners in the Intelligence Community and FBI to address potential disinformation threats from foreign adversaries. She expressed confidence in the dedication of state and local election officials in safeguarding democracy. Read Article

National: Voting machine companies use cybersecurity stress tests to take on conspiracy theorists | Sean Lyngaas/CNN

As the 2024 election approaches and misinformation continues to pose a challenge for American voters, major US voting equipment manufacturers are collaborating with cybersecurity experts to conduct additional stress tests on their systems. Election Systems & Software, Hart InterCivic, and Unisyn have granted a group of vetted researchers access to their software and hardware for almost two days to identify potential vulnerabilities. The tests aim to address conspiracy theories by enhancing transparency about the security assessments conducted before equipment is deployed in polling places. While the results are still being analyzed, vendors are already making adjustments to their security protocols in response to the findings. This move comes after voting equipment manufacturers faced threats following false claims about the 2020 election, emphasizing the need for a delicate balance between addressing vulnerabilities and preventing the spread of misinformation. Read Article

National: GOP states announce new voter roll systems. Are they as secure as ERIC? | Daniel C. Vock/Route Fifty

Several states, including Alabama, Ohio, and Virginia, have recently entered into agreements to share voter information in an attempt to combat election fraud. Critics argue that these deals may potentially expose voters to security breaches and unfounded attempts to remove them from voter rolls. These partnerships come after some Republican-led states withdrew from the Election Registration Information Center (ERIC), which serves as a clearinghouse for voter data. Critics of ERIC claim it is too liberal, prompting some states to seek alternative methods to achieve similar goals. However, experts caution that the state-by-state approach may pose challenges in terms of data quality, costs, and security compared to ERIC’s more sophisticated methods for identifying voter movements and its secure data handling procedures. Read Article

National: Artificial intelligence is coming for elections, and no one can predict its impact | Laura Zommer/International Journalists’ Network

AI-generated disinformation is a growing concern for upcoming elections worldwide, as campaigns employ AI to create misleading visuals without clear disclosure. For instance, a video by Ron DeSantis’ campaign team utilized AI-generated images without informing viewers, blurring the line between real and fabricated content. In contrast, the GOP issued a video attacking President Joe Biden with a clear disclaimer about its AI origin. Fact-checking organizations stress the importance of scrutinizing image sources, looking for imperfections, and using automatic detection tools. Experts advise refining AI filters, creating tools to counter deepfakes and phishing, and appointing a lead agency for AI governance in elections to safeguard democratic processes. Read Article

National: Guns and Voting: New report highlights the risks of mixing firearms with voting | Michael Waldman/Brennan Center for Justice

The risk of gun violence in American elections has increased over the past two decades due to shifts in the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment stance and the influence of a pro-gun movement, leading to significant deregulation of guns in some states. This, coupled with growing political polarization, has made voting and elections targets of threats and intimidation. As the 2024 election approaches, 27 states now allow carrying firearms in public without a permit or background check compared to just two in 2010. With more guns and increased political violence, there’s a pressing need for strong laws to mitigate risks. The report suggests prohibiting firearms at polling places, ballot drop boxes, election offices, and ballot counting facilities, along with implementing stronger laws to prevent intimidation of voters, election officials, and workers. Read Article

Arizona: Ballot paper, not bad guys, caused Election Day printer problems | Joedy McCreary/USA Today

The claim that malware or remote access caused printer problems leading to the rejection of 200,000 out of 248,000 votes cast in Maricopa County, Arizona, during the 2022 midterms is false. An investigation led by retired state Supreme Court Justice Ruth McGregor found that the printer issues were attributed to the use of larger, thicker paper for the new ballots, not malicious interference. The new paper size was necessary to accommodate over 70 races, and the increased thickness aimed to prevent ink bleed-through. All legally cast ballots were properly counted, despite some delays and frustrations for Election Day voters. Read Article

Arizona: Federal judge blocks 2 voting laws, saying feds, not state, govern voting rights |  Ray Stern/Arizona Republic

A federal judge has ruled against new Arizona laws that required voters to prove their citizenship, granting rights groups the authority to investigate the intentions behind these laws. These laws, signed by former Republican Governor Doug Ducey, were passed on party lines despite warnings of their potential unconstitutionality. The U.S. Department of Justice and several civil rights organizations sued the state over these laws, which ban certain individuals from voting by mail or in state elections. While the ruling doesn’t conclude the legal proceedings, it makes it clear that federal laws, rather than state laws, govern the issue of proof-of-citizenship for voters. The judge’s ruling now requires legislative leaders to submit to depositions and disclose communications that may shed light on the reasons behind the laws. Read Article

California: Divided Redding City Council authorizes letter to Shasta County about costs of hand counting ballots. Who’ll sign? | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Redding Mayor Michael Dacquisto and Vice Mayor Mark Mezzano are refusing to sign a letter expressing the city’s concerns about potential cost increases for hand-counting votes, a decision that divided the Redding City Council. Councilors Julie Winter, Tenessa Audette, and Jack Munns voted in favor of sending the letter, which aims to work with the county to develop a more cost-effective voting system that doesn’t strain the general fund. Dacquisto and Mezzano view the letter as a waste of time, with Mezzano indicating he won’t sign it despite being one of its authors. The letter responds to Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen’s estimates that hand-counting would raise Redding’s election costs from $46,630 to $176,645. Dacquisto mentioned Assembly Bill 969, which could eliminate manual tabulations in counties with over 1,000 registered voters, suggesting this would resolve the issue. The letter, however, does not explicitly address the county’s termination of its contract with Dominion Voting Systems or Supervisor Kevin Crye’s stance on the cost estimates. Read Article

Georgia: Trump electors: ‘fake’ or ‘contingent’? – Judge hears arguments seeking a move to federal court | Bill Rankin and David Wickert/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Three Republicans who cast Electoral College votes for Donald Trump after the 2020 presidential election are asserting that they were acting within the bounds of the law and as federal officers, defending their actions before a federal judge. The Trump electors, including former Georgia GOP Chairman David Shafer and state Sen. Shawn Still, face charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and are seeking to have their cases moved from Fulton Superior Court to U.S. District Court in Atlanta. Their defense argues that they were “contingent” electors under the federal Electoral Count Act, contending that Governor Brian Kemp’s certification of Joe Biden was invalidated due to pending litigation filed by Trump. The judge is set to make a decision regarding the case soon. Read Article

New Hampshire towns will have two choices for ballot-counting machines – one proprietary, one open-source | David Brooks/Concord Monitor

The state ballot law commission has selected Dominion Voting Systems and VotingWorks, a not-for-profit company that uses open-source software, as the potential replacements for the aging AccuVote ballot-counting machines that have been in use for three decades. The current machines can still be used until the ballot law commission de-certifies them. It will be up to cities and towns to decide when they want to switch, at the cost of about $7,000 per machine, or if they want to revert back to hand-counting ballots on election nights. Read Article

North Dakota: Petition to overhaul state’s election system back on the table | Ben Grundhauser/InForum

A petition proposing significant changes to North Dakota’s election process, resubmitted after an earlier withdrawal, seeks to amend Article III of the state constitution with an “Election Integrity Act.” As with the original proposal, voting machines would be prohibited in the state, with all voting conducted on Election Day using paper ballots and tabulation done by hand “starting on the day of the election and continuing uninterrupted until hand counting is completed.” Early voting and unsupervised public drop boxes would be prohibited, while absentee ballots would require a written request within a reasonable timeframe prior to Election Day. The petition also mandates electronic scanning of all cast ballots 24 hours after hand counting, with the electronic versions preserved for at least six years. Read Article

Pennsylvania Will Start Automatic Voter Registration | Neil Vigdor/The New York Times

Pennsylvania has announced a program to automatically register new voters through the driver’s license and state ID approval process. The initiative, similar to programs in 23 other states and D.C., aims to streamline the voter registration process by utilizing information already provided for identification purposes. Eligible voters must be U.S. citizens, Pennsylvania residents for at least 30 days prior to an election, and at least 18 years old on the next election date. Read Article

Texas: ‘My Vote Was Rejected’: Trial Underway Over New Voting Law | Edgar Sandoval/The New York Times

A trial is underway in San Antonio, Texas, regarding the state’s controversial election overhaul known as S.B. 1, which was passed in 2021 by a Republican majority. The law introduced new voter identification requirements for mail-in voting, made it harder to use voter assisters, set criminal penalties for poll workers, and banned 24-hour voting and drive-through voting. Critics argue that the law disproportionately affects voters with disabilities, elderly voters, and those who do not speak English. The trial is providing an opportunity for affected voters to share their experiences. Read Article

Wisconsin Republicans propose impeaching top elections official after disputed vote to fire her | CBS

A group of Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin has introduced a resolution to impeach the state’s top elections official, Meagan Wolfe, who is accused by conspiracy theorists of being part of an alleged plot to rig the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden. The lawmakers, who have promoted claims of election fraud, criticize Wolfe for decisions made by the bipartisan elections commission, of which she is the nonpartisan administrator. This comes after the GOP-controlled state Senate voted to oust Wolfe last week, a move Democrats argue was illegitimate. Wolfe has maintained that the allegations against her are false and that the facts have been provided for years, while various reviews have affirmed the fairness and accuracy of the 2020 election results in Wisconsin. Read Article

Election experts issue report recommending changes ahead of 2024 | Zach Montellaro/Politico

A panel of prominent election experts has issued a report warning that American democracy is facing significant stress in the lead-up to the 2024 election. The report, which includes 24 policy recommendations, addresses issues stemming from hyperpolarized politics and closely contested elections in the past two decades. Among the suggestions are the implementation of laws safeguarding election officials, ensuring ample and robust voting opportunities, and policies for social media companies to combat election misinformation. The committee emphasizes the need for clear rules and early resolution of election disputes. It also calls for a swift determination on challenges to candidates’ eligibility, such as those regarding former President Donald Trump’s potential candidacy under the 14th Amendment. The report underscores the importance of these measures to prevent public unrest and maintain confidence in the electoral process. Read Article

“Where’s Celia?” An Arizona elections official becomes the target of a virtual manhunt by GOP activists on a public records crusade. | Jen Fifield/Votebeat Arizona

The article details the story of Celia Nabor, a former election official in Maricopa County, Arizona, who faced harassment and threats from a political action committee called We The People AZ Alliance, primarily funded by Patrick Byrne’s The America Project. The PAC employed a strategy of bombarding local election offices with public records requests, using the obtained documents to spread misinformation about elections. Nabor, who oversaw mail-in ballot verification, was falsely accused of aiding election fraud. The surge in such requests has overwhelmed election offices nationwide, straining resources and hampering their ability to combat misinformation. Nabor eventually resigned and faced ongoing harassment, prompting her to relocate for safety. Despite these challenges, the PAC continues to file requests for Nabor’s communications, and legal battles surrounding these requests persist. Read Article

National: 2024 election-related violence among security threats facing US, DHS says | Holmes Lybrand and Kaanita Iyer/CNN

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a threat assessment for 2024, identifying potential risks and challenges for the United States. The report highlights concerns over possible violence and foreign influence targeting election infrastructure, processes, and personnel during the 2024 election season. It anticipates that Russia, China, and Iran, with advanced influence campaigns, may employ AI-generated content and disinformation on social media to shape policy outcomes and influence Americans. The DHS also warns of threats from Americans motivated by conspiracy theories and anti-government sentiments, who could aim to disrupt the election by targeting voters, election workers, and government officials, as well as polling stations and vote counting sites. Read Article

National: State election chiefs look to courts to deal with Trump ballot challenges | Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Emma Barnett/NBC

State election officers are cautious about involving themselves in potential challenges to Donald Trump’s eligibility for the 2024 ballot based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars those who engaged in insurrection from holding office. Secretaries of state in New Hampshire, Arizona, Michigan, and Colorado have either faced or anticipate legal disputes over Trump’s eligibility for state ballots in the upcoming Republican primaries. Many election officials are hesitant to weigh in on this matter, with some emphasizing that their offices might not be the appropriate venues for making final determinations on such issues. They argue that candidates’ qualifications are typically decided by the courts after filing for office. Read Article

National: Voting rights activists sound alarms over private tool that could lead to cancelling voter registrations | Fredreka Schouten and Curt Devine/CNN

Voting rights groups are raising concerns over a new tool called EagleAI NETwork, supported by some conservatives, aimed at identifying fraudulent voter registrations. Critics argue that the private software relies on unreliable information and could potentially disenfranchise legitimate voters. The creators of EagleAI NETwork claim it to be a pivotal tool for validating, maintaining, and reviewing election rosters. However, voting rights advocates see this as an extension of the skepticism around election administration that emerged among certain Republicans after Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. They fear that the data used by EagleAI NETwork may not contain enough identifying details, potentially leading to the removal of valid voters from the rolls. The software is being promoted as an alternative to the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which has been criticized by Trump and conservative activists. While EagleAI NETwork has made pitches to officials in various states, none have confirmed plans to use it, and it could potentially be exploited for mass voter registration challenges ahead of the 2024 election. Critics emphasize that such challenges could burden voters and election officials alike. Read Article

National: The U.S is getting hacked. So the Pentagon is overhauling its approach to cyber. | Maggie Miller and Lara Seligman/Politico

The Defense Department’s secretive branch, U.S. Cyber Command, is shifting its approach due to the evolving landscape of cyberwarfare. Recent high-profile cyberattacks from Russia, China, and criminal networks have prompted a realization that collaboration is now imperative. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting private companies and government agencies beyond the Pentagon’s typical scope. Consequently, the Defense Department is engaging with other federal agencies, private sectors, and foreign allies to address cyber threats to critical systems, including elections. This shift marks a departure from the previous focus on protecting military networks, as the Pentagon recognizes the need to defend against a broader range of cyber threats, including ransomware attacks on private businesses crucial to the U.S. economy. Read Article

Arizona: Federal Judge blocks state from enforcing law regulating who can vote for president | Howard Fischer/Arizona Capitol Times

A federal judge in Arizona has ruled that the state cannot enforce a 2022 law regulating who can vote for president. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton declared that Arizonans using a federal voter registration form have the right to cast a ballot in presidential elections, invalidating portions of the law requiring “satisfactory evidence of citizenship” to vote in such elections. Additionally, the judge struck down a provision preventing those using the federal form from voting by mail. However, final judgment on other changes in state voter registration laws will be determined after a full trial. The ruling effectively overturns efforts by GOP lawmakers to restrict presidential voting eligibility ahead of the 2024 election. While state law mandates proof of citizenship for voting in local and state races, federal law allows a sworn statement of citizenship for voting in federal elections, including presidential ones, according to the National Voter Registration Act. Read Article

Arkansas: Pulaski County circuit judge tosses out lawsuit challenging state’s voting machines | John Lynch/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A lawsuit challenging the legality of Arkansas’ ballot-counting machines has been dismissed after the plaintiff’s attorney couldn’t demonstrate that the system ever misrepresented a vote. The case revolved around whether the bar code-based system allows voters to independently verify their selections before casting their ballots, as required by Arkansas law. The judge ruled that the system does provide this opportunity, as voters receive printed ballots reflecting their choices after making selections from the computer system. The plaintiff’s argument that the system has flaws or vulnerabilities unrelated to the verification process was not considered relevant to the case. Read Article

California lawmakers vote to limit when local election officials can count ballots by hand | Adam Beam and Christina A. Cassidy/Associated Press

California lawmakers have voted to restrict the circumstances under which local governments can conduct hand counts of election ballots, a move primarily aimed at Shasta County. The county’s conservative-majority board of supervisors decided to terminate its contract with Dominion Voting Systems, citing loss of public confidence in the machines. The recent legislation limits hand counts to specific situations, such as regularly scheduled elections with fewer than 1,000 registered voters or special elections with fewer than 5,000 eligible voters. Critics argue that hand counts are resource-intensive and less precise compared to electronic tabulation. Read Article

California: Shasta County supervisors to vote on suing state over voting law prohibiting hand counting ballots in most elections | Damon Arthur/Redding Record Searchlight

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors is considering suing the state of California over a recently passed bill, Assembly Bill 969, that would prohibit hand counting ballots in most elections. The board argues that if the bill is signed into law, it would violate the state constitution by being illegally approved as an urgency measure, and it would also strip local control from the Shasta County supervisors. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, would mandate the use of voting machines for ballot counting, except in elections with fewer than 1,000 registered voters. Shasta County, with over 110,000 registered voters, would be affected by this change. The bill also requires counties to have a transition plan and a replacement contract in place before terminating an existing voting system contract. While some supervisors support the potential lawsuit, others believe the funds could be better used elsewhere. Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen supports the bill, emphasizing the importance of using certified and qualified voting systems for tabulating results. Read Article