Texas Governor vetoes bill to give people with disabilities new mail voting option | Natalia Contreras/The Texas Tribune

Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bipartisan bill, House Bill 3159, that aimed to expand vote-by-mail access for people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or paralyzed and require assistance marking their ballot. The bill, co-authored by state representatives Jeff Leach and John H. Bucy III, would have allowed voters with disabilities to request an electronic ballot and use a computer to mark their choices, ensuring private and secure voting. However, Abbott argued that the bill did not limit the use of electronic and accessible ballots exclusively to voters with disabilities, stating it would apply to any voter eligible for mail-in voting. Advocates, policy experts, and voting rights advocates disputed Abbott’s interpretation, pointing out that the bill specifically required voters to affirm a sickness or physical condition that prevents them from appearing at the polling place without assistance or injuring their health. The veto was seen as a setback for voters with disabilities who had long sought an independent way to mark their mail-in ballots. Read Article

Wisconsin: Attacks on election workers would be a felony under proposal being considered in legislature | Anya van Wagtendonk/Wisconsin Public Radio

A bipartisan proposal circulating through Wisconsin’s state Capitol aims to protect election workers by limiting public access to their identifying information and imposing harsher penalties for attacks on them. The bill would exempt many records containing personal details about poll workers from public access and make physically harming an election official or worker a felony offense. It would also extend whistleblower protection to election workers who report concerns about election fraud or irregularities. The proposal comes in response to the increase in harassment and threats faced by election workers during the 2020 election. Read Article

National: Election officials sound the alarm about violence against poll workers | Ayah Mahana/Politico

A group of former and current election officials in the United States is urging Congress to provide $400 million in federal funding to improve the working conditions and security measures for poll workers ahead of the 2024 election cycle. Threats against election workers have increased since the 2020 presidential election, with three out of four election officials reporting a spike in threats. The threats, often originating from individuals who deny the election results, have led to resignations and a shortage of experienced poll workers. Swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have been particularly affected by threats of violence. The proposed funding would be used for training, doxxing prevention, privacy services, home security, and federal protections against threats. The aim is to ensure safe, free, and fair elections by addressing the rising concerns of violence against poll workers. Read Article

National: Trump Supporters’ Violent Rhetoric in His Defense Disturbs Experts | Michael S. Schmidt, Alan Feuer, Maggie Haberman and Adam Goldman/The New York Times

The federal indictment of former President Donald J. Trump has sparked a dangerous wave of calls for violence and an uprising from his supporters, creating a concerning atmosphere ahead of his court appearance in Miami. Trump’s close allies, including a member of Congress, have portrayed the indictment as an act of war, sought retribution, and…

Critics blast Georgia’s plan to delay software updates on its voting machines | Kate Brumback/Associated Press

Critics of Georgia’s plan to wait until after next year’s presidential election to install a software update to address security flaws on the state’s voting equipment called that irresponsible, saying the machines would be left open to attack. The vulnerabilities in the Dominion Voting Systems equipment were identified by an expert witness in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Georgia’s election system. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, last year published an advisory based on those findings that urges election officials to take steps to mitigate the risks “as soon as possible.” Read Article

National: Security Analysis of the Dominion ImageCast X | J. Alex Halderman/Freedom to Tinker

Today, the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia permitted the public release of Security Analysis of Georgia’s ImageCast X Ballot Marking Devices, a 96-page report that describes numerous security problems affecting Dominion voting equipment used in Georgia and other states. I prepared the report two years ago, together with Prof. Drew Springall of Auburn University, as part of a long-running voting-rights lawsuit, Curling v. Raffensperger. Back in September 2020, the Court granted the Curling Plaintiffs access to one of Georgia’s touchscreen ballot marking devices (BMDs) so that they could assess its security. Drew and I extensively tested the machine, and we discovered vulnerabilities in nearly every part of the system that is exposed to potential attackers. The most critical problem we found is an arbitrary-code-execution vulnerability that can be exploited to spread malware from a county’s central election management system (EMS) to every BMD in the jurisdiction. This makes it possible to attack the BMDs at scale, over a wide area, without needing physical access to any of them. Read Article

National: At least 11 states have enacted restrictive voting laws this year, new report finds | Shania Shelton/CNN

A recent analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school reveals that 11 states have implemented 13 restrictive voting laws in 2023. This number surpasses the total of restrictive laws passed in any year over the past decade, with the exception of 2021, when 14 states enacted 22 such laws following the 2020 election. Additionally, 13 states have passed 19 expansive voting laws this year, making it easier for individuals to vote. The report highlights ongoing attempts by state legislatures to alter election laws in the wake of widespread election denialism, propagated by former President Donald Trump and his allies. The restrictive laws include measures like limiting access to mail voting and implementing stricter voter identification requirements. Read Article

National: ‘Fundamentally dangerous’: reversal of social media guardrails could prove disastrous for 2024 elections | Kari Paul/The Guardian

The convergence of increasing misinformation on social media, reduced content moderation by platforms, and the influence of AI poses a significant threat to democracy in the 2024 elections, according to experts. YouTube recently reversed its election integrity policy, allowing content questioning the validity of the 2020 elections to remain on the platform. Meta has reinstated the Instagram account of Robert F Kennedy Jr, known for spreading misinformation, and plans to allow Donald Trump to post again. Twitter has also seen a rise in misinformation since Elon Musk took over. These trends, coupled with the lack of transparency around moderation decisions, can further polarize voters and erode confidence in the electoral process. Experts call for stricter moderation rules, transparency, and a mutual agreement on the use of AI to address the crisis. Read Article

Editorial: The Great Missouri Hand-Count Swindle: How MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell Conned Patrick Jones and Kevin Crye, Costing Shasta County Millions | R.V. Scheide/A News Cafe

Osage County Clerk/Election Authority Nicci Bouse has criticized a manual tally voting system promoted by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, arguing that it is more costly, time-consuming, and less accurate than the current ballot tabulation machines in use. Bouse’s conclusions were outlined in a letter to the editor published in a local newspaper, where she expressed concerns about the increased time, financial expenses, loss of volunteers, and decreased accuracy associated with hand counting. She also highlighted the smaller turnout of municipal elections compared to statewide and presidential elections, suggesting that developing a hand-count system as a backup to machines would be unnecessary. Read Article

Arizona: Preparing for the fight against 2024 election misinformation | Jerod MacDonald-Evoy/AZ Mirror

Election officials and experts are sounding the alarm about the growing threats and disinformation campaigns targeting election workers ahead of the 2024 Presidential election. The shift in climate since the 2020 election has put a strain on election administrators, leading to high turnover rates. Arizona, in particular, has been identified as a state with significant threats to election workers, including violent threats and harassment. Concerns arise over the appointment of election deniers to positions within election offices, which could lead to misinformation and maladministration. While officials emphasize the need for vigilance, they also highlight the importance of transparency in the election process to counter disinformation. Efforts are underway to ensure the safety of election workers and address threats, but the persistent spread of misinformation remains a challenge. Read Article

California: Shasta County scrapped its voting machines and didn’t replace them. A new bill would bar that | Jenavieve Hatch/The Sacramento Bee

Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, has introduced Assembly Bill 969 in response to Shasta County Board of Supervisors’ decision to terminate its contract with Dominion Voting Systems. The bill aims to prevent counties from ending voting system contracts without a replacement plan in place. Pellerin argues that abruptly shifting to manual vote counting would be impractical and costly for counties, affecting the accuracy and efficiency of elections. She emphasizes the complexities involved in implementing a new voting system and highlights the need for resources and training. The bill passed in the Assembly, with some opposition from Republicans, and will now proceed to the Senate. Pellerin’s experience as a former County Clerk has shaped her belief in the importance of secure, transparent, and accessible voting processes. Read Article

Georgia won’t update vulnerable Dominion software until after 2024 election | Zachary Cohen and Sean Lyngaas/CNN

A recently unsealed report reveals that Georgia election officials have been aware of vulnerabilities in the state’s voting software for over two years but have chosen not to update the system until after the 2024 presidential election. The report highlights weaknesses in the Dominion  software, which have been previously confirmed by federal cybersecurity officials who recommended system updates. While Georgia officials argue that the vulnerabilities are unlikely to be exploited, critics warn that delaying security patches until 2025 could give adversaries ample time to prepare and deploy attacks. Dominion Voting Systems updated its software in response to the report’s attack scenarios, but Georgia has not implemented the recommended security patch. The report was released as part of a lawsuit by election integrity advocates against the Georgia secretary of state’s office. Read Article

Georgia: Judge unseals two election security reports that differ on risk | David Wickert/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Two previously confidential reports on the security of Georgia’s election system have been unsealed by a federal judge. The reports, part of an ongoing lawsuit seeking to replace Georgia’s Dominion Voting Systems with hand-marked paper ballots, have generated debate about the state’s voting system. One report by a computer science professor identified vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to change votes, while the other report concluded that the risk of such acts was remote. The judge unsealed the reports after requests from critics and supporters of the system, and while the vulnerabilities were acknowledged, investigations and recounts have found no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election. The reports detail potential weaknesses in the voting system but also emphasize that the outlined attacks are operationally infeasible and would have a statistically insignificant impact on the outcome of an election. The lawsuit and debate over the voting system continue. Read Article

Michigan voter reforms have made it a model for strengthening democracy, report says  | Jon King/Michigan Advance

A report by the Center for American Progress highlights Michigan’s election and voting reforms that have led to increased public trust in government. The report identifies three key components that have made Michigan a national model for strengthening democracy: increasing voter registration and turnout, ending partisan gerrymandering through an independent redistricting commission, and promoting citizen-initiated ballot measures. Michigan successfully implemented these reforms in a short period of time, including adding no-reason absentee voting, automatic voter registration, and early voting. The report also emphasizes Michigan’s ability to close the gap in voter registration and turnout between white and Black voters. The overall result of these reforms has been the building and maintenance of public confidence in the state’s democracy and election administration. Read Article

Minnesota just boosted protections for tens of thousands of election workers | Briana Bierschbach/Star Tribune

Minnesota has implemented a new law aimed at protecting election workers from intimidation, harassment, and threats. The law comes as a response to the increase in such incidents since the 2020 election, fueled by false claims of widespread voter fraud. Violators of the law could face civil penalties and fines of up to $1,000 per offense. Other states have also passed or are considering similar protections to ensure the safety of election administrators and poll workers. The law is part of a broader election agenda passed by Democrats in Minnesota, which includes measures like automatic voter registration and penalties for spreading false information intended to deter voting. Read Article

Minnesota’s 2022 Post-Election Review Final Report | Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota

Minnesota’s post-election review (PER) involves manually counting randomly selected paper ballots and comparing the results to the machine totals from Election Day. This process serves as a crucial check on the accuracy of voting machines, provides valuable information to enhance election procedures, and allows the public to witness the verification of elections. Minnesota has been conducting PERs since 2006 during general elections for congressional and statewide races. Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota (CEIMN) has organized eight non-partisan observations of Minnesota’s PERs, including a partnership with the League of Women Voters in 2022, where 40 volunteers observed the review in 11 counties. The observers’ questionnaire indicated that the review was carried out transparently, efficiently, and professionally, instilling confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the PER. Read the Report (PDF)

Montana: ‘It’s like mob rule here’: Ravalli County panelists claim 2020 election fraud | Jessica Abell/Ravalli Republic

Nearly three years after then-President Donald Trump first rejected the upcoming results of the 2020 presidential election, the Ravalli County Commission hosted a panel of speakers questioning the outcome and integrity of elections in Ravalli County and across Montana. While a crowd of nearly 400 people filled the Ravalli County Fairgrounds Events Center on Monday night for the meeting, few were left after it adjourned nearly five hours later. Former Ravalli County Sherriff Jay Printz described the event as a “big old bitch session.” “Jesus, it’s like mob rule here,” Printz said after several speakers accused Ravalli County officials of numerous discredited claims of election fraud. Read Article

Nevada ‘fake electors’ appear before D.C. Jan. 6 grand jury | Natasha Korecki, Ryan J. Reilly, Victoria Ebner and Katherine Doyle/NBC

The grand jury investigation into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and Donald Trump’s attempts to remain in office is progressing, with Nevada GOP Chair Michael McDonald and Vice Chair Jim DeGraffenreid spotted entering the area where the jury is meeting. McDonald, a close ally of Trump, previously confirmed that federal authorities seized his cellphone as part of the investigation. This comes after former Trump official Steve Bannon was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in connection with the investigation. Another former White House aide testified before the grand jury regarding Trump’s firing of Christopher Krebs, who led election cybersecurity efforts. The investigation is separate from the one in Miami concerning Trump’s handling of classified documents. Read Article

Texas is finally making voting easier for people with disabilities, including a new option to vote by mail | Natalia Contreras/Votebeat Texas

Texas lawmakers have passed a set of voting laws with bipartisan support aimed at improving ballot access for individuals with disabilities. The legislation includes measures to allow voters who need assistance to cast their mail-in ballots privately and securely using an electronic system, as well as providing in-person voting accommodations such as skipping lines and designating curbside parking spaces for disabled voters. The bills, now awaiting Governor Greg Abbott’s decision, represent a significant victory for disability rights advocates who have long called for voting access improvements. The success of these bills stands in contrast to other restrictive voting laws pushed by Republican lawmakers in the state. Read Article

Wisconsin Republicans Sowed Distrust Over Elections. Now They May Push Out the State’s Top Election Official. | Megan O’Matz/ProPublica

Meagan Wolfe, the election administrator in Wisconsin, is facing an uncertain future as her reappointment hangs in the balance. Wolfe’s tenure has been marred by controversy and threats due to the conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election. Republicans, who have been critical of the election results, may determine her fate and potentially reset the state’s election dynamics. Wolfe’s potential removal could lead to the appointment of a partisan or election denier, affecting oversight of voting operations in the crucial state for the 2024 presidential race. While election denialism has been rejected in courts and at the polls, it continues to pose a threat. Read Article

Editorial: John Roberts Throws a Curveball | Richard L. Hasen/The New York Times

The Supreme Court’s voting rights ruling on Thursday in Allen v. Milligan is as shocking as it is welcome. The Voting Rights Act has lived to see another day, with implications for 2024 and beyond. The court ruled that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires Alabama to draw a second majority-Black congressional district in which its voters can elect the candidate of their choice. In an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Sonia Sotomayor, the court also reaffirmed Section 2’s constitutionality and beat back Alabama’s arguments that the race-conscious statute should be read in a race-neutral way. Read Article

Arizona: ‘Our numbers are screwy’: Cyber Ninjas CEO admits he couldn’t tally hand count of ballots | Robert Anglen/Arizona Republic

Doug Logan, the CEO of the technology firm Cyber Ninjas, hired by Senate Republicans in Arizona to conduct an audit of the 2020 election results, privately admitted in text messages that he was unable to make sense of the data from the hand recount of 2.1 million ballots. The messages reveal that the company struggled to tally up the results and could not aggregate the data from the tally sheets used by volunteers. The texts appear to support critics’ claims that the audit lacked credibility and that the numbers were “fiction.” The article suggests that the audit was part of a broader effort to overturn the election results and sow doubt in the electoral process. Read Article

National: Supreme Court upholds Voting Rights Act in Alabama redistricting case | Nina Totenberg/NPR

In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court preserved the way legislative districts must be drawn under the landmark Voting Rights Act. The case involved Alabama’s congressional redistricting plan, which packed Black voters into one district, limiting their chance to elect a second representative in a racially polarized state. The court found that the state legislature’s plan constituted an illegal racial gerrymander and affirmed the district court’s ruling. Chief Justice John Roberts, who had previously supported decisions that weakened the voting law, authored the majority opinion, joined by a coalition of conservative and liberal justices. The decision has implications for redistricting in other states with significant Black populations, potentially reconsidering how congressional lines are drawn. Read Article

National: States have introduced nearly 200 bills this year to ‘subvert’ elections, report finds | Adam Edelman/NBC

A report by nonpartisan groups States United Democracy Center, Protect Democracy, and Law Forward reveals that legislators in 38 states have introduced approximately 200 bills this year that could potentially undermine elections. The analysis, obtained by NBC News, shows that predominantly Republican lawmakers put forth 185 bills between January 1 and May 3 that would politicize, criminalize, or interfere with elections, thus increasing the risk of subverting the democratic process. The report highlights the persistence of the election denial movement and warns that attempts to overturn elections may continue if such legislation is not addressed. The bills aim to inject confusion, create delays, erode public trust, and allow partisan actors to exploit the outcome of close elections. Read Article

National: These Activists Distrust Voting Machines. Just Don’t Call Them Election Deniers. | Stuart A. Thompson/The New York Times

Election integrity advocates find themselves in a challenging position as they push for security while inadvertently amplifying claims made by conspiracy theorists. The overlap between their warnings about potential hacking of election machines and conspiracy theorists’ unfounded claims is a consequence of Trump’s false voter fraud allegations, leading to doubts about election integrity. Activists fear being associated with conspiracy theorists, hindering their efforts and eroding trust in the electoral system. The debate intensifies in New York as officials consider certifying machines by ES&S, a company targeted by Trump. Activists and experts express concerns about the machines’ cost, potential errors, and security, but caution against overblowing the hacking threat, emphasizing no evidence of hacking in the 2020 election. Read Article

Editorial: How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy | Archon Fung and Lawrence Lessig/The Conversation

Could organizations use artificial intelligence language models such as ChatGPT to induce voters to behave in specific ways? Sen. Josh Hawley asked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman this question in a May 16, 2023, U.S. Senate hearing on artificial intelligence. Altman replied that he was indeed concerned that some people might use language models to manipulate, persuade and engage in one-on-one interactions with voters. Altman did not elaborate, but he might have had something like this scenario in mind. Imagine that soon, political technologists develop a machine called Clogger – a political campaign in a black box. Clogger relentlessly pursues just one objective: to maximize the chances that its candidate – the campaign that buys the services of Clogger Inc. – prevails in an election. Read Article

Arizona: No rules for Maricopa County as it replaces faulty ballot printers, spends $8 million | Jen Fifield/Votebeat Arizona

Maricopa County is planning to spend $8.3 million on purchasing new Lexmark printers for each of its polling places in preparation for the 2024 elections. This decision comes after the county experienced breakdowns with its current retail-grade printers during the 2022 Election Day, leading to rejected ballots. The county supervisors have set aside $9 million for the purchase, and the decision does not require a direct vote as the county is updating its existing contract with its current supplier, Runbeck Election Services. The lack of regulations for ballot printers has been highlighted, and experts suggest the need for standards and testing to prevent future problems. Ballot printers were “seen as a peripheral thing,” said Pam Smith, CEO of Verified Voting, a nonprofit which advocates for security in election technology. “But now there is more realization that this could actually have an impact on voters.” No federal or state laws regulate which printers Arizona counties use to print ballots-on-demand for voters, or how the printers are tested. Read Article

Arizona Secretary of State steps in as Mohave County makes plan for hand-counting ballots | Jen Fifield/Votebeat Arizona

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has expressed concerns about a proposal by supervisors in Mohave County to hand-count ballots in the 2024 presidential election. Fontes, a Democrat, argued that such a move would violate state and federal laws, potentially compromise security, and lead to inaccurate results. He highlighted the potential for human error and emphasized that state law does not allow for the substitution of hand counts for certified electronic tabulation equipment. Republican supervisors, supported by state senators Sonny Borrelli and Wendy Rogers, pushed for the hand-counting of ballots, while Fontes warned of legal consequences and lack of accountability. The debate reflects ongoing controversies surrounding ballot tabulation machines and false claims of vote switching in the 2020 election. Read Article

Georgia: State seizes election server in Treutlen county | Doug Richards/WXIA

State investigators in Georgia have seized an election server in Treutlen County after the county hired Misty Hampton as its election director. Hampton was forced out of her previous position in Coffee County due to allowing a group of Donald Trump associates into the secure area of the election office during the aftermath of the US Capitol attack in 2021. The hiring of Hampton by Treutlen County gave her access to the state’s computerized election equipment, which has now been seized by investigators. Read Article

Louisiana: Election conspiracy theory at root of proposed constitutional amendment | Wesley Muller/Louisiana Illuminator

The Louisiana Legislature has passed a bill that fuels unsubstantiated election conspiracy theories involving Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The bill, House Bill 311, prohibits the use of private donations for conducting elections and is presented to voters as a measure to prevent foreign corruption of parish election officials. The bill stems from the controversy surrounding grants provided by the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) during the 2020 elections. Attorney General Jeff Landry and other conservatives opposed the grants, alleging potential corruption. While Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed similar bills in the past, this proposal will bypass his desk and directly go to voters in the October 14 election. The new ballot language emphasizes foreign government or nongovernmental sources as potential funders of elections. Read Article