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

Georgia election indictment highlights wider attempts to illegally access voting equipment | Christina A. Cassidy/Associated Press

Several individuals, including former President Donald Trump and his allies, have been charged with multiple counts related to a “conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.” The indictment includes charges related to the breach of election equipment in Coffee County, Georgia, where Trump allies attempted to access voting systems to prove their claims that the 2020 election had been rigged. The charges highlight that the efforts to overturn the election extended beyond state officials and lawmakers to local government and suggests a wider effort to undermine elections. The indictment argues that these breaches were part of a conspiracy by Trump and his associates to overturn the election results. The charges include conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to commit computer theft, and conspiracy to defraud the state. Read Article

National: How DEF CON’s election hackers are trying to protect themselves | John Sakellariadis/Politico

At the DEF CON hacker convention in Las Vegas, organizers of the event’s “Voting Village” hacking event took extensive security measures to protect the physical safety of security researchers who were attempting to hack into election equipment. Threats and harassment against researchers have increased due to disinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding election security, particularly after former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. This rise in disinformation-fueled threats is prompting election administrators, poll workers, and security researchers to take new precautions to ensure their physical safety while conducting their work. The measures included undercover security consultants, tighter monitoring of attendees, and briefings for volunteers on dealing with potential agitators. This reflects the growing need to address not only cybersecurity but also physical security in the realm of election protection. Read Article

National: Trump indictment underscores election security risk for 2024  | John Sakellariadis/Politico

The alleged theft of voting system software from an elections office in Coffee County, Georgia, which is central to the latest indictment of former President Donald Trump and his allies, underscores a growing security risk to future elections. Election security experts have cautioned that such software theft could provide a blueprint for malicious actors to identify vulnerabilities and develop malware to exploit them. The indictment officially links Trump allies to the theft of voting system software in Georgia and other states following the 2020 election, with the indictment alleging coordination between Trump’s lawyer, Sidney Powell, and local GOP officials. Dominion Voting Systems, whose software was stolen, has introduced a software upgrade to address identified bugs, but implementing these upgrades before the 2024 election is a challenge. Read Article

National: Rising political threats take US into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms | Nicholas Riccardi/Associated Press

The recent fatal shooting of a 74-year-old Utah man by FBI agents after he threatened to assassinate President Joe Biden is the latest instance highlighting the dangerous impact of violent rhetoric in the U.S. Just days before this incident, a Texas man was sentenced to prison for threatening to kill Arizona election workers, and a Michigan woman was charged for lying to buy guns for her son who threatened violence against Biden and the state’s governor. Threats against public officials have surged, with a doubling of threats against members of Congress and an explosion of threats against election workers, leading to concerns about the health of American democracy and the potential for political violence. Experts warn that such violent rhetoric can be a precursor to actual violence, with lone attackers being a significant concern. Read Article

National: How alleged computer crimes figure into latest indictment of Trump, allies | Tim Starks/The Washington Post

An indictment in Georgia has charged four individuals, including attorney Sidney Powell, with conspiracy to commit computer theft, computer trespass, and computer invasion of privacy, among other charges, related to their promotion of the disproven narrative that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. The indictment alleges that Powell hired a firm to perform computer forensic collections and analytics on Dominion Voting Systems equipment in Michigan and elsewhere, and a breach of election equipment in Coffee County occurred under this agreement. The indictment also mentions unindicted co-conspirators and includes charges against Rudy Giuliani for allegedly making false statements about election workers and USB ports. The indictment is part of a broader legal effort to hold individuals accountable for spreading false election claims and attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the election. Read Article

National: After Years of Spreading Lies, Election Deniers Face Consequences | Nick Corasaniti/The New York Times

The legal consequences are beginning to catch up with many of former President Donald Trump’s allies who were involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. In Michigan, three leading election deniers were charged with felonies for attempting to obtain and inspect election machines. Trump himself was indicted in a federal investigation related to his actions surrounding the 2020 election. Additionally, Trump and 18 others, including figures like Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and John Eastman, were charged with attempts to interfere with the outcome of the election in Georgia. These charges represent a growing legal effort to hold individuals accountable for spreading false claims and attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the election. Read Article

Abused and stalked, US election workers are bracing for 2024 | Madeline Halpert/BBC

As legal action ensues against former President Donald Trump and his allies over alleged plots to overturn election results in Georgia, poll workers are expressing enduring impacts from false claims of ballot fraud. Unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in 2020 led to stalking, intimidation, and death threats for hundreds of election workers across the United States. The allegations have ushered in an era of harassment for election workers, impacting both their lives and the broader electoral process. Despite legal actions, the divisive consequences of these claims are likely to persist during the 2024 general election and continue to affect political legitimacy. Read Article

Opinion: Donald Trump triggers the politics of emergency | Jason Willick/The Washington Post

The disqualification of a candidate from the 2024 presidential election based on the 14th Amendment’s Section 3, which disqualifies officials who engaged in insurrection, is becoming a point of debate and concern. While President Trump was acquitted in the Senate for “incitement of insurrection” following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, a new paper by legal scholars argues that Trump’s disqualification is “automatic” and not dependent on congressional processes. This notion adds to a complex legal-constitutional conversation and raises questions about political legitimacy and emergency measures, should Trump’s candidacy continue to rise. Disqualification efforts, if pursued, could further polarize public opinion and lead to uncharted legal and political territories. Read Article

Arizona: Cut this, add that: Commenters on left, right criticize draft of 2024 state’s ‘election bible’ | Mary Jo Pitzl/Arizona Republic

Arizona’s draft Elections Procedures Manual, which outlines how to conduct an election, has attracted significant public input and scrutiny from voting rights groups, political parties, state lawmakers, and more. The manual, issued by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, has generated controversy over various provisions, including the date when voters would be removed from county voting rosters, interpretation of voting laws, and voter registration procedures. Senate President Warren Petersen has threatened to sue if certain edits are not made to the manual. Public input is being considered as the manual undergoes revisions and must ultimately gain approval from the attorney general, governor, and secretary of state for use in upcoming elections. Read Article

Arkansas: Searcy County approves resolution to switch to paper ballots for elections | Neal Earley/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The Searcy County Quorum Court in Arkansas has approved a resolution in a 6-2 vote to move from using electronic voting machines to paper ballots. This decision, which comes amidst concerns about the security of voting machines, was made following a bipartisan committee’s recommendation. The shift to paper ballots is expected to be finalized through an ordinance at the next Quorum Court meeting in September. The decision aligns with a new state law, Act 350, where counties opting for paper ballots will be responsible for their costs. A nonprofit, the Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative, advocated for this change. However, Senator Kim Hammer criticized the move, highlighting the financial implications for the county. Read Article

Colorado counties awarded nearly $1M to boost election security | Hannah Metzger/Colorado Politics

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has awarded more than $945,000 in grants to 56 counties in the state to enhance the physical security of their election offices. The grants were established in response to alleged election security breaches in Mesa and Elbert counties. These grants, ranging from $2,669 to $36,500, were used to fulfill new security requirements, such as implementing key card access systems and 24/7 video surveillance for rooms housing election equipment. The grants were created through the Colorado Election Security Act, which aims to safeguard the state’s election systems from insider threats and unauthorized access to voting equipment. Read Article

Florida voters have to sign up again if they want to vote by mail in next election | Steve Lemongello/Orlando Sentinel

Florida’s new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis has wiped out nearly 3 million Floridians’ mail-in ballot requests made in 2022, requiring them to request mail-in ballots again for the next election, which has left county elections offices facing challenges in informing residents about this requirement. The opposition to mail-in voting in Florida has grown due to former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, leading to concerns among Democrats and election experts about potential further restrictions on mail-in voting in the state. Read Article

Georgia prosecutors have messages showing Trump’s team is behind voting system breach | Zachary Cohen and Sara Murray/CNN

Atlanta-area prosecutors investigating attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia have obtained text messages and emails connecting members of Donald Trump’s legal team to a voting system breach in Coffee County in early January 2021. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to seek charges against more than a dozen individuals, including those involved in the voting systems breach in Coffee County, as part of a larger criminal probe. The breach is believed to have been a top-down push by Trump’s team to access sensitive voting software, and the evidence gathered suggests a concerted effort by Trump allies to find evidence supporting baseless claims of widespread fraud. Read Article

Michigan voting machines exchanged at mall, ‘manipulated’ in hotels | Jonathan Oosting/Bridge Michigan

Pro-Trump attorneys and a Michigan lawmaker are alleged to have enlisted a private investigator to collect 2020 voting machines that were later “manipulated” during testing in Oakland County hotels, according to newly disclosed allegations by a special prosecutor. The group, including attorneys Matthew DePerno and Stefanie Lambert (Junttila) and then-state Rep. Daire Rendon, allegedly illegally obtained the election equipment and kept some of it for months. They reportedly worked with private investigator Michael Lynch, who hosted the group and filmed testing on the machines to attempt to prove they had been rigged against former President Donald Trump. The allegations include unauthorized collection of voting equipment from various counties, manipulating the equipment’s computer system, and extended possession of the equipment. Charges have been filed against DePerno, Lambert, and Rendon. Read Article

Missouri: Conspiracy theorists gather at summit to discuss rigged voting machines, 2020 election | Kelly Dereuck/Springfield News-Leader

The Election Crime Bureau Summit, organized by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, has kicked off with the goal of safeguarding future elections in the United States. Lindell and speakers at the summit, which features topics focusing on alleged corrupt voting machines, have proposed a shift back to paper ballots hand counted in front of the public to ensure election security. Despite facing challenges and legal charges, Lindell insists that the election loss in 2020 was part of a divine plan, with current losses and challenges being a part of God’s plan to save the country through their actions, as he emphasizes the importance of his election plan prior to the 2024 elections. Read Article

North Carolina Republicans’ bill limits mail voting, bans private election funding | Mariana Alfaro/The Washington Post

Republicans in North Carolina have passed legislation that tightens election administration by curbing absentee voting, enabling partisan poll watchers, and restricting private funding for elections, leading to concerns from voting rights advocates and Democrats that the law restricts access to the ballot. The law ends a three-day grace period for mailed absentee ballots, requires individuals participating in same-day registration to vote on a “retrievable” ballot, prohibits private funding for elections, and allows for more opportunities for individuals to challenge voter registrations. Governor Roy Cooper is expected to veto the legislation, but Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in both legislative chambers. Read Article

Texas judge blocks state-mandated changes to Harris County elections | Natalia Contreras/The Texas Tribune

The Texas attorney general’s office has appealed a judge’s decision to temporarily block a new law passed by Republicans that aimed to abolish the elections chief position in Harris County, Texas. A Travis County district judge ruled that the law is unconstitutional and would disrupt the fall’s elections. The law would have required the county to eliminate the elections administrator position and transfer election duties to the county clerk and the tax assessor-collector. The appeal was filed in the Texas Supreme Court, keeping the judge’s order from taking effect. The decision is part of a larger debate about state authority over elections in Texas. Read Article

Wisconsin elections chief Meagan Wolfe calls her position ‘untenable’ in commission’s dispute with senators | Molly Beck/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The reappointment of Meagan Wolfe, the administrator of Wisconsin’s elections agency, has become contentious as Republican lawmakers who control the state Senate indicated they are moving forward with her reappointment, potentially resulting in the removal of a key election official ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Wolfe has faced criticism from portions of the Republican base since 2020, and the commission remains split on how to respond to Senate Republicans’ efforts to force Wolfe to undergo nomination proceedings despite a lack of nomination from commissioners. This disagreement has led to uncertainty about her future in the role, with a hearing scheduled and debates about her appearance before the Senate committee. Read Article

National: Congress Has Little Time to Help Election Workers Before 2024 | Eric Cortellessa/Time

As Congress returns from its August recess, the upcoming budget negotiations have taken on heightened importance, with Democrats pushing to include funding for state and local election workers’ protection. This push comes as former President Donald Trump faces multiple criminal indictments and runs to reclaim the White House, raising concerns about election integrity. The two main objectives are to increase funding for election offices and pass an election security bill that strengthens penalties for harassing or intimidating election administrators. These efforts are driven by the surge in death threats, online intimidation, and abuse faced by election officials. While surveys show bipartisan public support for funding state and local elections, navigating the deeply divided Congress poses a challenge for passing such legislation. Read Article

Hacked UK voter data could be used to target disinformation, warn experts | Dan Milmo/The Guardian

The recent cyber attack on the UK Electoral Commission, which accessed names and addresses of voters registered between 2014 and 2022, has raised concerns that state-backed actors could use this data alongside artificial intelligence (AI) tools to target voters with AI-generated disinformation. Experts warn that the use of generative AI, which can produce convincing text and images, could enable more convincing and personalized disinformation campaigns. While some experts believe that large-scale attacks using AI are not yet likely, the potential for more sophisticated and targeted voter manipulation is a significant concern. Russia has been mentioned as a potential suspect in the cyber attack, given its history of electoral cyber espionage. Read Article

National: ‘Fake’ elector plot raised concerns over legal peril, indictment shows | Amy Gardner, Patrick Marley, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Josh Dawsey/The Washington Post

A federal indictment filed against Donald Trump accuses him of trying to overturn the 2020 election by involving a group of loyal Pennsylvania Republicans to cast state electoral votes for him even after Joe Biden had been declared the certified winner in Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that the campaign officials, led by Rudy Giuliani, told the electors they were meeting on a contingency basis only, but campaign officials circulated language to add to the Pennsylvania elector certificates to be submitted to Washington asserting that the votes were intended to count only if Trump prevailed in litigation in the state. The indictment also reveals the extent of discomfort and doubt among some of the Pennsylvania electors about the scheme’s legitimacy. Read Article

National: Previously Secret Memo Laid Out Strategy for Trump to Overturn Biden’s Win | Maggie Haberman, Charlie Savage and Luke Broadwater/The New York Times

A newly revealed internal campaign memo has shed light on a plot by a lawyer allied with former President Donald Trump to use false electors to subvert the 2020 election. The memo, authored by Kenneth Chesebro, outlines a strategy involving fraudulent electors that aimed to draw attention to voter fraud claims and buy the Trump campaign more time through legal battles. While the plan was not ultimately executed, the memo provided details about how the strategy originated and was discussed behind the scenes. The document reveals a calculated effort to create confusion and derail the proper certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Read Article

National: Giuliani claims ‘dog ate my homework’ in Smartmatic case, lawyers say | Martin Pengelly/The Guardian

The voting machine company Smartmatic, which is involved in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit, has accused Rudy Giuliani, the former personal attorney to Donald Trump, of using excuses to avoid the discovery process in the case. Giuliani, along with Fox News, is named in the lawsuit. Smartmatic’s lawyers likened Giuliani’s excuses to those of “the dog ate my homework” and claimed that he has not produced any non-public documents responsive to their discovery requests made 14 months ago. Giuliani is facing legal jeopardy due to his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and he is also being sued for defamation by other parties. Read Article

National: Federal Election Commission moves toward potentially regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads | Ali Swenson/Associated Press

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has taken a unanimous procedural vote to consider regulating AI-generated deepfakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, in response to a petition asking the FEC to regulate ads that use artificial intelligence to misrepresent political opponents. Experts believe that AI-powered generative tools are making it easier to create fake images, videos, and audio clips that manipulate public perception, and several 2024 presidential campaigns have already used them. The FEC’s vote advances the consideration of the issue, and a 60-day public comment period is expected to follow before a decision on developing rules is made. Read Article

Arizona: Secure ballots or boondoggle? Cochise county tailors project to politically connected firm | Jen Fifield/Votebeat Arizona

An Arizona county’s plan to spend up to $1 million in state funds to test anti-counterfeit features on ballots has raised suspicions that the project was designed to benefit a specific company, Texas-based Authentix, which has been promoting its products with the help of political allies in the state. The project involves adding unique features like watermarks to ballots to protect against fraudulent ballots and improve voter confidence. However, election technology experts argue that the project is tailored for Authentix’s products and could limit competition while testing unnecessary and expensive features. Critics view the venture as unnecessary and designed to solve a problem that doesn’t exist, particularly since courts have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Arizona’s elections. Cochise County supervisors are set to vote on the contract with Authentix, despite concerns about the project’s specificity and potential lack of competitiveness. Read Article

Arizona: Mohave County rejects proposal to hand-count ballots in 2024 elections | Josh Kelety/Associated Press

The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 against adopting a proposal to hand-count ballots in the 2024 election cycle. The local elections director warned that implementing a hand count would cost over $1.1 million and require hiring hundreds of new workers. The board chair cited the county’s projected budget deficit as the reason for rejecting the proposal. Mohave County is among several U.S. counties that have explored tabulating ballots by hand, but experts warn that hand counts are less reliable and more time-consuming than machine tabulation. Despite the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, the prospect of hand counting ballots remains popular among some elected officials, activists, and voters who distrust U.S. elections and spread conspiracies about election equipment. Read Article

Georgia Grand Jury Likely to Hear Trump Case Next Week | Danny Hakim and Richard Fausset/The New York Times

The district attorney in Atlanta is expected to take the findings from her two-and-a-half-year-long election interference investigation involving Donald J. Trump to a grand jury next week. This Georgia investigation is one of the most expansive legal challenges to the efforts made by Trump and his advisers to contest the 2020 election results. Nearly 20 people are known to have been warned about potential charges as a result of this investigation, which examines Trump’s actions and those of his aides and advisers in relation to his loss in the 2020 election. The investigation is expected to result in indictments from a grand jury in early August. Read Article