California: Shasta County elections panel asks county supervisors to defy state law | Damon Arthur/Redding Record Searchlight

The Shasta County Elections Commission voted to recommend the county Board of Supervisors pass a local ordinance mandating hand-counting of votes, despite California’s recent ban on the practice. The recommendation, supported by three commissioners, stemmed from concerns about the reliability and security of machine tallies. However, members of the public pointed out that the proposal contradicts state law, which prohibits hand-counting in elections with more than 1,000 voters. Despite previous plans to sue the state over the issue, Supervisor Patrick Jones suggested the county would proceed with hand counting, prompting criticism from opponents who view the move as unnecessary and costly. Read Article

Colorado Secretary of State launches election security grant program amid 2024 threats | Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold launched a grant program aimed at enhancing election security, enabling local clerks in the state’s 64 counties to apply for reimbursement for security expenses such as locks, surveillance cameras, and cybersecurity infrastructure. Accessibility upgrades like additional handicap parking or language assistance at voter service centers are also eligible for funding. The $3.5 million grant, sourced from federal funds provided under the Help America Vote Act, seeks to safeguard Colorado’s reputation as a leading state in elections administration amidst evolving threats. Griswold emphasized the importance of innovation and adaptation to counter dangers and threats facing elections, especially in the wake of the unprecedented efforts to undermine the 2020 election results. Read Article

Delaware lawmakers to take up voting rights again after court ruling | Xerxes Wilson/Delaware News Journal

Following a recent court decision striking down attempts to expand early voting and vote by mail in Delaware, officials are contemplating proposed constitutional amendments in response. The ruling invalidated new voting law changes allowing early in-person voting and permanent absentee registration, citing conflicts with the state constitution. Efforts to amend the constitution face challenges, including the need for bipartisan support and overcoming past opposition, highlighting the ongoing debate over voting reforms amidst legal and political hurdles. Read Article

How Michigan clerks implemented early in-person voting for state’s presidential primary | Tom Perkins/Votebeat

For this week’s primary, clerks in Michigan faced unprecedented challenges in implementing early in-person voting and other recent election law changes aimed at enhancing voter access. Canton Township Clerk Michael Siegrist described it as the toughest cycle ever. Despite hurdles such as voter education, logistical issues, and determining the most efficient early voting methods, Siegrist believes the benefits are significant, providing Michigan voters with ample access while ensuring election security. The presidential primary saw more than 50,000 people statewide taking advantage of early voting. Clerks across municipalities have adopted various approaches, with more populous areas often opting for independent early voting setups, while many rural municipalitiess coordinated with neighboring communities or embraced countywide arrangements. Read Article

Minnesota: In Rice County, which backed Trump, officials have spent years battling groups over voting machines | Briana Bierschbach/Star Tribune

In Rice County, Minnesota, tensions run high as local officials grapple with distrust surrounding election procedures, intensified by conservative groups’ efforts to challenge the use of electronic voting machines. Recent public voting equipment tests have drawn large crowds, with attendees voicing concerns and pressing for answers on issues like ballot record printing and modem usage. A lawsuit filed against Denise Anderson, head of the county’s Property Tax and Elections Office, has further escalated tensions, highlighting broader anxieties over election integrity. Despite assertions of thorough testing and certification from the Office of the Secretary of State, the controversy persists, raising concerns about the retention of election staff and the future of electoral processes in the county. Read Article

Nevada county election official in charge of controversial 2022 hand-count plan resigns | Gabe Stern/Associated Press

Mark Kampf, the Nye County Clerk in Nevada, known for presiding over a hand-count in the 2022 midterms amid false claims of election fraud, is resigning effective March 31, according to a letter received by the county. The reasons for his resignation remain unclear, with Kampf declining to comment. He assumed the position after the county commission unanimously voted to switch to hand-counting amidst conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, leading to the resignation of the previous clerk. However, Kampf’s approach to hand-counting differed from the original plan, with machines remaining the primary counting method. Read Article

New Hampshire: Two Weeks Before Election, Windham Town Clerk, Deputy Announce Resignations | Evan Lips/NH Journal

Windham Town Clerk Nicole Merrill, whose handling of the 2020 general election drew national scrutiny, has withdrawn from her reelection bid just two weeks before Election Day, citing health effects from a January accident as a primary reason. Deputy Town Clerk Hannah Davis also announced her resignation on the same day, citing intense pressure and lack of support from leadership. The aftermath of the 2020 election in Windham involved a recount that resulted in significant discrepancies, fueling conspiracy theories and becoming central to the “Stop the Steal” movement. A forensic audit later attributed the issue to machine-folded absentee ballots misinterpreted by scanners. Following a state investigation, the appointment of a monitor was announced for the 2022 primaries due to town officials’ shortcuts, including the use of an uncalibrated folding machine and inadequate test ballots. Read Article

Pennsylvania’s voting machines: Everything you need to know, how the state keeps them safe, and more | Carter Walker/Spotlight PA

In Pennsylvania, amidst an anticipated contentious presidential election, there’s been a history of politicians spreading false information regarding voting machines’ security and accuracy, despite stringent testing protocols in place. Despite these challenges, efforts to enhance transparency and reporting on machine issues aim to bolster public trust in the electoral process. Read Article

Pennsylvania governor unveils election security task force to mitigate threats to the 2024 vote | Adam Edelman/NBC

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is set to establish an Election Threats Task Force, led by Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, aimed at securing the 2024 vote from interference and misinformation. Comprising officials from multiple agencies, the task force’s primary goal is to coordinate plans and share intelligence to safeguard election integrity. This initiative follows previous challenges in Pennsylvania’s electoral process, including threats to election workers and the spread of misinformation during the 2020 race. Despite bipartisan efforts to enhance election security, legislative action to address issues like delayed ballot counting remains stalled in the divided Legislature. Read Article

Pennsylvania seeks legal costs from county that let outsiders access voting machines to help Trump | Mark Scolforo/Associated Press

In a protracted legal battle over voting machine examination in rural Pennsylvania, Secretary of State Al Schmidt is seeking reimbursement of $711,000 from Republican-controlled Fulton County officials, alleging obstruction and delays that incurred substantial legal fees. The state Supreme Court recently cautioned the officials against unilaterally providing voting equipment evidence to outside parties, prompting pushback from the county’s lawyer, who argued against court intervention in litigation involving Dominion Voting Systems Inc. Read Article

Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era ends as new maps come into force | Sam Levine and Andrew Witherspoon/The Guardian

For over a decade, Wisconsin’s state legislature elections have been effectively predetermined by heavily gerrymandered district lines favoring Republicans, regardless of voters’ preferences. However, following a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling striking down the state’s legislative maps due to constitutional violations, new maps were passed by the Republican-led legislature last week, drawn by Governor Tony Evers. The new plan significantly shifts the political landscape, potentially allowing Democrats to vie for control of the state assembly in November and potentially the state senate in 2026. While the new map undoes some of the severe gerrymandering of the past decade, it still exhibits bias favoring Republicans, albeit to a lesser extent. Read Article

National: Election security threats in the US are growing. Federal funding to address them isn’t | Christina A. Cassidy/Associated Press

State election officials are voicing frustration over the lack of federal funding to support election security measures, equipment updates, and staff training ahead of the 2024 elections. With mounting challenges such as cyberattacks, misinformation, and threats to election officials, the absence of federal investment raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. While past funding efforts have been beneficial, the exhaustion of previous allocations leaves officials scrambling to address evolving threats without adequate resources. Despite bipartisan calls for additional funding, partisan disputes in Congress have stalled progress, leaving election officials to make tough decisions and scale back security efforts. Read Article

National: America’s election chiefs are desperate to stick together in 2024 | Zach Montellaro/Politico

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) is striving for unity and bipartisanship as they navigate the complexities surrounding the 2024 elections. Despite external challenges like misinformation and threats, the organization aims to maintain a calm and collaborative atmosphere, emphasizing areas of agreement rather than unnecessary disputes. Leaders Scott Schwab and Steve Simon are working to keep NASS cohesive, recognizing the importance of presenting a united front to bolster public confidence in the electoral process. While concerns about disinformation, declining confidence, and physical security persist, efforts are underway to address these challenges and ensure a smooth electoral process. Read Article

National: Election officials contend with AI, bomb threats, and suspicious mail | Carrie Levine/Votebeat

Election officials, often overlooked in emergency preparedness discussions, are emerging as crucial figures in crisis management due to their comprehensive contingency planning. Facing a spectrum of threats from natural disasters to man-made emergencies like bomb threats or drug exposure, they are implementing innovative measures such as distributing emergency kits containing medical supplies and conducting tabletop exercises to simulate responses to various scenarios. While past experiences inform their preparedness efforts, they recognize the evolving nature of threats, exemplified by the shift from cybersecurity concerns to artificial intelligence risks, Read Article

National: AI deepfakes come of age as billions prepare to vote in a bumper year of elections | Jonathan Yerushalmy/The Guardian

AI-generated deepfake calls, including a fake one purportedly from Joe Biden urging voters to delay their vote, have sparked concerns about the potential for AI to disrupt elections. Governments, tech companies, and civil society groups are grappling with how to regulate AI-created content, especially as trust in politicians and institutions is already low.  While measures like the U.S. executive order requiring AI developers to share safety test results are in place, some argue that more proactive regulation is needed, particularly given the vulnerability of digital media to exploitation.  Read Article

National: Election Deniers Seek to Rewrite the Law | Nick Corasaniti/The New York Times

Despite the debunking of conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election, falsehoods persist and influence legislation across the United States. In Georgia, a bill mandates the online posting of high-resolution digital images of scanned paper ballots for 24 months, catering to conspiracy theorists’ demands. Over 70 bills in 25 states draw from election disinformation, addressing issues like ballot security, voting by undocumented citizens, and fraudulent absentee ballots. Despite lack of evidence, bills targeting voting machines and requiring proof of citizenship for voting are gaining traction, reflecting a broader acceptance of baseless claims among Republicans. Read Article

National: Mike Lindell must pay man $5M in ‘Prove Mike Wrong’ challenge, judge says | Praveena Somasundaram/The Washington Post

Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, offered a $5 million reward to disprove his claim of voter fraud in the 2020 election. A federal judge has ruled that Lindell must pay the award to Robert Zeidman, a computer forensics expert who demonstrated that the data Lindell provided was unrelated to the election. Zeidman, who participated in Lindell’s challenge out of curiosity, found that the data did not prove election interference and subsequently filed for arbitration when Lindell’s company refused to pay the reward. Despite Lindell’s potential appeal, Zeidman hopes the ruling will clarify that the data was not evidence of election fraud. Read Article

Verified Voting: Know Your Source: 2024 Election Information in the Generative AI Era

Primaries, caucuses, conventions, and oh so many campaign ads—the big election year is finally here. This year, though, voters are encountering something that sets this election cycle apart from years past: the rise of generative artificial intelligence. The field of AI broadly as an academic discipline is decades old, and today many people interact with forms of AI on a daily basis. Non-generative AI is already used in limited ways with heavy human oversight for election administration, such as helping officials answer voter questions, and it’s possible that AI—if deployed responsibly—could continue to help resource-strapped election offices in the future. However, the release of online tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E, which fall into a narrower category known as generative AI, is sparking debate among developers and lawmakers about how to regulate a rapidly evolving branch of AI technology. Read Article

Arizona: Legal battle looms as Democrats seek to intervene in lawsuits challenging Arizona’s election guidelines | Mary Jo Pitzl/Arizona Republic

Democratic groups at both state and national levels are fighting back against Republican-led challenges to Arizona’s Election Procedures Manual, labeling these attempts as election interference. The lawsuits aim to either void the entire manual or challenge specific provisions, including those regarding ballot drop boxes. Democrats argue that these legal actions could significantly impact election administration and potentially lead to voter intimidation and harassment. With the presidential preference election looming in March, they stress the urgency of intervening to safeguard election integrity and protect voters’ rights. Read Article

Georgia election officials withheld evidence in voting machine breach, group alleges | Derek B. Johnson/CyberScoop

A Georgia-based nonprofit is seeking sanctions against Coffee County election officials for allegedly withholding crucial evidence related to a breach of voting software. The group claims that officials concealed emails, communications with “Stop the Steal” legal efforts, and security camera footage of forensic experts visiting the office where the software was copied. This breach, part of a broader effort by Trump campaign affiliates to challenge the 2020 election results, is considered serious by cybersecurity experts, raising concerns about future election security. The nonprofit, seeking sanctions and reimbursement of legal costs, argues that the officials’ actions hindered their investigation and impacted depositions. Read Article

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