Michigan: US Supreme Court allows sanctions against Trump-allied lawyers over 2020 election lawsuit | Lawrence Hurley/NBC

The Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from Trump-aligned lawyers who faced legal sanctions for baseless claims of election fraud in Michigan, upholding a previous ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Among the lawyers sanctioned were Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, who had filed a lawsuit alleging election irregularities including an international conspiracy to sway votes to Biden. The sanctions included payment of legal fees, additional legal training, and referral to state bar associations for potential disciplinary action. Powell has pleaded guilty in a separate Georgia investigation into election interference, while Wood has retired amidst ongoing probes into his conduct related to the 2020 election. Read Article

Nevada Secretary of State says coding issues to blame for errors in online voter history records | Tabitha Mueller/The Nevada Independent

The Nevada Secretary of State’s office addressed coding errors in files used for nightly updates on voter registration history, clarifying that the mistakes did not affect the presidential primary election results. The errors stemmed from missed steps in uploading voter registration data, particularly related to voters who did not return mail ballots, but did not impact vote tabulation. Read Article

Pennsylvania election officials are bracing for another round of lawsuits, recount requests, and claims of fraud in 2024 | Gillian McGoldrick/Philadelphia Inquirer

Pennsylvania is gearing up for the anticipated turbulence of the upcoming presidential election, poised to play a pivotal role as a battleground state. With heightened scrutiny and potential legal battles looming, Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of State Al Schmidt are leading efforts to ensure a smooth electoral process. A bipartisan election task force, spearheaded by Schmidt, aims to address any threats to voter access or election integrity. While certain legal issues surrounding mail voting laws remain unresolved, officials are striving to provide clear guidance to voters and counties to mitigate confusion. Read Article

Pennsylvania: Turnover among election officials has cost nearly 300 years of experience | Carter Walker/Votebeat

Pennsylvania is facing a significant shortage of experienced election directors ahead of the presidential election, with 58 officials who served during the November 2019 election having left their positions. This departure represents a loss of 293 years of combined experience among the state’s top county election officials. The turnover has prompted concerns about potential mistakes, disenfranchisement of voters, and disputes over election results. Read Article

Texas: “A hornet’s nest”: How the Gillespie County elections chief is doing his job amid ongoing conspiracy theories | Natalia Contreras/The Texas Tribune

Jim Riley, the elections administrator for Gillespie County, Texas, faced disappointment as a forum he organized to reassure the public about the integrity of local elections drew fewer attendees than expected, with some leaving prematurely. Riley, 76, has encountered resistance from local right-wing activists who want significant changes to the election process. Despite pressure to conform to their demands, Riley remains steadfast, asserting that hand-counting ballots won’t improve election integrity in Gillespie. His commitment is tested as he navigates the challenges of rebuilding trust and managing the demands of the job, while also contending with misinformation and a lack of support from some local officials. Read Article

Washington lawmakers advance bill making it a felony to threaten election workers | Hallie Golden/Associated Press

The Washington state Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill making harassing election workers a felony, prompted by recent incidents, including envelopes containing suspicious powder, some testing positive for fentanyl, which forced the evacuation of four county election offices. The legislation aims to protect election workers amid rising threats, attributed to false claims about the 2020 election. The bill increases penalties for harassment and provides targeted workers with address confidentiality. Read Article

West Virginia election chief Mac Warner backs conspiracy theories | Kevin Collier/NBC

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, running for the Republican nomination for governor, has drawn attention for espousing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, including claims that the CIA and FBI lied to the American people, allegations debunked by both agencies. Despite previously working to combat election disinformation, Warner now embraces baseless theories that undermine confidence in the electoral process, a shift some colleagues see as politically motivated. While Warner insists on principle over politics, his assertions have strained relationships within the National Association of Secretaries of State, with fellow officials expressing disappointment and concern over his actions. Read Article

Wisconsin: ‘Monday processing’ bill appears unlikely to become law | Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner

Wisconsin Assembly leaders are urging the Senate to pass a bill allowing for “Monday processing” of absentee ballots, arguing that it would enhance transparency and public confidence in the electoral system. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos criticized Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu for suggesting the bill’s unlikelihood of passage, emphasizing concerns over late-night ballot processing. Despite bipartisan support in the Assembly, the bill faces opposition in the Senate committee, with opponents citing unfounded election conspiracy theories. Read Article

National: Threats To U.S. Elections Are Creating A New Kind Of National Security Challenge | Loren Thompson/Forbes

The Cold War era primarily focused on military challenges for national security, but today, threats extend to non-military domains like pandemics and climate change. Yet, the gravest emergent peril to American democracy lies in foreign and domestic attempts to undermine the election process. Efforts to compromise elections, whether through direct interference or disinformation campaigns, imperil the foundation of democracy. Recent elections have seen a surge in such activities, from Russian interference in 2016 to domestic challenges in 2020, eroding public trust in the electoral system. Foreign actors continue to attempt to influence U.S. elections through various means, necessitating improved cybersecurity and resource allocation to bolster the electoral infrastructure at federal, state, and local levels, Read Article

Arizona: 10 tons of ballot security paper may be for sale after failed Cochise County trial | Jen Fifield/Votebeat

A warehouse in Phoenix houses stacks of paper rolls weighing 10 tons each, initially intended for a Republican-led state grant project to test security features like watermarks on ballots. However, Cochise County’s failure to meet grant deadlines led to the project’s cancellation, leaving the county with surplus uncut paper and a watermarking machine. The dilemma of ownership and disposal arises, with potential solutions including a public auction to recoup state expenses, but concerns linger about the security risks posed by selling the paper, highlighting broader challenges in election security efforts amidst ongoing political controversies. Read Article

National: Federal law enforcement and cybersecurity officials deliver stark warnings to state election officials ahead of November | Matt Vasilogambros/Stateline

Federal law enforcement and cybersecurity authorities are cautioning state election administrators about imminent threats as the November presidential election approaches. Both familiar and new cyberattacks pose risks to voter databases through phishing or ransomware, while disinformation campaigns, propelled by advancements in artificial intelligence, aim to undermine confidence in election integrity. The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency stress the heightened threat environment, urging preparedness and vigilance among state officials. Recent incidents, including bomb threats and cyberattacks, underscore the urgency of safeguarding election systems and personnel. Read Article

National: Election Denial Can’t Overcome Election Certification Protections | Lauren Miller/Brennan Center for Justice

The term “election certification” has gained unprecedented prominence following the tumultuous 2020 election and subsequent false claims of voter fraud, culminating in the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Despite post-January 6 reforms aimed at safeguarding the Electoral College vote-counting process, attacks on certification have persisted at the local and state levels, exemplified by Cochise County, Arizona’s board of supervisors’ refusal to certify election results. Such refusals, rooted in election denialism, jeopardize the voting rights of constituents and undermine trust in the electoral process. Drawing parallels to historical instances of certification crises, a recent study illuminates the necessity of robust certification frameworks and offers insights to mitigate future attacks, emphasizing the imperative of upholding election integrity in the face of mounting challenges. Read Article

National: Election officials go on offense to prevent disruptions of 2024 vote | Yvonne Wingett Sanchez/The Washington Post

Election officials nationwide, including Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, are preparing for potential disruptions and threats during the upcoming presidential election, implementing measures such as active-shooter drills, distributing safety kits to election offices, and increasing coordination with law enforcement. With concerns about misinformation and threats to election integrity persisting, officials are taking proactive steps to educate voters, debunk false information, and protect election workers. These efforts reflect a broader trend of heightened preparedness in response to challenges posed by conspiracy theories, political unrest, and attempts to undermine trust in the electoral process, particularly in battleground states like Arizona that faced intense scrutiny and threats during the previous election cycle. Read Article

National: Gaps in AI robocall ban boost pressure on Congress, election officials | Julia Shapero/The Hill

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recent ban on AI-generated voices in robocalls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act marks a crucial but limited step in addressing deceptive AI-generated content, leaving concerns about unregulated AI use in political campaigns. While the ban aims to protect consumers from scams and frauds, it overlooks AI-generated images and videos increasingly utilized in campaigns, prompting calls for the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to fill regulatory gaps. Although the FEC is considering clarifying its rules against fraudulent misrepresentation in campaigns, progress has been slow, prompting advocacy for congressional action and clearer language to prohibit deceptive AI use. Read Article

National: Researchers Set Out to Tackle Voting Challenges of Military Members | Joseph Clark/DOD News 

The prototype of a deployable voting machine developed by VotingWorks as part of a research project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency was unveiled last week during the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors conference in Washington, D.C. The prototype combines internet voting with a physical ballot for auditing purposes. Unlike other internet voting projects, the physical ballot is printed by the voter and is in their hands before transmission, enhancing security. The system uses the military’s Common Access Card aids in remote authentication. While the motivation for the project is laudable, concerns arise regarding the control over the physical ballot’s return and potential discrepancies between digital and physical ballots. A legal mechanism to resolve such discrepancies would need to be established in each state to conform to state election code. There are also numerous logistical challenges in maintaining self-serve kiosks, ranging from security issues to IT troubleshooting.  Read Article

National: County election officials call for more funding, better security ahead of 2024 elections | Justin Papp/Roll Call

At the National Association of Counties (NACo) conference, local officials from across the country convened to address the mounting crisis faced by election workers due to threats and harassment, underscoring the potential threat to the integrity of forthcoming elections. Among the speakers was Bill Gates, a member of Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors, who shared his firsthand encounters with threats in Arizona, emphasizing the imperative of prioritizing the physical security of election workers. President Joe Biden echoed these concerns, expressing gratitude for the courage of election workers and calling for a shift in the prevailing attitudes towards election participation. Read Article

Arizona: Tucson lawmaker’s proposal to give Trump state’s electoral votes before the election blows up | Howard Fischer/Tucson Daily Star

A proposal by Arizona Republican Rep. Rachel Jones to allocate the state’s 11 electoral votes to Donald Trump prior to the November election faced backlash from some GOP colleagues and failed to advance in the House Committee on Municipal Oversight and Elections. House Concurrent Resolution 2055 resolves “to change the manner of the presidential election by appointing the eleven presidential electors to the Republican primary winner to offset the removal of a Republican candidate from the ballot in Colorado and Maine.” Jones’ scheme was apparently too much even for Republican Reps. Alexander Kolodin of Scottsdale and Justin Heap of Mesa, who like her are members of the hard-right Arizona Freedom Caucus. “Are you asking us just to give Donald Trump the electors without having a vote?” Heap asked. Yes, replied Josh Barnett, a state Senate candidate who is pushing the bill. “It’s the only way to protect the vote for ’24.” Read Article

‘California: An extreme agenda’: could a recall end far-right control of Shasta County? | Dani Anguiano/The Guardian

In 2022, 5,000 voters, angry about Covid-era health restrictions, ousted a moderate Republican official in Shasta county, California. The vote helped put the rural region, in the state’s north, on the map for extremist far-right politics In the two years since, the ultra-conservative majority that controls the county’s governing board has attempted to upend the voting system and spread conspiracy theories that elections were being rigged. They moved to allow people to carry firearms in public buildings in violation of state law and offered the county’s top job to the leader of a California secessionist group. Nowresidents frustrated by the county’s recent governance hope another recall will force a change. They’re aiming to oust Kevin Crye, a far-right county supervisor who has been in office for just a year. Read Article

Georgia House votes to conduct more audits of computer vote counts | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With an overwhelming majority, the Georgia House has passed a bill mandating human verification of two statewide races during each election cycle. Sponsored by state Rep. John LaHood, the bill seeks to enhance transparency, accuracy, and accountability in elections, moving away from relying solely on computer counts. After the contentious 2020 presidential election, which saw a manual audit confirming the computer count, the proposed legislation calls for audits of the top race on the ballot and another statewide race chosen by key state officials. Read Article