The Voting News Weekly: The Voting News Weekly October 28 – November 3 2013

Voting advocates say voter ID laws may create problems for women who have changed their names after marriage or divorce. Norm Ornstein notes that “the reasoning employed by Chief Justice John Roberts in Shelby County—that Section 5 of the act was such a spectacular success that it is no longer necessary—was the equivalent of taking down speed cameras and traffic lights and removing speed limits from a dangerous intersection because they had combined to reduce accidents and traffic deaths.” Arizona and Kansas have sued to force the Election Assistance Commission to modify the Federal voter registration form to require proof of citizenship. Multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging North Carolina’s Voter Information Verification Act. A bill designed to make ballot access more difficult for third parties has passed the Ohio Senate. Pennsylvania has spent over $1 million on Voter ID advertisements even though no voter Id is required in the State. Ironically, a safety valve amendment introduced by Texas State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis has allowed both her and her presumed opponent Attorney General Greg Abbott to vote in spite of inconsistencies in their identification documents. Voters in Western Australia may be headed for a re-vote after nearly 1400 ballots have gone missing and protests and logistical challenges increased tension ahead of elections in Nepal.