A group of 16 Republican attorneys general told Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> on Wednesday that he was sowing “distrust” in the American electoral system with his comments criticizing state election integrity laws.
Led by Indiana AG Todd Rokita and West Virginia AG Patrick Morrisey, the Republican officials sent a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/INAG/2024/04/10/file_attachments/2843216/FINAL%20Garland%20Election%20Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Garland over <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-deliver-remarks-bloody-sunday-tabernacle-baptist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comments</a> he made in Alabama discussing the Justice Department&#8217;s efforts to challenge Red state laws related to voter identification requirements and safeguards on vote-by-mail initiatives.
“The Biden administration is weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice against the states,” Rokita said in a statement. “These actions pose a direct threat to democracy, election integrity and the rule of law. We will stand up and defend our rightful authority within the framework of American federalism.”
The letter was referring to a speech Garland gave at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma on March 3. At the church, Garland said the DOJ was “challenging efforts by states and jurisdictions to implement discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary restrictions on access to the ballot, including those related to mail-in-voting, the use of drop boxes, and voter ID requirements.”
According to the Republicans, these comments threatened the principles of federalism and the separation of powers, as well as the rule of law. Joining Indiana and West Virginia were the attorneys general of Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.
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“By using the DOJ against the states, you continue to sow the seeds of distrust among the American electorate,” the officials said. “The DOJ has no authority to dictate to the states in matters that concern their sovereign right to ensure safe, secure, and free elections. Although we do not know exactly the strategy the DOJ intends to take with its numerous election attorneys, we intend to vigorously defend our election laws. We will not allow intimidation and fear mongering to supersede the will of the people.”
The Republicans argued that the DOJ’s criticism of voter ID laws didn’t make sense because people were required to provide IDs for voting, driving a car, purchasing alcohol, or boarding an airplane. The letter also pointed to a bipartisan report that came out in 2005 that found that absentee voting could open up the door for fraud, saying that Garland’s criticism of state laws tightening up scrutiny of mail-in-voting was unfounded. 
As the DOJ plans to challenge state election laws ahead of the 2024 election, the RNC has filed several suits to make Democratic secretaries of state in Michigan and Nevada clean up their voter rolls and enforce voter ID laws.

Attorney General Merrick Garland Makes Antitrust Announcement At Dept. Of Justice

Republican Attorneys General Warn Biden Admin About Challenging Election Integrity Laws

Biden Administration

Department of Justice

Election Laws

Elections

Indiana

Merrick Garland

U.S.

West Virginia

Voters in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> approved two election-related amendments to the State Constitution on Tuesday, including one that bans the use of private money for election administration. 
The Republican-backed amendments came after Facebook founder <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-zuckerberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Zuckerberg</a> spent millions backing groups that funded election administration in counties across the country, including in Wisconsin, during the 2020 election. Critics argued that the massive amount of election funding distributed to non-profit groups, known as “Zuckerbucks,” unfairly benefited Democrat-dominated counties.
The initiative to ban private funding, Question 1, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/02/us/elections/results-wisconsin-question-1-prohibit-private-funding-of-elections.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> with 54% of the vote in favor and nearly 46% against. A section will now be added to the State Constitution that says &#8220;private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum,” The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4572010-wisconsin-pass-measure-private-funds-elections/">reported</a>. 
The second initiative, Question 2, defined who can administer various aspects of elections. It <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/02/us/elections/results-wisconsin-question-2-limit-election-conduct-to-election-officials.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> with nearly 59% supporting and 41% opposed. It stipulated that “only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums.”
Opposition to the two amendments was greatest in the Democratic-heavy counties surrounding Madison and Milwaukee. The amendments were approved as Wisconsin is again expected to be a battleground state for a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November. 
“Victory! Wisconsin has spoken and the message is clear: elections belong to voters, not out-of-state billionaires,” Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming <a href="https://wisgop.org/wisgop-statement-on-questions-1-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “Thanks to the efforts by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and grassroots organizing, Wisconsinites have turned the page on Zuckerbucks and secured our elections from dark money donors.”
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<a href="https://thefga.org/research/the-wisconsin-zuckerbucks-problem/">According</a> to the Foundation for Government Accountability, more than $10 million in “Zuckerbucks” was spent in Wisconsin during the 2020 election. The FGA estimated that more than 80% of the funding went to areas Biden won by an average of 37 points. 
Jason Snead, the executive director of the Honest Elections Project, a group that has urged states to ban the use of outside funding for elections, praised the move in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire. 
“Honest Elections Project Action congratulates Wisconsinites for voting to enshrine a ban on private influence on election administration in their state constitution,” Snead said. “Private influence schemes such as ZuckBucks in 2020 and ZuckBucks 2.0 in 2024 sow distrust in election outcomes, which is why they should be banned in all 50 states. Moneyed interests, conservative and liberal alike, have no business influencing how elections are administered.”

A Voters Fills Out Their Ballot At A Polling Station In Green Bay Wisconsin

Wisconsin Voters Approve GOP-Backed Amendment To Ban Private Funding For Elections

2020 Election

2024 Election

Joe Biden

Mark Zuckerberg

Milwaukee

Politics

Wisconsin

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-national-committee-rnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican National Committee</a> filed another election-related lawsuit against Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over her enforcement of signature verification law.
The <a href="https://prod-static.gop.com/media/documents/Summonses_Verified_Complaint_and_Exhibits_1711648258.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a>, filed on Thursday, says that Benson directed local election officials before the February 2024 presidential primary election to presume that an absentee voter’s signature was legitimate. The RNC <a href="https://gop.com/press-release/rnc-sues-michigan-secretary-of-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> this directive as “secret instructions” that were given “outside the public eye.”
“Michigan’s State Constitution is very clear: election officials have to verify the identity of voters casting absentee ballots,” RNC Chair Michael Whatley said in a statement. “Jocelyn Benson is yet again working to undermine election integrity by secretly instructing officials to disregard and circumvent these clear requirements. The RNC is suing Benson because Michiganders deserve election integrity, not underhanded Democrat schemes.”
The lawsuit said that the presumption of validity undercut state law requiring verification of absentee ballot signatures.
“While the Michigan Constitution expressly mandates that election officials ‘verify the identity’ of any voter who applies for an absent voter ballot or who votes an absent voter ballot other than in person by completing the signature comparison scheme outlined above, see Const 1963, art 2, § 4(1)(h), the Secretary has instructed local election officials to apply a ‘presumption of validity’ to those signatures,” the lawsuit says.
The suit was filed in Michigan state court by the RNC, the Michigan Republican Party, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and several Michigan voters. The plaintiffs want Benson’s actions to be declared unlawful and they want a judge to make her retract her Signature Verification Instructions.
Similar instructions from Benson before the November 2020 election <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/15/judge-rules-secretary-state-bensons-ballot-signature-verification-guidance-invalid/4699927001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were ruled</a> &#8220;invalid&#8221; in March 2021 with a state judge saying that Benson had acted outside of the law. Michigan is again expected to be a hotly contested state with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump gearing up for a rematch.
Earlier this month, the RNC filed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rnc-sues-michigan-secretary-of-state-over-inflated-voter-rolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another lawsuit</a> against Benson, accusing her office of maintaining inaccurate voter rolls.
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According to the <a href="https://prod-static.gop.com/media/documents/1_Complaint_1710344302.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a>, at least 53 counties in Michigan have more active registered voters than adult citizens over the age of 18. According to the RNC, the number of counties with registration rates above 100% ballooned after 2020, when only one county had that rate.
The suit also said that 23 counties have voter-registration rates of over 90% of eligible adults registered, which is far above the average national and statewide rate.
Under Whatley’s leadership, the RNC hired two new election-focused lawyers, Charlie Spies, who will serve as the RNC’s chief counsel, and Christina Bobb, a Trump campaign lawyer who has challenged the outcome of the 2020 election.

Last Day Of Early Voting In Michigan Presidential Primary

RNC Files Another Election-Related Lawsuit Against Democrat Michigan Secretary of State

Mail-In Voting

Michigan

Republican National Committee (RNC)

Voting

A conservative watchdog group unveiled a <a href="https://www.honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/HEP_2024-Election-Reform-Report_v4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> listing 14 recommendations for securing voting ahead of a critical 2024 election cycle, including cracking down on foreign funding of elections.
Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead told The Daily Wire that several red states had made strides since 2020 in improving election integrity, but there were still problems to address, including how foreign nationals can pour money into state-wide ballot races.
“If you are a voter in a red state, the odds are your laws are significantly better than they were in 2020,” Snead said. “There’s a lot of momentum on the Right for improving elections, for taking the slack out of voting laws.”
One of the key recommendations highlighted in the report is that foreign money can go toward state ballot measures that have far-reaching policy ramifications.
“Federal and state laws bar candidates and campaigns from receiving foreign donations, but these laws generally do not apply to ballot measures. Left-wing groups like the 1630 Fund routinely pour tens of millions into ballot measure campaigns while simultaneously accepting substantial donations from foreign nationals such as Hansjörg Wyss,” the report said.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-wyss-loophole-campaign-grows-to-halt-foreign-billionaires-spending-on-u-s-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a>, Wyss nonprofits, including the Wyss Foundation and the Berger Fund, have spent $475 million influencing U.S. politics.
&#8220;The Left has railed against foreign influence and yet at the same time they got themselves addicted to foreign money, and now they are using it to rewrite election laws in very fundamental and highly partisan ways,” Snead told The Daily Wire.
Snead praised an <a href="https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2024/01/23/bill-would-ban-foreign-contributions-to-ohio-ballot-issue-campaigns/stories/20240123138" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effort</a> by Republicans in Ohio to ban foreign money from being used in state ballot initiatives. The lawmakers pointed to dark money funding for an initiative to put abortion into the state constitution, some of which may have come from Wyss.
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Snead also warned about the push for ranked-choice voting to replace partisan primary elections and for it to be used in general elections. The report said that ranked-choice voting “makes it harder to vote, harder to understand the results of elections, and harder to trust the voting process.”
“There is a concerted national campaign being pushed right by some liberal megadonors to essentially reinvent the electoral system,” Snead said, adding that ranked-choice voting was “designed to harm conservatives” and push “politics to the Left.”
Several conservative states, like Missouri, Idaho, and Montana are all set to vote on or consider votes on adopting a ranked-choice voting system in November.

Voters cast their ballots on Election Da

Watchdog Group Warns Of Foreign Money Being Used To Influence Elections Ahead Of 2024 Cycle

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> Republicans voted on Tuesday to override Democrat Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/roy-cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roy Cooper</a>’s vetoes of two election bills that Republicans say will increase election integrity and Cooper claims are a “threat” to democracy.
The <a href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-legislature-adds-to-growing-list-of-overridden-cooper-vetoes-elections-energy-and-regulatory-reform/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measures</a> in question, Senate Bills 747 and 749, ban <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/north-carolina-republicans-override-governors-vetoes-sweeping-election-rcna119766" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drop boxes</a> for ballots, end the acceptance of absentee ballots after election day, limit the use of private money for elections, and shift authority away from the governor over the state’s board of elections.
“North Carolina voters deserve to know their elections are safe and secure. Thankfully they can have that confidence now that we have overridden the Governor’s veto of this commonsense elections bill,” North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore <a href="http://speakermoore.com/north-carolina-house-overrides-governor-coopers-veto-sb-747-elections-law-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after the vote to bypass Cooper’s veto of SB 747.
The House <a href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-legislature-adds-to-growing-list-of-overridden-cooper-vetoes-elections-energy-and-regulatory-reform/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 72-44 to override the veto and the Senate voted 30-19 to override the veto.
According to a press release from Moore, the bill will “Strengthens the rights of poll observers,” “Improves voter registration rolls by establishing a process for periodic removal of ineligible voters, including the deceased, convicted felons, and those who have moved,” and “closes same-day registration loophole.”
It also will ban election officials from using private money to administer elections. The use of private money to fund elections became <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-bans-counties-from-using-private-money-for-elections-after-2020-zuckerbucks-controversy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely debated</a> after the 2020 election when groups-backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg poured millions of dollars into state elections. Some argued that the money was not distributed fairly, but mainly benefited areas that leaned Democrat.
After the original passage of SB 747, Cooper claimed that Republicans were being racist. “If you are black or brown, Republicans really don’t want you to vote,” Cooper said.
“This legislation has nothing to do with election security and everything to do with Republicans keeping and gaining power,” Cooper <a href="https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillDocument/2023/7138/0/S747-BILL-NBC-11326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his veto message. “It encourages voter intimidation at the polls by election deniers and conspiracy believers.”
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The other bill Republicans voted to enact, SB 749, will allow the North Carolina legislature the authority to appoint the State Election Board instead of the governor. Majority and minority leaders in the legislature would each select four members to serve on the elections board.
“The legislative takeover of state and local elections boards could doom our state’s elections to gridlock and severely limit early voting,” <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2023/09/28/governor-cooper-signs-three-bills-vetoes-one-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper said</a> in his veto message. “It also creates a grave risk that Republican legislators or courts would be empowered to change the results of an election if they don’t like the winner. That’s a serious threat to our democracy.”
The House voted 72-44 to override and the Senate voted 30-19 for the override. Republicans said that the measure will help the public trust elections in North Carolina.
“Single-party control has led to distrust and skepticism among voters. Voters should be asking themselves why Gov. Cooper is so desperate to maintain his partisan grip on the State Board of Elections,&#8221; Republican State Sen. Warren Daniel said, <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article280300589.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Charlotte News &amp; Observer.
Democrats have already moved to challenge the laws in court.

Electric carmaker Vinfast breaks ground in its $4B NC manufacturing plant.

North Carolina Republicans Override Democrat Governor Vetoes On Election Bills

North Carolina

The U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/scotus-rules-against-north-carolina-gop-congressional-map">ruled</a> Tuesday against a Republican-drawn congressional map in North Carolina, rebuking “independent legislature theory.”
The <a href="https://fedsoc.org/events/litigation-update-state-legislatures-state-courts-and-federal-elections">theory</a> proposed by the GOP lawyers <a href="https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/five-questions-independent-state-legislature-theory-elections-expert-richard-briffault">believes</a> that because Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution gives state legislatures the power to determine the “times, places and manner” of federal elections, state and federal courts have no business reviewing state decisions in redistricting. 
“The Elections Clause does not insulate state legislatures from the ordinary exercise of state judicial review,” Chief Justice John Roberts <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1271_3f14.pdf">wrote</a> in the majority opinion. 
The controversy was spurred when the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the legislature’s congressional map, which favored Republican candidates. However, after the state’s top legislative Republicans appealed to SCOTUS, the party gained control of the state’s high court, which subsequently overruled the reasoning — but not the result — of the original decision. 
The decision gives power to federal courts to review state supreme court decisions regarding congressional maps’ compliance with state election laws. This means that federal courts could overrule state courts in deciding whether a map violates state law, not just federal law. 
Roberts was joined by Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and the three Democrat-appointed justices to form the 6-3 majority. The majority argued that the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over the case, state constitutions govern the legislature’s redistricting power, and state and federal courts can review the legality of state legislatures’ maps under state and federal laws.
Roberts argued that the Court had authority to hear the case because the only path for the GOP petitioners to be relieved is if SCOTUS overturned the state supreme court’s first decision on the matter, which was only partially overturned after Republicans took over the Tar Heel State’s high court. 
The Chief Justice also turned to the practice of judicial review before Marbury v. Madison solidified the practice in SCOTUS. “State cases, debates at the Convention, and writings de- fending the Constitution all advanced the concept of judicial review,” he wrote. “The idea that courts may review legislative action was so “long and well established” by … Marbury in 1803 that Chief Justice Marshall referred to judicial review as ‘one of the fundamental principles of our society.’” 
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“State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause. But federal courts must not abandon their own duty to exercise judicial review,” Roberts concluded.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a concurrence where he emphasized that federal courts should be limited in their jurisdiction to review state redistricting cases, pointing out the Court does not adopt a standard. He also argued that allowing federal courts this jurisdiction is not disrespect to state courts but a protection for state legislatures. 
Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, arguing that the Court should not have even heard the case and that granting federal judges authority over controversies of state election law would “swell federal court dockets.” 
More consequentially, he noted that “politically charged controversies” will arise “haphazardly” before federal courts, with the winners of federal elections possibly being decided by a quick judgment of a federal court. 
Lead petitioner and Speaker of the North Carolina House Tim Moore <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBoyumTV/status/1673737273932693504">released</a> a statement regarding the decision:
&#8220;Ultimately, the question of the role of state courts in congressional redistricting needed to be settled and this decision has done just that. I am proud of the work we did to pursue this case to the nation&#8217;s highest court,&#8221; Moore said. &#8220;Fortunately the current Supreme Court of North Carolina has rectified bad precedent from the previous majority, reaffirming the state constitutional authority of the NC General Assembly. We will continue to move forward with the redistricting process later this year.&#8221;
Rick Pildes, a law professor at New York University, <a href="https://twitter.com/RickPildes/status/1673698906318725121">said</a> that “while the Court provided some clarity about the independent state legislature issue,” it left a “vague standard” for federal courts to apply when determining whether they should review state legislatures’ maps legality under state law. Pildes states that we don’t know when a court goes “too far” and that it will likely be litigated amid the 2024 elections.
Zach Jewell and Nathan Gay contributed to this report.

A Fair Maps Rally was held in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in Washington, DC. The rally coincides with the U.S. Supreme Court hearings in landmark redistricting cases out of North Carolina and Maryland. The activists sent the

SCOTUS Rules Against GOP State Legislature In Key Election Law Case

Clarence Thomas

Constitution

John Roberts

Redistricting

Republican Party

Supreme Court

U.S. Department of Justice authorities announced Wednesday that two former officials of a Louisiana city were sentenced to one year in prison for paying or offering to pay citizens for votes.
Court documents show Jerry Trabona, 73, the former Amite City police chief, and Kristian “Kris” Hart, 50, a former Amite City councilmember, conspired to pay citizens residing in Tangipahoa Parish to vote during the 2016 open primary election and the 2016 open general election — contests in which Trabona and Hart were candidates.
“Trabona and Hart’s vote buying scheme included the solicitation and hiring of individuals responsible for identifying potential voters, the transportation of those voters to the polls, and payment and offer of payment to the voters for voting,” a<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-louisiana-police-chief-city-councilmember-and-additional-co-conspirator-sentenced-vote"> news release</a> from the DOJ stated.
Authorities also ordered Trabona to pay a $10,000 fine for his role in the conspiracy.
The Sinclair Broadcast Group&#8217;s National Desk <a href="https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/former-sheriff-city-councilmember-sentenced-in-vote-buying-scheme-jerry-trabona-kristian-hart">reported</a> federal authorities initially charged Trabona and Hart with one count of conspiracy to commit vote-buying and multiple counts of vote-buying and aiding and abetting.
Trabona allegedly concealed his scheme by soliciting voters to sign contracts that falsely stated they would not “make any overture of any kind to any voter or other person of financial award or benefit in exchange for a vote.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that illegal voting, including vote buying, has no place in our nation’s electoral system,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/former-louisiana-police-chief-and-city-councilmember-plead-guilty-vote-buying"> news release</a> last summer.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana said in a press release that the state must have “fair elections, free from the taint of corruption, to ensure a fully functional government.&#8221;
“Safeguarding the voting process is of paramount importance to our office and the Department of Justice,” Evans said.
Authorities said that providing voters with money or something of value in exchange for a vote constitutes a federal crime.
Officials said co-conspirator Sidney Smith, 69, of Amite City, paid voters with money provided by Trabona and Hart.
Smith was sentenced to four months in prison for his role in the scheme.
Two other co-conspirators — Calvin Batiste and Louis Ruffino — were also involved. Officials said they would be sentenced at a later date.

Close-Up Of Human Hand With Handcuffs

Former Local Louisiana Officials, Co-Conspirators Sentenced For Vote-Buying Scheme

Two Former Local Louisiana Officials, Co-Conspirators Sentenced For Election Fraud Scheme

Crime

Election Fraud

Louisiana

Voters

Just days after allowing an activist group to monitor ballot drop boxes, a federal judge issued a restraining order restricting the group&#8217;s activities.
In an order handed down Tuesday evening, judge Michael T. Liburdi of the U.S. District Court of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> severely curtailed the activities that members of the election activist group Clean Elections USA can engage in while monitoring drop boxes in the state. The judge also mandated that the group&#8217;s founder, Melody Jennings, must correct public statements she made about ballot drop boxes, among other orders.
According to the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.azd.1314473/gov.uscourts.azd.1314473.51.0_5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a>, while the group is monitoring drop boxes, they are not allowed to:
<ul>
<li>intentionally be within 75 feet of a ballot drop box or a building a drop box is located in;</li>
<li>intentionally follow voters dropping off ballots at a drop box, when voters are within the prescribed area of the drop box;</li>
<li>speak to or yell at anyone dropping off ballots and within the prescribed area, unless they are spoken to or yelled at first;</li>
<li>openly carry firearms or wear body armor within 250 feet of a drop box.</li>
</ul>
In addition, the judge ordered Clean Elections USA to post a statement to their social media accounts, and to Jennings&#8217;s personal Truth Social account. “It is not always illegal to deposit multiple ballots in a ballot drop box,&#8221; the statement reads. &#8220;It is legal to deposit the ballot of a family member, household member, or person for whom you are the caregiver. Here are the rules for ballot drop boxes by which I ask you to abide&#8221;: the posts must be accompanied by a copy of Arizona&#8217;s ballot drop box <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/election-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a>, or a web link to the text of the law, along with a copy of or link to the restraining order itself.
The judge then ordered Jennings to post a separate message on her personal Truth Social account. “Any past statement that it is always illegal to deposit multiple ballots in a ballot drop box is incomplete; a family member, household member, or caregiver can legally do so.”
The restraining order will last for 14 days.
The order comes less than a week after Liburdi ruled in favor of Clean Elections USA, allowing them to keep <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-rules-arizona-activist-group-can-monitor-maricopa-county-ballot-drop-boxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monitoring ballot drop boxes</a> after two liberal activists groups, the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino, sued to stop the group from monitoring the drop boxes, claiming that it was violating the Voting Rights Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act.
“Defendants have not made any statements threatening to commit acts of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals,” Liburdi wrote, citing public statements Jennings made urging volunteers to to follow the law and remain outside the mandatory 75-foot radius of the drop box, and not to interact with alleged “ballot mules” at the drop boxes. “Defendants’ conduct does not fall into any traditionally recognized category of voter intimidation,” Liburdi added.
“While there are serious questions implicated, the Court cannot provide preliminary injunctive relief without infringing core constitutional rights,” Liburdi wrote in his conclusion. However, he left the case open for future litigation, writing in his conclusion that Arizona Alliance could sue in future if they could prove that Clean Elections USA was engaging in actual voter intimidation.

Arizona Ballot Drop Box

Arizona Judge Issues Restraining Order Against Voter Org Monitoring Drop Boxes, A Week After Ruling In Their Favor

2022 Midterms

Arizona

ballots

Court

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> Supreme Court has ruled that the state must not accept undated mail-in ballots.
In a per curiam decision Tuesday, the court ruled that county boards of elections in Pennsylvania must segregate mail-in ballots that are not dated on the outer envelope, or have an incorrect date, and not include them in the final vote tally. The state supreme court ruling followed a decision by the acting secretary of state to include the undated ballots in the final count ahead of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2022-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 midterms</a>.
&#8220;The Pennsylvania county boards of elections are hereby ORDERED to refrain from counting any absentee and mail-in ballots received for the November 8, 2022 general election that are contained in undated or incorrectly dated outer envelopes,&#8221; the court wrote in its <a href="https://www.pacourts.us/assets/opinions/Supreme/out/J-85-2022pco%20-%20105327594202667240.pdf?cb=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-page order</a>. The ruling directed the county election boards to segregate and preserve the ballots. Opinions would follow soon afterward, the order stated.
The court was split, however, on whether rejecting the mail ballots in question violated federal law. Democratic Chief Justice Debra Todd and Democratic Justices Christine Donohue and David Wecht would have found that rejecting the ballots would violate federal law. Democratic Justice Kevin Dougherty and Republican Justices Sallie Updyke Mundy and Kevin Brobson would have found no violation of federal law.
The ruling came after acting Pennsylvania Secretary of State Leigh Chapman said that the state would count undated ballots despite the Supreme Court vacating a lower court ruling that allowed the state to count ballots. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in May of this year that undated mail ballots must be counted. The court found that a date on the outside of the ballot envelope has no bearing on a voter&#8217;s eligibility, and throwing out those ballots would violate the voters&#8217; civil rights, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pennsylvania-count-undated-ballots-election-official-says-despite-us-supreme-court-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported. But the <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/101122zor_5426.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States Supreme Court</a> threw that ruling in October, and ordered the lower court to dismiss the case as moot, requiring Pennsylvania to return to established mail-in voting laws.
But Chapman said that the state would continue to count votes, citing a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruling, which stated that undated ballots must be counted. &#8220;Every county is expected to include undated ballots in their official returns for the Nov. 8 election, consistent with the Department of State&#8217;s guidance,&#8221; Chapman wrote in an announcement on October 12, via Fox News. &#8220;That guidance followed the most recent ruling of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court holding that both Pennsylvania and federal law prohibit excluding legal votes because the voter omitted an irrelevant date on the ballot return envelope.&#8221;
&#8220;Today&#8217;s order from the U.S. Supreme Court vacating the Third Circuit&#8217;s decision on mootness grounds was not based on the merits of the issue and does not affect the prior decision of Commonwealth Court in any way,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It provides no justification for counties to exclude ballots based on a minor omission, and we expect that counties will continue to comply with their obligation to count all legal votes.&#8221;
Chapman previously stated that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pa-secretary-of-state-says-election-results-face-possible-delays-in-counting-denounces-nefarious-activity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">election results</a> would not be available on election night for the upcoming governor and Senate races because of state laws controlling when the state can begin counting mail ballots, as The Daily Wire reported.
“It’s really important for us to get accurate information about the election process in Pennsylvania,” Chapman said. “So voters and the public know that when there are delays in counting, it doesn’t mean that there’s anything nefarious happening. It’s just what the law is in Pennsylvania.”

Ballot

PA Supreme Court Rules State Cannot Accept Undated, Incorrectly Dated Mail-In Ballots

Pennsylvania

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/delaware" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delaware</a> Supreme Court has blocked the state&#8217;s mail-in voting laws from taking effect.
In an expedited three-page <a href="https://courts.delaware.gov/Opinions/Download.aspx?id=338860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> Friday, the court, en banc, ruled that laws enacted by the Democrat-controlled state legislature and Democratic Governor John Carney earlier this year violated the state constitution. The ruling struck down a law allowing for no-excuse mail-in voting, and another law allowing same-day voter registration. The state supreme court&#8217;s ruling upheld a lower court ruling against the vote-by-mail law, and reversed another ruling in favor of the same-day registration law.
&#8220;The Vote-by-Mail Statute impermissibly expands the categories of absentee voters identified in Article V, Section 4A of the Delaware Constitution,&#8221; the panel of judges wrote in the order. &#8220;Therefore, the judgment of the Court of Chancery that the Vote-by-Mail Statute violates the Delaware Constitution should be affirmed.&#8221;
The panel&#8217;s decision affirmed a decision by the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/594653795/Delaware-court-strikes-down-voting-by-mail-as-unconstitutional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delaware Court of Chancery</a> in September that ruled the mail-in voting legislation was unconstitutional. In that decision, Court of Chancery Vice Chancellor Nathan J. Cook ruled that the mail-in voter law violated the state constitution. The <a href="https://delcode.delaware.gov/constitution/constitution-06.html#P699_115071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delaware constitution</a> allows for absentee voting only in cases of public service, like serving in political office or the military; being away on business, or accompanying a spouse or dependent; sickness or disability; vacation; or religious objections. But the state law expanded the availability of mail-in voting from only those who needed it to anyone &#8220;wishing to vote by mail.&#8221; As such, Cook found that the law was inconsistent with the constitution.
The panel also struck down the lower court&#8217;s ruling keeping the same-day registration law in place. &#8220;The Same-Day Registration Statute conflicts with the provisions of Article V, Section 4 of the Delaware Constitution. Consequently, the judgment of the Court of Chancery that the Same-Day Registration Statute does not violate the Delaware Constitution should be reversed.&#8221;
Cook had previously allowed the same-day voter registration law to stand in the lower court ruling. Cook ruled that the state Constitution provided for a minimum number of days voters could be allowed to register; it did not however, impose limits on the number of days, or when the registration period would end.
The state supreme court issued the order ahead of the 2022 midterms, and in recognition of the state Department of Elections’ desire to start sending out mail ballots by the beginning of next week. The order takes effect immediately, and a formal opinion will be published later.
“This is a win for the rule of law in Delaware’s Elections,” J. Christian Adams, president of the conservative legal nonprofit Public Interest Legal Foundation, said in a statement, via the <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/universal-mail-in-voting-violates-delaware-constitution-delaware-supreme-court_4782404.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epoch Times</a>. “This law violated the plain text of the Delaware Constitution that provides specific reasons people are allowed to cast absentee ballots and when voter registration can take place. If Delaware lawmakers want to have <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/t-mail-in-voting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mail-in voting</a>, they need to pass a constitutional amendment.” The PILF represented one of the plaintiffs in the case.
The Delaware court&#8217;s decision comes just a few months after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-supreme-court-bans-uses-of-drop-boxes-in-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin Supreme Court</a> banned the use of unmanned ballot drop boxes; the Court also banned voters from giving ballots to others to submit them.

Delaware Supreme Court Blocks No-Excuse Mail-In Voting, Same Day Registration

2022 Election

Delaware

Missouri Governor Mike Parson reformed state election laws on Wednesday by banning mail-in ballots and requiring all registered voters to show a photo ID in order to cast a ballot.
In a push to &#8220;strengthen election processes and voter confidence,&#8221; Parson signed <a href="https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/hlrbillspdf/4557S.05T.pdf">House Bill 1878</a> into law, saying although Missouri has conducted &#8220;free, fair, and secure elections&#8221; in 2020 and prior elections, state officials want to remain that way in the face of &#8220;changing technologies and new emerging threats.&#8221;
&#8220;[The bill] strengthens our election processes and gives Missourians confidence that their voices are being accurately and securely recorded at the ballot box,&#8221; Parson said in a <a href="https://governor.mo.gov/press-releases/archive/governor-parson-signs-hb-1878-four-other-bills-law">statement</a>
Voter ID requirements, a measure Missouri Republicans have pined for nearly two decades only to have the courts strike down their efforts ruling them unconstitutional, finally made their way through the system. The law now requires government-issued photo IDs to cast ballots. However, those without one can cast a provisional vote only if the voter returns later that day with a proper ID for signature verification by election officials.
Missouri&#8217;s new law also modified several other rules on how the state conducts its elections, like opening a two-week window for voters to cast absentee ballots without citing an excuse why they can&#8217;t vote on Election Day. In addition, it prohibits local election authorities from accepting private donations — except for personal protective equipment, food, and water.
After the state&#8217;s upcoming primary next month, election officials must &#8220;air-gap&#8221; or disconnect all voting machines from the Internet. Following the 2022 Midterms, hand-marked paper ballots will stand as the official ballot beginning in 2023 — unless the voter chooses to use a ballot marking device. The law also banned the use of electronic voting counting machines starting in 2024.
Missouri&#8217;s latest election law gives the Secretary of State authority to audit voter rolls at any given point to ensure accuracy.
Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft backed the measure calling it &#8220;one of the strongest election laws in the country,&#8221; The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-missouri-government-and-politics-342663e72a921cb9a5f55657d87a0910">reported</a>.
&#8220;It makes sure that it&#8217;s easy to vote, it&#8217;s harder to cheat, and the people can have trust in the results,&#8221; Ashcroft said.
Democrat lawmakers pushed back on the photo ID requirement, according to The Associated Press, calling it &#8220;egregious&#8221; and &#8220;shameful&#8221; believing it could affect minority voters.
&#8220;What you&#8217;re trying to do is take us back to Jim Crow,&#8221; Democratic Rep. LaKeySha Bosley said during debate last month, The Associated Press reported.
Ashcroft clapped back on the Democrat talking point.
&#8220;It seems pretty racist to me to say that the color of skin determines whether or not someone knows how to get an ID,&#8221; Ashcroft told The Associated Press.
Missouri Representative John Simmons and Senator Sandy Crawford joined Gov. Parson during the ceremony signing calling it a common-sense measure and a safeguard to prevent voter fraud.
Missouri joins 17 other states in the union that has enacted voter identification laws that took effect this year, according to the <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx">National Conference of State Legislatures.</a>

Across The U.S. Voters Flock To The Polls On Election Day

“One Of The Strongest Election Laws In The Country”: Missouri Gov. Reforms Election Laws Banning Mail-In Ballots, Requiring Voter ID

Missouri Gov. Reforms Election Laws Banning Mail-In Ballots, Requiring Voter ID

Missouri

Voter ID

It would appear that leftist warnings about &#8220;The New Jim Crow&#8221; starting in Georgia after the state passed an election integrity law in 2021 were unfounded, as early voting turnout for the Peach State&#8217;s 2022 primaries is smashing records.
Proponents of the law say that data is evidence that strengthening election security provides citizens with more confidence that their vote matters and in turn drives civic participation.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger&#8217;s office announced Wednesday evening that &#8220;more than 565,000 Georgians have voted early, which is a 153% increase from the same point in the early voting period in the 2018 primary election and a 189% increase in the 2020 primary election,&#8221; 11 Alive <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/elections/raffensperger-georgia-early-voting-turnout/85-c8f49d96-1038-48ba-a9b8-66d03f2f91bc">reported</a> on Thursday.
&#8220;It’s fantastic. What it shows is that it’s never been easier to vote in Georgia, but we have the appropriate guardrails, securities in place,&#8221; Raffensperger <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/elections/raffensperger-georgia-early-voting-turnout/85-c8f49d96-1038-48ba-a9b8-66d03f2f91bc">told</a> the local media outlet. &#8220;When you have strong security that elevates people’s confidence in the process. So now, we have photo ID for all absentee voting. We have 17 days of early voting. Just Thursday and Friday left to go…but we’re already seeing numbers pushing 200 percent higher than what in 2020.&#8221;
In 2021, progressive critics of the election law signed by Governor Brian Kemp (R) claimed that the election integrity law would disenfranchise millions of minority voters by allegedly making voting access harder. Major League Baseball even pulled its All-Star game from Atlanta, Georgia, as a way to boycott the state for supposedly passing a law that ran contrary to their values.
“Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement after the law was signed. “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.”
Manfred’s announcement came after a number of prominent Democrats, including Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate  Stacey Abrams and President Joe Biden, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-pushed-misinformation-about-georgia-voting-bill-now-shes-upset-by-the-consequences">pushed</a> false claims about the voting laws and compared them to past racist laws. While Abrams condemned the MLB’s decision to move its events out of Georgia afterward, she was a prominent voice in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/some-orwellian-stuff-newspaper-stealth-edits-stacey-abrams-op-ed-to-soften-pro-boycott-rhetoric-after-mlb-moves-all-star-game">pushing</a> boycotts as a potential pressure tactic before the MLB’s announcement.
According to polls, Kemp is currently <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/18/poll-kemp-perdue-georgia-republican-gubernatorial-primary-00033638">leading</a> the GOP gubernatorial primary race while Abrams is the clear favorite for the Democratic party.
Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, a group in Washington, D.C., that has strongly advocated for voter ID among other election reforms, told The Daily Wire that 2022 early voting primary data proves that folks like Biden were spouting nonsense about the law.
“Georgia’s historic election integrity law SB 202 made it easier to vote and hard to cheat in the Peach State,&#8221; Anderson said.
&#8220;While President Biden spread lies about the bill and absurdly compared it to Jim Crow, the record levels of early voting turnout prove that it’s easier than ever to vote in Georgia,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Voter ID is clearly no deterrent to voting, and is embraced by a majority of Georgians of every race. In fact, many voters are now more likely to go to the polls since they can be more confident in the security of their ballot. Governors nationwide should take note.&#8221;
Georgia&#8217;s official primary day is May 24 for both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Voting.

Early Georgia Primary Voting Sets Record Highs After Voter ID Law Signed, Despite Leftists Warning About ‘New Jim Crow’

Georgia Primary Voting Sets Records Despite Democratic Criticism of Election Integrity Law Signed In 2021

Georgia

Stacey Abrams

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