Michigan House Endorses Straight-Ticket Ban, Ties It to No-Excuse Absentee Voting

The Michigan House passed its own version of a straight-ticket voting ban, raising the appropriation to $5 million and tying the bill to another establishing no-excuse absentee voting. The linkage of the two bills may slow progress on both, but local election offices – many of whom oppose the changes – are likely nervous about the prospect of not one but two big changes in an election year.

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Brazos County, TX Vote Centers See High Number of Out-of-Precinct Voters

Brazos County (College Station) TX used vote centers in its most recent election and discovered that some locations had a high number of “out-of-precinct” voters who found that particular location to be more convenient than the one nearest their home. Such data can be helpful in identifying the best locations for polling places as people “vote with their feet.”

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"Shanda" (Disgrace): NY Assemblyman Calls for Election Materials in Yiddish

A New York state assemblyman is calling upon the NYC Board of Elections to add Yiddish to the list of languages used on voter registration and other election materials. It’s a fascinating issue, given the combination of growing demand for alternate languages and the challenges election offices face in making sure those materials are not only literally correct but also make sense.

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Payment Due: Las Cruces Invoices Candidates for Recount Costs

Las Cruces, NM has invoiced two municipal candidates a total of about $5,400 for costs incurred during a recent recount. The candidates are reviewing the bill – and may have grounds to contest it given that it relies on statutory language that was challenged and changed at the state level. Until then, the City is awaiting payment for additional costs for which it likely didn’t budget.

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