Big Sky Beef Season: County Officials Want Montana SoS To Dial Back Fraud Rhetoric

Things are tense in Montana these days, as county election officials gather for their annual meeting in the midst of growing tension with the Secretary of State over his increasingly harsh rhetoric on voter fraud. Tension between state and local election officials is nothing new, but this kind of “beef” is something different: evidence of a deep-seated mistrust and frustration that cannot be good for the state in the short- or long-term.

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Seventh Circuit Reverses Injunction on Illinois Same-Day Registration

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned an injunction against Illinois’ same-day registration law, saying that plaintiffs failed to demonstrate any evidence that it disadvantages voters in small counties. This “one size need not fit all” approach could be significant elsewhere as well as states seek to balance expanding voting opportunities with smaller communities’ ability to pay for them.

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Wasatch County Latest With Ballot Problems in Utah Special Congressional Election

Special elections are always challenging, because of the odd timing and need for resources – but in Utah, the upcoming primary race for the vacant 3rd Congressional District is creating even more problems for local election offices. Wasatch County (Heber City), Utah has now joined Utah County (Provo) in sending Republican ballots to unaffiliated voters in the upcoming primary.

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Empty Wallet: Once Again, Illinois State Fund for Local Elections Runs Dry

Few states have a more contentious budgeting process than Illinois – and this year, it appears the state has once again left localities in the lurch as one source of funding runs dry. It’s the latest reminder of the difficulties localities face in obtaining reliable fiscal support from states to run elections. While every state has to make tough decisions about public funds, year-to-year uncertainty for many local offices seems to be less exception than rule.

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Not Going Far: ACLU Sues Fulton County Over Inactive Status for In-County Movers

Voter list maintenance procedures will be a subject for the U.S. Supreme Court this fall, but a new ACLU lawsuit in Georgia’s Fulton County (Atlanta) is challenging something much more immediate: the status of voters who move within the County. It raises an interesting question: when (if ever) is a move so short that it shouldn’t be considered a move under applicable law?

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