Latest news with #LieutenantGovernor'sOffice
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi High Court seeks L-G, MeitY reply on police powers
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Lieutenant Governor's Office and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on a plea challenging a notification empowering Delhi Police to order online content removal. The petition, filed by the Software Freedom Law Centre ( contests the notification designating Delhi Police as the Nodal Agency under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, allowing them to issue takedown notices under the IT Act. The matter is scheduled for hearing on September 17. The SFLC argues that only the Central Government has blocking powers under Section 69A of the IT Act and related rules. Granting these powers to the police is 'ultra vires' and oversteps statutory limits. The plea raises concerns over unchecked censorship and violation of fundamental rights, citing Shreya Singhal and Madhyamam Broadcasting rulings.
United News of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Maharashtra Day celebrated in New Delhi with enthusiasm
New Delhi, May 1 (UNI) The 66th foundation day of Maharashtra was celebrated with enthusiasm in the national capital on Thursday, with hoisting of the flag at Maharashtra Sadan by Resident Commissioner and Secretary R Vimala. On this occasion, attendees sang the national anthem and the state anthem and saluted the flag. Additional Resident Commissioner Dr Neeva Jain, Assistant Resident Commissioner Dr Rajesh Adpawar, Smita Shelar among resident visitors of Maharashtra Sadana, officers and employees of various offices of the Maharashtra government in Delhi were present at this programme. Various cultural programmes were organised in the capital on this occasion. A special programme had been organised by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's Office in the evening to mark the formation day of Maharashtra and Gujarat. This special programme was attended by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. On this occasion, he interacted with Marathi-speaking dignitaries working in various fields in Delhi and greeted them, showcasing the rich cultural splendour of Maharashtra. A special cultural programme had been organized at Maharashtra Sadan to awaken the cultural heritage of Maharashtra. In collaboration with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Maharashtra and jointly organized by the Konkan Hapus Mango Producers' Association, Devgad, Sindhudurg, a two-day sales exhibition of geographically-graded Alphonso mango was inaugurated by the Resident Commissioner and Secretary R Vimala today. Delhiites also have a golden opportunity to buy the 'fragrant king of Maharashtra', Hapus mango. UNI VKB SS
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What will Utah's election compromise mean for vote by mail?
Utah lawmakers approved the latest version of their vote-by-mail reform on Monday. The Legislature's compromise bill to enhance voter identification for mail-in ballots, HB300, would replace signature verification with a state ID number for voters over the next few years. During his committee presentation, bill sponsor Rep. Jefferson Burton, R-Salem, unveiled additional changes from his initial proposal that would expand ID options for voters and would push back the deadline for voters to request a mail-in ballot to 2029. 'The primary problem this bill is trying to fix, I would say, is essentially you can register to vote in Utah currently and then never show your ID again,' Burton said. 'All this does is enhance an already good system.' The changes to the bill on Monday came after hours of discussions between legislators, the Lieutenant Governor's Office and county clerks on Friday, according to those who testified on the bill. However, clerks — who are the officials who administer elections in Utah — only spoke in opposition. Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman said the legislation's 'substantial hurdles' could double the time needed to administer upcoming elections. Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson said only requiring an ID number could make fraud easier than forging a signature. And Iron County Clerk Jon Whittaker said new deadlines would 'disenfranchise' voters who aren't aware of the changes. The current form of HB300 would differ from the version passed in a House committee three weeks ago by no longer requiring most ballots to be returned in-person to poll workers. But, like the original version, it would require voters to opt in to Utah's previously universal vote-by-mail system. If signed into law, voters would have until Jan. 1, 2029, to request a mail-in ballot which can be done when they renew their state ID, register to vote, vote in person, fill out an online form on the lieutenant governor's website or submit a form at their county clerk's office. One of the most significant reforms lawmakers included in the bill is that instead of relying on county clerks to verify voter signatures, the bill would require voters to write the final four digits of their driver's license or an easy-to-obtain state identification card on the return envelope for their ballot. The bill outlines a free process for individuals to obtain a state identification card at a license examining station by proving their birth date and lawful presence in the country. The version of the bill updated on Monday would also allow the final four digits of a voter's Social Security Number to be used as a valid state ID. There will continue to be a remote voting option available to those who need it because of disability, age, extended illness, or long-term absence from the state. A signature affidavit option, like the one that has been used by most Utah voters over the last decade, will be available on mail-in ballots until the changes are completely phased in on Jan. 1, 2029. After this date, voters in Utah would only receive a mail-in ballot if they have opted in. Mail-in ballot status will expire after eight years if not renewed or if a voter does not vote in two consecutive regular general elections. Burton's bill has changed significantly since it was made public on the second day of the legislative session. When it was first introduced, HB300 would require that after a ballot was mailed to a voter, it was returned to poll workers in person with photo ID. Voters would have needed to return their 'remote ballots' at a standard polling place or at a ballot drop box on Election Day or during a five-business-day window preceding Election Day. County election officials would have been required to station two poll workers at every drop box between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. during this period to ask for voter name and valid voter identification for all returned remote ballots. County clerks voiced concerns about the logistics of staffing a larger number of drop boxes during the week leading up to the election and the $6 million tab that counties would be expected to pick up. The current version of the bill would allocate $3 million in state funds for additional staff, voter outreach and equipment. The bill's fiscal note estimates that counties would continue to feel a cumulative impact of over $4 million in ongoing costs. In an effort to speed up election night results, HB300 would require mail-in ballots to be received by county clerks by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, instead of being postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service the day before Election Day. The current iteration of the bill would also implement a number of new requirements for the Lieutenant Governor's Office to update voter rolls and would allow candidates seeking primary nomination to gather signatures both manually and electronically.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How one lawmaker plans to clean up Utah voter rolls
Utah lawmakers expanded their response to recent election audits with the release of a bill that would overhaul how the Lieutenant Governor's Office oversees voter roll cleanup. House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, unveiled the new legislation Monday morning which would require the state to end its contract with the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, by July 6, and lists requirements for obtaining another third-party contractor. The bill would also instruct the Lieutenant Governor's Office to publish updated voter registration totals on its website multiple times a year, report annually to the Legislature on its efforts to maintain the accuracy of voter rolls, and ensure that voter rolls are compared to death certificate information 90 days before every even-year election. 'The No. 1 goal with this bill is to make sure that we're actually cleaning our voter rolls,' Lisonbee said in an interview with the Deseret News. If the bill passes, Utah would become the 10th Republican-leaning state in three years to leave the voter roll management system known as ERIC since allegations emerged on rightwing websites in 2022 that the organization was misusing voter data to increase voter registration among likely Democrats. ERIC was formed in 2012 as a nonprofit group to help member states coordinate voter registration data and update voter rolls in an effort to prevent voters from casting ballots in multiple states. Since Utah became a founding member of ERIC, the group has identified over 675,000 records for county clerks to review and update, including over 6,000 deceased individuals on voter rolls and 76 individuals who appeared to vote in multiple states in 2022, according to an April 2024 statement from the Lieutenant Governor's Office. Last year, some Utah Republican delegates called on Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson to end the state's contract with ERIC out of concern that the group was biased and violated voter privacy. In a post on X, Henderson said ERIC has become 'a favorite boogeyman of the radical election deniers. But their claims are not based in fact, and their demands are counterproductive to their rhetoric.' 'It rings hollow for anyone to claim to care about the security and integrity of our elections while simultaneously demanding we withdraw from the best tool we have to keep our voter rolls clean,' Henderson said. ERIC is the only system that allows Utah to know who voted in the group's 23 other member states and Washington, D.C., and also helps the elections office to spot duplicate or out-of-date records. However, seven states have recently signed memorandums of understanding with the election officials of Alabama, which formed its own 'voter integrity database' in 2023 after leaving the ERIC consortium. Lisonbee's bill would require the alternative third-party contractor, which could include a private company or another state authorized by the Legislature, to: Use industry standard security measures to protect records. Specialize in voter registration maintenance. Use voter registration data for no other reason than maintaining the accuracy of the database. Use data encryption to secure election records. Dispose of data according to an approved retention schedule. The third-party contractor would be required to notify the Lieutenant Governor's Office of any inappropriate voter registration. County clerks would then have seven days to send a notice to the potentially ineligible voter and remove or update the voter's name on the official register. The state's ERIC membership fee in 2024 was $49,084. The state's contract with ERIC was renewed in 2023 with an exemption to ERIC's 'Eligible but Unregistered' program that requires member states to contact potential voters who are not registered. State code does not currently give the Lieutenant Governor's Office the authority to contract voter roll management to third parties, Lisonbee said. Her bill would change that but she said this lack of statutory permission is worrying. 'It was not authorized, and so I think the entire contract is in question for that reason, so that's why I'm making sure that we're putting proper protections in place,' Lisonbee said. Following the results of an audit by the Legislative Auditor General's Office, Lisonbee said it has become clear that an alternative to ERIC is needed. 'It's just not a very effective third-party at identifying people who shouldn't be on the rolls,' Lisonbee said. An audit released in early December identified 1,400 deceased voters who were still on Utah voter rolls. Half of the deceased individuals were still marked as 'active' registered voters and would have received a ballot in recent elections. Of these 700 deceased individuals, two of them cast ballots in the November 2023 election and hundreds had been on Utah voter rolls for over a year. The audit also found 300 duplicate records and 450 records where multiple people were apparently registered using the same driver's license number. Ballots from each of these categories were cast inappropriately in recent election cycles, the audit said. 'I've known for a long time that there's a mess in the voter rolls and I tried to notify the clerk,' Lisonbee said. 'And we don't have a good process in place to do that.' But an updated process can only go so far if county clerks, who have been inundated with election reforms in recent years, are unable to keep up with all the changes. The legislative audit also found a lack of compliance among county clerks in conducting post-election audits, ensuring adequate surveillance and maintaining proper ballot controls. Of the 29 county election offices, 17 failed to conduct proper post-election audits of ballot images and cast vote records during at least one election during the last two years, and one quarter of counties failed to ensure sufficient camera monitoring, the audit found. 'It doesn't really matter who the lieutenant governor is, it's about getting the right policy in place to make sure the elections office is functioning optimally,' Lisonbee said. The 'spirit' of Lisonbee's bill is 'to increase transparency for voters,' she said. It would require the Lieutenant Governor's Office to publish the updated total number of registered voters in the state, separated by active voters and inactive voters, at the start of the candidate filing period, at the deadline for voter registration for every election and at the time of a statewide canvass following each regular general election. The office would be required to publish the number of potential ineligible voters, determined by a third-party contractor, no later than three weeks after the start of the candidate filing period and no later than three weeks after a general election canvass. The bill also outlines in greater detail that election officers are required to video monitor all ballots continuously during ballot intake, signature verification, ballot scanning, ballot sorting, ballot preparation and ballot storage. Lisonbee's bill joins a package of more than a dozen bills that would change how Utahns vote. The proposals range from overhauling how candidates qualify for primary elections to transforming mail-in voting into an opt-in-only system. One of the most significant bills, HB300, which enjoys the support of Lisonbee and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, would require that after a ballot is mailed to a voter, it is returned to poll workers, in person with voter ID.
