Latest news with #voterID
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US judge appears open to blocking Trump's election overhaul order
June 6 (Reuters) - A federal judge appeared open on Friday to blocking enforcement of U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order overhauling elections that calls for requiring voters to prove they are U.S. citizens and barring states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. At a hearing in Boston before U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, a lawyer for the Trump administration argued the Republican president's order was lawful and that any request by 19 Democratic-led states challenging it was premature. But Casper said those states were under pressure to comply with Trump's order before voting begins in the 2026 federal election cycle and that 13 of them that accept mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day say they could be sued by the U.S. Department of Justice unless she issues an injunction. "Why isn't that warranted now?" Casper asked a Justice Department attorney. Justice Department lawyer Bridget O'Hickey responded by calling the prospect of her department suing speculative. While Trump's order calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to take "all necessary action" to enforce Trump's directive, O'Hickey said she could just send a letter encouraging compliance. O'Hickey also said the states' claims that a part of Trump's order tasking the U.S. Election Assistance Commission with updating the federal voter registration form to require people to submit proof they are U.S. citizens are not ripe as the panel had yet to do so. "At this point there is no final rule for the court to review," she said. But Casper said Trump's order contained "mandatory language" requiring the change to the form, despite requirements that changes go through notice-and-comment rulemaking processes first after the states are consulted. She pressed O'Hickey on what grounds "a president can direct actions by the executive branch that contradict that statutory scheme." Casper did not immediately rule on the states' request for a preliminary injunction, saying she would "give the matter more thought." The lawsuit is one of several across the nation challenging Trump's March 25 executive order, which he signed after years of raising doubts about the integrity of the U.S. electoral system and falsely claiming that his 2020 loss to Democratic former President Joe Biden resulted from widespread voter fraud. Part of Trump's order has already been blocked by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, who at the behest of voting rights groups and Democrats on April 24 blocked enforcement of the provision requiring changes to the voter registration form and for federal election officials to assess whether people who are registering to vote are citizens. During Friday's hearing, California Deputy Attorney General Anne Bellows urged Casper to block not just those provisions but also importantly the one mandating ballots be received by Election Day. She said Trump's order relied on an "egregiously wrong" decision last year by a conservative panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declaring it illegal for states to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, even if they are postmarked by then. "The president has no Constitutional authority to set rules for federal election because the Constitution gives that authority to the states and Congress," Bellows said. The case is State of California v. Trump, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, No. 25-cv-10810. For the states: Anne Bellows and Kevin Quade of the California Department of Justice For the federal government: Bridget O'Hickey of the U.S. Department of Justice Read more: Democratic-led states sue over Trump's order overhauling elections Judge partly blocks Trump order that claimed greater control over US elections
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Bipartisan deals on voting and election changes are rare. It just happened in one swing state
LAS VEGAS — Facing a legislature dominated by Democrats, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo stood before Nevada lawmakers earlier this year with a message that some did not expect to go far: 'Set aside partisan politics.' It was a plea that might have seemed more aspirational than realistic, given the country's deep polarization. Yet it set the stage for one of the session's most unexpected outcomes — a bipartisan agreement to bring voter ID requirements to the perennial battleground state by next year's midterm elections.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Bipartisan deals on voting and election changes are rare. It just happened in one swing state
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Facing a legislature dominated by Democrats, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo stood before Nevada lawmakers earlier this year with a message that some did not expect to go far: 'Set aside partisan politics.' It was a plea that might have seemed more aspirational than realistic, given the country's deep polarization. Yet it set the stage for one of the session's most unexpected outcomes — a bipartisan agreement to bring voter ID requirements to the perennial battleground state by next year's midterm elections. In a deal that came together in the waning days of the session, the Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a bill that combined a requirement for voter ID — a conservative priorityacross the country and something that has been on Lombardo's legislative wish list — with a Democratic-backed measure to add more drop boxes for mailed ballots in the state's most populous counties. Lombardo is expected to sign the bill. The compromise represents a form of bipartisan dealmaking that has been especially scarce in recent years as the country's political divisions have deepened, especially around any potential reform to voting and election laws. President Donald Trump's lies about his loss in the 2020 presidential election fueled a wave of restrictive voting laws in Republican-led states that Democrats countered with changes to make voting more accessible, while an executive order Trump signed earlier this year seeking to overhaul how elections are run was met with a wave of Democratic lawsuits. Election legislation has mostly hit a dead end in states where the parties share power, making Nevada's bill all the more remarkable. A requirement for voters to show photo identification at the polls has long been a nonstarter for Nevada Democrats, who have argued that it threatened to disenfranchise low-income voters and make it more difficult for people to vote, especially older voters, those with disabilities and those without driver's licenses. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, the Democrat who brokered the deal with Lombardo after the governor vetoed his original bill to expand drop box access, acknowledged it was a tough concession. But he said it was the best they could do with the time they had left. 'Now I understand and appreciate that this will be a particularly challenging bill for some to support, but I also believe we have a duty to move forward,' he said over the weekend when releasing details of the deal publicly for the first time. It's a stark contrast to the 2023 legislative session, the last time lawmakers met. Lombardo outlined voter ID as one of his main priorities, but Democrats in the statehouse refused to give the proposal a hearing. The governor vowed he would take the issue directly to voters. Last November, Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved the voter ID ballot initiative that Lombardo supported. Voters will have to pass it again in 2026 to amend the state constitution, and the requirement would then be in place for the 2028 presidential election. Yeager told his colleagues over the weekend that voters seemed poised to give their final approval to the measure. He argued that passing a voter ID law now would give the state a two-year head start on implementing the requirements, to get ready before the next presidential contest. Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat, said he respects the will of the voters and will work with the governor and local election officials 'to continue strengthening our elections.' That includes, under the proposal, a new — and free — digital form of voter ID that his office will be in charge of rolling out. Polls have shown that most Americans support voter ID laws, and that has been consistent over the years and across party lines. A 2024 Gallup poll found 84% of Americans supported requiring all voters to provide photo ID at their voting place to cast a ballot, consistent with Gallup findings from 2022 and 2016. That includes about two-thirds of Democrats, according to the 2024 survey. 'This may not be my favorite policy to have to implement, but I think as a Legislature we have a responsibility to do this,' Yeager told his colleagues. State Sen. Carrie Ann Buck, a Republican, praised the effort, saying, 'I think this is very thoughtful and very courageous of you to bring this in a bipartisan way ... I think our common goals are that every legitimate voter gets to vote.' But not all Democrats were on board, with five voting against it when it passed the Senate. 'I recognize what you're attempting to do, to stave off something worse,' said Democratic Sen. Dina Neal. But she said she was 'wrestling with the philosophical issue with voter ID.' 'I'm not in the space where I am openly willing to disenfranchise a population who may not even understand this law as written.' If Lombardo signs the bill, Nevada will join 36 other states that either require or request voters show ID when voting in person, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Not all states require photo ID, though. Some accept documents such as a bank statement, and some allow voters without ID to vote after signing an affidavit. A few states allow poll workers to vouch for voters without an ID. Under Nevada's bill, voters will be required to show a form of photo ID when voting in person, which will include government-issued IDs and Nevada-issued university student IDs. 'Nevada has some of the most secure and accessible elections in the country,' Yeager said, 'and this bill is a set of compromises between the Legislature and the governor that I believe can ensure that tradition continues.' ___ Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta and Linley Sanders in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Red state tops annual Heritage Foundation scorecard for strongest election integrity: 'Hard to cheat'
FIRST ON FOX: The Heritage Foundation released its annual Election Integrity Scorecard on Tuesday, which ranks the states it believes are strongest in terms of election integrity in a review that resulted in Arkansas topping the list. Arkansas, led by GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, moved up from #8 and earned the #1 ranking in the new report that was compiled by looking at factors including voter ID implementation, accuracy of voting lists, absentee ballot management, verification of citizenship, and other attributes. In a press release, Sanders touted several accomplishments in a recent legislative session including Act 240, Act 241, and 218 which the state says "strengthened protections on Arkansas' ballot amendment process so that bad actors cannot influence and change the Natural State's Constitution." Sanders also signed legislation to prevent foreign entities from funding state and local measures. b "My goal this session was simple: make it easy to vote and hard to cheat," Sanders said in a statement. "I was proud to work with my friend, Secretary of State Cole Jester, to make Arkansas ballot boxes the safest and most secure in America and end petition fraud to protect our Constitution. Today's announcement shows that all our hard work paid off." In a statement, Jester said, "As Secretary of State, I have said from day one we would have the most secure elections in the country." "I'm proud of the work my team has completed implementing new procedures and technology. None of this would be possible without the great work of Governor Sanders and the men and women of the Arkansas legislature." Jason Snead, Executive Director of the Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital that Sanders and the state of Arkansas "deserve serious credit" for their efforts at election integrity. "States across the country should follow Arkansas' lead by implementing these critical election reforms that make it easy to vote and hard to cheat," Snead said. Red states made up the entirety of the top 10 ranking and included Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The last three of the states on the list included Oregon, Vermont, California, and Hawaii. Earlier this year, Snead's Honest Elections Project released a guide, first reported by Fox News Digital, outlining what it says are must-needed reforms to be taken up in states across the country to ensure election integrity. The report listed over a dozen "critical" measures, ranging from voter ID to cleaning up voter rolls to banning foreign influence in elections. "Election integrity ballot issues passed with flying colors across the board on election night," Snead said at the time. "Now that state legislative sessions are starting up, lawmakers have a duty to fulfill the mandate the American people gave to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat."
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Nevada's regular 2025 legislative session ends. Voter ID is among the key bills to pass
Nevada lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled Legislature ended their 2025 regular session early Tuesday after a flurry of final day action. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is expected to take action by next week on the hundreds of bills that passed. The first-term governor vetoed a record 75 bills in 2023. Nevada lawmakers meet every other year in odd years. Ahead of the session, Lombardo had urged the Legislature to put politics aside and come together to find solutions for such issues as affordable housing and education. Some of his major bills failed, including a wide-ranging bill that would have created stiffer penalties for certain crimes, but he won in other areas including elections and education. Here is a look at some of the notable bills that passed and failed during this year's 120-day session in Carson City. ELECTIONS VOTER ID AND MORE BALLOT BOXES: Signaling a major compromise, lawmakers passed a bill on the final day of the session that revived Democrats ' vetoed effort to add more mail ballot drop boxes around the state ahead of an election in exchange for new voter ID requirements that Lombardo supports. It marks a significant shift for Nevada Democrats, who have long opposed GOP-led efforts to require photo identification from voters at the polls and comes on the heels of voters in November passing a voter ID ballot measure. It would have to pass again in 2026 in order to amend the state constitution. PRIMARY ELECTIONS FOR NONPARTISAN VOTERS: A week before the session ended, Yeager introduced a bill as an emergency request that would allow nonpartisan voters to cast a ballot in Republican or Democratic primary elections, excluding presidential primaries. It passed. Voters registered as nonpartisan outnumber both major parties in the swing state. The bill is different from the effort voters rejected in November that would have implemented open primaries and ranked-choice voting for all voters. EDUCATION TEACHER RAISES: Lawmakers in both chambers overwhelmingly approved a bill that includes pay raises for teachers at charters schools. Lombardo had said he would not approve the state's education budget if it left out raises for charter school teachers, which Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a Democrat, then added to the bill. SCHOOL POLICE USE OF FORCE: The proposal approved by lawmakers would require the Clark County School District's police department to make public its data on officer use of force, including the use of stun guns, batons and pepper spray. The school district is the fifth-largest in the nation and has its own police department. HOUSING 'ATTAINABLE' HOUSING: Lombardo's bill aimed at expanding affordable housing, one of his top priorities this session, would allocate $133 million in state funds for housing projects for what he calls the 'missing middle" who can't afford to buy a home but don't currently qualify for affordable housing. It passed. RENTER PROTECTIONS: A handful of bills aimed at expanding protections for renters passed on party lines. They include a proposal that would create a pilot program capping rent prices for seniors for a year, and another that would allow tenants to quickly file legal complaints against landlords for unsafe living conditions like broken air conditioning or broken locks. HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY CRIMINAL PENALTIES: The governor, who was a longtime police officer and the former elected sheriff in Las Vegas, had vowed ahead of the session to crack down on crime. But his crime bill failed after last-minute changes were added and lawmakers ran out of time Monday night. It would have created stiffer penalties for certain crimes, including 'smash-and-grab' retail thefts and violent crimes against hospitality workers, a newly designated protected class under the proposal. OTHER ISSUES FILM TAX CREDITS: The closely watched bill backed by Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment failed. It would have given massive tax credits aimed at bringing film production to southern Nevada, including a 31-acre film studio in an affluent neighborhood west of the Las Vegas Strip. A similar bill failed in 2023. DEFINING ANTISEMITISM: Lawmakers approved a bill that creates a definition of antisemitism for state-led investigations into discrimination in housing, employment and other accommodations. It passed, but sparked a debate because some thought the definition was too broad and could limit free speech criticizing Israel. STATE LOTTERY: The proposal, backed by the powerful Culinary Workers Union that represents 60,000 hotel and casino workers, would have ended Nevada's longstanding ban on lotteries. It failed after the Legislature's first major deadline in April.
