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What Stops Political Campaigns From Forging Signatures? Not Much.
Theresa Greenfield’s campaign for Congress ended in March because the Iowa Democrat’s campaign manager forged signatures to get her on the primary ballot. States have developed different methods to root out forgeries in the petition process. Theresa Greenfield Theresa Greenfield’s campaign for Congress ended in March — not because she lost the Democratic primary in […]
Amid DACA Uncertainty, States Open Professions to ‘Dreamers’
Dania Cervantes Ayala was brought to the country illegally as a child and will soon become a nurse in Nebraska. Indiana just became the latest state to allow “Dreamers” to apply for professional licenses. Kent Sievers, Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald via AP OMAHA, Neb. — Dania Cervantes Ayala is the kind of nurse you want when […]
Trump-Approved Budget Short on Election Security, Counties Say
A voter and her daughter cast a ballot in North Las Vegas during the 2016 presidential election. Nevada is one of the few states that have provided funding to counties to buy new election equipment. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the location of Mercer County within the state […]
Thousands Lose Right to Vote Under ‘Incompetence’ Laws
When he turned 18, Greg Demer lost his right to vote because of his autism, joining thousands of other people with mental disabilities who were stripped of the right during guardianship proceedings. More than a decade later, a different judge returned to him the right to vote. Linda Demer Like many people with autism, Greg […]
Is Your County Elections Clerk Ready for Russian Hackers?
Voters use electronic voting machines at a polling place in Columbus, Ohio. Local officials across the country are trying to shore up their cybersecurity defenses ahead of the midterms in November. John Minchillo/The Associated Press The weakest link in any local voting system is that one county clerk who’s been on the job for three […]
Students Nationwide to Walk Out as Trump Says States Should Lead on Guns
Thousands of high school students hold a rally after they walked out of their schools and marched to the Minnesota state Capitol last week. Thousands more will walk out of their schools Wednesday. Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune via AP While President Donald Trump has decided to let states decide on many gun control measures, thousands […]
Voter Frustrations in the First Primary of 2018
Texas state Sen. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat, tries to reach officials to fix polling machines and allow constituents to vote at a community center in Houston. She, along with many other voters, had difficulty voting in the primary Tuesday. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle As voters in Texas went to the polls in the first primary […]
Hundreds of New State Gun Laws: Most Expand Access
After 17 people were killed at a high school in Parkland, Florida, gun control advocates say they have momentum to enact new state laws. But in the years since the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, more state laws have actually expanded access to guns. Gerald Herbert/The Associated Press In the two weeks since the Florida school […]
Tennessee Gov Says He’d Support Bump Stock Ban, Raising Age to Buy AR-15s
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, here speaking on Capitol Hill in Washington last year, said Friday he wants to ban bump stocks and increase the age to buy guns. Haslam is one of several Republicans that have proposed moderate gun-control measures in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, high school massacre. Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press […]
Voting Lines Are Shorter — But Mostly for Whites
Voters in Phoenix, seen here waiting for polls to open at dawn in November 2016, had to wait as long as four hours to vote during the presidential primary earlier that year. Minority communities have not benefited as much as white communities have from innovations to shorten lines. Matt York, The Associated Press On the […]
How Voters With Disabilities Are Blocked From the Ballot Box
A South Carolina voter, prevented from entering a polling place by her physical disability, receives assistance from a poll worker on the day of the state’s 2016 Democratic presidential primary. More people with disabilities are encountering barriers to voting, a problem that is being exacerbated by the widespread return to paper ballots. Gerald Herbert, The […]
Homeless Will Now Be Asked: Are You Fleeing Domestic Violence?
Two volunteers interview a homeless man during the 2017 Point-in-Time count in Miami. This year’s count, for the first time, will ask people if they are homeless because of domestic violence. Lynne Sladky, The Associated Press In its annual count of the city’s homeless population, New York in 2015 listed how many people fit into […]