Vote at Home | Weekly Roundup May 25, 2020
Republicans in the Senate have not closed the door on more election funding, but it’s uncertain what terms they’ll agree to and when. Sen. Blunt (R-MO), chairman of the Rules Committee (which oversees elections) said he expects the next package will include more money for elections. He is also looking into reducing the requirement that states provide a 20 percent match in order to access elections funding.
Conservative case for VAH: GOP Leaders Get Vote-by-Mail All Wrong. Michael Steele invites fellow Republicans to join Democrats in their commitment to give all Americans remote-voting options amidst the pandemic. “If rejecting vote-by-mail is part of a Republican strategy to win in November, it’s a short-sighted one. Old-line opposition to voting reform is only alienating GOP voters at a time when many Republican Senate candidates are lagging behind Democrats in fundraising and polling.”
Six Scenarios: 30 political scientists met virtually to discuss how the 2020 presidential election could “devolve into chaos.” The meeting was designed to come to an agreement over how potential election scenarios should be handled under the existing constitutional/statutory precedent (before the partisan narrative gets in the way). They didn’t reach an academic consensus (yikes).
Wisconsin joins Michigan in sending absentee ballot applications to 2.7 million registered voters for the November election. The motion, approved unanimously by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, will be paid for by federal funding set aside from the CARES Act passed in March. The decision follows a tumultuous April primary and a recent report from the Commission on significant challenges local election officials faced in scaling absentee systems.
What percent of ballots were cast by mail in 2018, you ask? Check out The Fulcrum’s new map. 24.8 percent of ballots were cast by mail in the 2018 midterm, though that number is not uniform across states. Perhaps unsurprisingly, full VAH states experience much higher mail ballot use compared to excuse-required states.
RNC sues CA to prevent mailing all registered voters ballots this November. The lawsuit says Gov. Newsom (D) exceeded his authority by signing an executive order earlier this month, which would allow all county election officials to send registered California voters a ballot this fall. Gov. Newsom argued he’s on firm legal ground because it’s his job to protect the public’s health, even while people are exercising their civic duty.
Super Junesday: Eight states and DC have a primary on Tuesday: Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maryalnd, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota