Elections

In light of the media storm on election security, Senators Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address the issue. The proposed bill would provide federal dollars to States for updating their election cybersecurity.

In efforts to better defend the integrity of the election system, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will allow top state election officials – Secretaries of State and Election Directors – to apply for access to “secret” level clearance which would allow them to learn more about past, present and future election security information.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced last week that it will now be accepting submissions for its second-annual national competition best practices in election administration. This year the competition will coincide with the 15^th anniversary of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) – the legislation that established the EAC. This year’s categories were chosen specifically to celebrate the progress made since HAVA was passed.

Illinois has become the first state in the Midwest to offer automatic voter registration, a tool for increasing electoral participation already being tried in eight other states. SB 1933 received unanimous approval in the Illinois House and Senate. Under the measure, voters will be registered when they visit the Illinois secretary of state and other state agencies for services. Individuals will be able to opt out of the system.

In Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute the Supreme Court will decide whether federal law allows states and local governments to remove people from the voter rolls if the state or local government sends them a confirmation notice after they haven’t voted for two years, they don’t respond to the notice, and then they don’t vote in the next four years.

While Ohio is being sued in this case twelve other states use a similar process. The State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) filed an amicus brief in this case supporting Ohio.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) released its 2016 Post-Election Report to Congress.