Voting in jail: Advocates work to make sure people in Michigan can cast a ballot
People who are awaiting trial and have not yet been sentenced to prison in Michigan have the right to vote, yet for a variety of reasons, most never get their hands on a ballot. Activists in Michigan are working with county sheriff’s offices and clerks to fix that.Visit the Detroit Free Press to learn more.
Early voting can start Oct. 13 as scheduled, Texas Supreme Court rules
The Texas Supreme Court ruled that early voting can begin as scheduled on October 13, rebuffing GOP challenges to limit it to two weeks during the pandemic.Visit the Texas Tribune to learn more.
Tennessee adjusts 1st-time voter ID law after court order
To comply with a court order in September, Tennessee has altered its identification requirements for most first-time voters voting by mail. First-time voters who wish to vote by mail will be allowed to include a photocopy of their proof of address with their ballot. Under Tennessee law, this does not need to have a photo. The state is also appealing the court’s decision.Visit AP News to learn more.
Feed the Polls organizing thousands of meals for 2020 voters in food-insecure areas
While many Americans are opting to vote by mail this election, many are also expected to cast their ballots in person. For some, this will require waiting in line for hours. Two non-partisan organizations, Feed the Polls (which is partnering with Zagat, The Infatuation, and The Migrant Kitchen) and Pizza the Polls (which is partnering with Uber Eats), are pledging to serve food to tens of thousands of voters and poll workers across the country on Election Day. Feed the Polls is specifically focusing
Federal judge refuses to stop mail-in voting in Montana, blasts Trump-backed ‘fiction’ of massive voter fraud
Federal District Judge Dana Christensen ruled against the Trump campaign’s effort to stop Montana’s new voting rules. The new rules, issued by Governor Steve Bullock, allows counties to switch to an essentially all-mail voting system for 2020. Bullock, a Democrat, is running against sitting Republican Senator Steve Daines this November. Visit CNN to learn more.