2 suspected Iranian hackers are charged with trying to intimidate U.S. voters
The US Department of Justice has charged two Iranian hackers with stealing the personal information of American voters in the 2020 election and spreading false information and threats. While the Department of Justice does not allege that these actions were taken on behalf of the Iranian government, it claims that the two hackers, pretending to be members of the white supremacist group known as “The Proud Boys,” sent emails to registered Democrats, threatening them with physical harm if they did not vote for Donald
Latino voting rights groups say proposed district maps don’t reflect California
Advocates for Latino voting rights in California have expressed concern that the preliminary drafts of California’s new congressional district maps, following the 2020 census, do not adequately reflect that demographics’ increased share of the voting age population. The preliminary map proposes 13 districts with majority-Latino populations, but advocates argue that 16 districts would be the truly proportional number given that Latinos make up 39% of the state’s population, and around one-third of its voting-age population. Visit The Sacramento Bee to learn more.Image Credit: The League
Hundreds arrested outside White House during second day of voting rights protests
Approximately 200 voters were arrested after protesting for voting rights reform outside the White House. Hundreds of protestors, among them the Reverend Doctor William Barber III and members of the Poor People’s Campaign, the League of Women Voters, and People for the American Way, marched on the White House demanding that President Biden take action. The group was confronted in Black Lives Matter Plaza by members of the National Park Service, where the mass arrests, marked by delayed processing and alleged misconduct, took place.
Utah lawmakers slam the brakes on a plan to expand alternative voting methods
A committee in the Utah State Legislature narrowly voted against advancing a proposal that would give municipalities the option of adopting the “approval voting” method as part of a pilot program. Approval voting, which has been used in Fargo, North Dakota and St. Louis, Missouri, allows voters to vote for as many candidates as they choose, and the victory is given to whomever wins the most votes in total. Advocates for the method are counting on a single state legislator to reintroduce the measure
Senate Republicans again block key voting rights bill
In the latest in a long series of legislative disappointments this year for advocates of federal voting rights, Senate Republicans have blocked a vote on another bill to protect access to the ballot. This amended version of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was the product of a compromise with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the only Republican in the chamber to lend the bill her vote. This latest defeat at the hands of Senate Republicans has prompted outraged reactions from various organizations, demanding