Texas Democrat leaves DC, returns to Austin for ‘good faith dialogue’ on voting bill
Having joined roughly 60 fellow Texas Democrats who travelled to Washington, D.C. in protest of Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s call to consider new voting policies, State Rep. Phillip Cortez has returned to Austin, TX. While Cortez continues to support his fellow lawmakers who remain in D.C., he says he has decided to work with a small group of Democrats in Texas who have opened discussion with state Republicans over a newly introduced voting bill. Gov. Abbot, who had threatened to arrest truant Democrats upon
Pennsylvania decertifies county’s voting system after audit
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid has decertified Fulton County’s voting systems after the thinly populated county submitted to an “audit” from an organization whom Degraffenreid holds was not authorized to examine the voting machines. Fulton County will now almost certainly have to purchase or rent new voting machines for the next election. While Fulton County acceded to pressure from GOP state lawmakers to submit to a “forensic investigation” of their machines, other Pennsylvania counties have refused. Visit Associated Press to learn more. Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Biden administration to spotlight voting rights Thursday as advocates push the President to do more
President Joe Biden will hold a private meeting in the White House, with a number of groups, concerning voting rights. Voting rights advocates have been calling for the President to do more for the issue since the Senate blocked an ambitious election reform bill last month. While Biden has announced that he intends to “speak extensively” on the matter and is considering “going on the road on this issue,” firm plans have yet to be announced. The groups President Biden will be meeting
Judge rejects attempt to stop parts of Georgia voting law
US District Judge J.P. Boulee has ruled against an attempt to overturn portions of a recent Georgia voting law. The Coalition for Good Governance, who filed the lawsuit, had hoped to invalidate, in time for upcoming state run-offs, a provision requiring voters to request absentee ballots at least 11 days before election day. While the effort to file an injunction before the run-offs has failed, the Coalition’s larger lawsuit against the voting law is still pending in federal court. Visit the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to learn more.
Texas lawmakers expected to discuss voting reform at special session after Supreme Court’s Arizona decision
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has called for the state legislature to open a special session, following the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold two Arizona laws that were recently challenged by voting rights advocates. It is expected that Abbot will ask legislators to consider further changes to Texas voting laws. This new session also comes after a dramatic walk-out was staged by Texas Democrats last May in protest of a voting bill they argued was discriminatory and unnecessarily restrictive. Democratic Representative Jessica Gonzalez of