Absentee Minded

This Week in Democracy?

• At the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Trump once again lied about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and refused to accept the results of the 2020 election. Trump later wrote on social media that he would not debate Harris again. JD Vance and Tim Walz, the nominees for vice president, are scheduled to debate on Oct. 1 on CBS News.? ?

• Judge Scott McAfee denied former Trump lawyer John Eastman’s motion to dismiss the racketeering charge in the Georgia election interference case. McAfee also agreed to dismiss three other charges.? ?

?? READ: The Georgia charges, explained ? ?

• A Delaware judge scheduled a trial to begin on Sept. 30 in Smartmatic’s defamation case against Newsmax. Smartmatic, which makes voting machines, is suing Newsmax over false claims the network aired that its machines rigged the 2020 election. Smartmatic settled a similar case in April with One America News Network.? ?

• At a hearing held by the U.S. House Administration Committee, a bipartisan panel of six secretaries of state testified about how they are preparing to ensure the November election is secure. The secretaries also spoke about threats and disinformation that election workers are facing.? ?

• The general election is officially underway. Officials in Alabama began mailing absentee ballots to voters on Wednesday. You can check your voter registration status and see what voting options are available to you at CanIVote.org .? ?

?? VISIT: CanIVote.org ? ?

Absentee Minded??

The 2024 general election is underway. Election officials in Alabama mailed out absentee ballots this week to eligible voters who requested them. “We’re ready to go,” an Alabama deputy county clerk told The Associated Press .???

Those ballots went out one day after what may be the last presidential debate of this cycle. At that debate, former President Donald Trump repeated some familiar lies about elections, both past and present.??

So, here’s the truth: Voting in the 2024 election is safe and secure—no matter how or when you vote.?

Soon, Americans will be taking advantage of those options in great numbers. Voting by mail will expand to more than a dozen other states in the next two weeks. A handful of states will offer in-person early voting this month, with many more to follow in October. (Check with your state and local election officials for details.) And tens of millions of Americans will vote in person on Election Day.?

Each of these methods of voting enjoy broad trust among the public. That’s in large part because of dedicated election workers in communities across the country, and the time-tested processes that keep our elections free, fair, and secure.?

As the election season begins, voters can be confident that this time will be no different.?

State of the States?

In Michigan, the state supreme court ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name will remain on general election ballots. “We’re grateful to the Michigan Supreme Court for their swift response,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said. “Clerks can now move forward with the ballot printing process to ensure absentee ballots will be delivered to voters by the federal deadlines.”?

?In North Carolina, the state supreme court ruled that Kennedy’s name must be removed from general election ballots. County boards of elections had prepared to begin mailing ballots to voters last week but delayed doing so until the supreme court issued a decision. Ballots are currently being reprinted , and North Carolina voters will only receive the revised ballots.?

In the News?

• The New York Times: Trump Urges Police Officers to Watch for Voter Fraud ? ?

Katie Reisner, a senior counsel at States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan organization focused on elections, said that election officials and the police had been working for years to strengthen community relations around policing and elections, and that such encouragement from Mr. Trump could disrupt years of work and planning.? ?

“The idea of Trump telling the Fraternal Order of Police to take matters into their own hands and kind of go rogue, it’s certainly not a positive from a healthy elections standpoint,” Ms. Reisner said. “But it’s also really counter to a lot of work that’s happening in a lot of jurisdictions to make sure that law enforcement are both adhering to the law and not surprising their communities on Election Day or during voting.”? ?

• NPR: How Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for a post-election legal fight ?

GROSS: What role are police supposed to play in an election?? ?

CORASANITI: The way that it’s been described to me by a lot of, you know, kind of democracy groups is a willing partner to kind of help make sure everything is safe while also making sure that their presence isn’t necessarily felt. The police can have an intimidating effect on a lot of communities. So, you know, I think it’s the States United [Democracy] Center has an actual guide that they did with Georgetown Law, outlining steps that police officers could take, being in constant contact with local election officials, asking them what they need, how they can help, while also not trying to be too proactive. They do definitely play an important role when something gets out of hand. And, you know, as we were talking about earlier with all the threats to election officials, law enforcement is, you know, a big partner in making sure those election officials are safe and voters are safe at the polls.? ?

• Vanity Fair: Melinda French Gates Embraces a New Era and Gets Political—Even When It’s Uncomfortable ? ?

… Pivotal partners include Vote Mama Lobby, launched in 2022 to harness the political power of Democratic moms; the Pipeline Fund, which aims to strengthen a network of diverse progressive leaders with research and funding; and the States United Democracy Center, which combats disinformation and protects voting rights.? ?

• The Washington Post: Feds increase security for Jan. 6 in effort to prevent Capitol attack repeat ? ?

• The Washington Post: Trump, Republicans push swing-state courts to reject mail-in ballots ? ?

• ABC News: JD Vance says [he] wouldn’t have certified 2020 race until states submitted pro-Trump electors ? ?

• Reuters: Republican ‘noncitizen’ push could penalize US voters, official warns ? ?

• Arizona’s Family: Maricopa County increases polling locations, staffing amid predicted historic turnout ? ?

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Republican lawsuit tries to stop new Georgia Election Board rules ? ?

• The Associated Press: Local Republican official in Michigan promises to certify election results after being sued ? ?

• Scripps News: Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt debunks election disinformation ? ?

• The Associated Press: The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a case on the future of the state’s elections leader ?

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