CROSBY, N.D. -- North Dakota's county auditors are busy this fall preparing property tax bills, but they also have elections in the back of their minds, and some wonder if the challenges they faced in 2020 will resurface next spring.
The 2020 vote saw North Dakota shift to all mail-in voting for last year's primary due to the pandemic. Offices also reported a harder time recruiting poll workers because of health risks tied to COVID.
Gayle Jastrzebski, auditor and treasurer of Divide County, said amid another COVID wave, it is unclear how much the crisis will impact voting for next June's primary. She noted even though there was a slight return to normal last November, a lot of ballots were still mailed in.
"Even in the fall, when we had the one precinct open, three-fourths of our voters voted by mail-in, still," Jastrzebski pointed out.
She now wonders about preparing again for strong demand for absentee ballots. In last year's primary, the Secretary of State waived a requirement for counties to keep at least one polling location open, with all 53 adopting the mail-in approach. The office said it does not anticipate a similar move next spring.
Meanwhile, Jastrzebski acknowledged older poll workers might opt to sit out the June primary if case levels remain high.
Debbie Nelson, auditor of Grand Forks County, said getting enough people to work at polling locations remains a concern, especially if the pandemic stretches well into 2022. She emphasized it is not just hard on administrators. It could also discourage some people from casting their ballot if staffs are overwhelmed.
"(If) people have to wait in line too long, they will not vote," Nelson observed. "So, we want to make sure we do not have long lines. "
Past research from the Brennan Center for Justice has found that long lines can have an impact on voter turnout.
Nelson stressed fortunately for her, she was able to address poll-worker shortages in 2020 through a national website, which helps with recruitment in each state. She hopes it can be effective next year as well.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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New polling found an overwhelming majority, 85% of Americans believe abortion access should be allowed in some situations.
Two years ago in the weeks following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, West Virginia passed a near-total ban on abortion with exceptions in certain cases for rape or incest, or medical emergencies.
Emily Womeldorff, constituency engagement specialist for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Morgantown, said it is now nearly impossible for people in West Virginia to access abortion care. Most are now forced to travel to neighboring states.
"That can look like a lot of things," Womeldorff pointed out. "It can look like having to take additional time off of work, finding child care, assuming that you have transportation, paying for that."
More people are traveling farther and across multiple state lines to access abortion, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. The group's U.S. Abortion Provision Dashboard said since the Roe v. Wade decision, more than 800 West Virginians have traveled to Maryland for abortion care, more than 600 to Pennsylvania, and more than 200 to Ohio.
Womeldorff noted while she believes the people of West Virginia would make the decision to protect abortion rights, the state is among more than two dozen to have banned citizen-led initiatives or amendments on a statewide ballot, despite calls for a petition allowing voters to decide whether full abortion access should be legal. Womeldorff explained under current law, the legislature would have to pass a ballot measure.
"Unfortunately, we have a very hostile anti-abortion legislature at the moment, who would I highly doubt be willing to vote to put it on the ballot and let people decide," Womeldorff asserted. "Because they have a vested interest in not letting people make those decisions for themselves."
Voters in a handful of states, including neighboring Kentucky and Ohio, have chosen to protect the right to an abortion through ballot measures.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Former president Donald Trump is vowing to eliminate or alter thousands of government jobs if he wins this November, which could have a big effect on Virginia.
One major change would be gutting civil service protections, which aim to keep millions of federal employees performing day-to-day jobs away from political influence.
Donald Sherman, chief council for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said it is important for the government to function for all people.
"You can understand why you want to have government food inspectors or government highway technicians who have, not just years, but decades of expertise," Sherman pointed out. "And, you know, have loyalty to their craft as opposed to loyalty to a particular politician."
A plan for the Trump Administration put together by a right-wing think tank, called Project 2025, calls to reclassify tens of thousands of employees as political appointees. Labor groups are worried it could dismantle nonpartisan bureaucracy by cutting jobs, taking away union rights, lowering pay and privatizing some federal departments. Trump said it is exactly what he has to do to "drain the swamp" and restore America's trust in government.
Virginia has more than 140,000 federal employees. Only California has a higher number. Sherman emphasized civil service protections also protect Americans from corruption.
"You want to make sure that if you are a person in need of assistance from the Department of Justice or the Department of Housing and Urban Development that you know there's not someone on the line asking you, 'Well, before I offer you assistance, what's your political party?'" Sherman noted.
Vice President Kamala Harris has advocated for unions in the public sector. She has also looked to improve hiring practices, salaries and health care benefits for government workers.
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Election Day is a little more than two months away and North Dakotans turned off by the political environment are urged to consider their long-term health as possible motivation to re-engage with the voting process.
Over the past few years, organizations such as the American Medical Association have emphasized voting is a social determinant of health.
Craig Burns, clinical assistant professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, specializes in social work and said it is especially true for marginalized populations. For example, he said a candidate's stance on local zoning laws and key services might resonate with a person's need to establish a better quality of life.
"Whether people have access to an affordable grocery store that sells healthy produce or whether they have access to safe transportation," Burns outlined.
Combined with more commonly discussed issues such as jobs, Burns pointed out all the factors play a role in shaping health outcomes. He added if people feel like their voice doesn't matter, they should know local races, including legislative seats, are sometimes decided by just a few votes.
For those who need guidance in researching candidate platforms, Burns noted websites such as Vote411.org often provide a comprehensive, nonpartisan breakdown of where a politician stands on key issues. He added reaching out to the campaign staff for answers is another option.
"Always let the candidate know you're a voter in their district," Burns recommended. "That'll, kind of, perk up their ears a little bit."
Burns, who has helped lead regional civic engagement efforts in past elections, argued how a candidate views environmental regulations is another topic worth exploring. He pointed to the tainted water scandal in Flint, Michigan, from a decade ago as an example. Researchers said the crisis stemmed from state and federal policy failures.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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