skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Two dead after 2 small planes collide midair in AZ; New research offers solutions to address violence in MS; Frozen funds hurting farmers in MO, nation; Bill to legally protect pesticide companies could be coming to ID.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

State legislators chip away at early voting laws, the North Carolina Supreme Court election saga continues, and universal private school voucher programs expand nationwide, putting public school funding at risk.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Taos, NM sheriff won't comply with immigration enforcement that could erode public trust, NH worries that a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to vacation elsewhere, and Southern states promote workarounds to improve education.

Bans on private funding for elections factor big in voting-law analysis

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 20, 2024   

On the heels of its primary election, North Dakota has received a "fair" grade in an annual report examining voting laws for each state.

The Movement Advancement Project's analysis gives North Dakota high marks for policies such as voting rights for formerly incarcerated individuals and having an adequate early voting period.

Not having paid time off for voting and not requiring a postelection audit are among factors weighing down the grade.

Brian Hinkle, senior voting policy researcher for the project, also noted North Dakota is part of the wave of conservative-led legislatures to ban private grants for election administration.

"While there are reasonable arguments that elections are a public function, and therefore should be funded by the government, the reality is that states and local election offices still have to rely on inconsistent and limited federal funding," Hinkle pointed out. "These funding gaps are likely to persist."

Hinkle echoed other experts who said misinformation about voter fraud has played a role in scaling back funding sources. He warned while local offices still carry out fair elections, aging voting equipment and other constraints take their toll, which creates ripple effects, such as longer wait times at polling sites and vulnerability in protecting against foreign interference.

Nationally, Hinkle noted the project's latest report showed since 2020, 18 states have taken steps to expand voting access, while nearly half of the states have enacted tighter restrictions.

"I think it's evident that the continued polarization of states and the divergence highlighted in this report has the potential to sow confusion among voters and lead to potential disenfranchisement," Hinkle emphasized. "Particularly for marginalized groups, who already face barriers to the ballot box."

The project cited a lack of voter protections for North Dakota's Native populations. The state's long-debated Voter ID law is often described as an obstacle for tribal areas during elections.

Meanwhile, with the 2024 presidential election coming up, Hinkle predicted state legislatures will be very active early next year in updating voting policies based on any fallout, as there was after the 2020 vote.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Continuous glucose monitors are now used by most of the estimated 300,000 people in the United Staates who are younger than age 20 and living with Type 1 diabetes, according to health experts. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Phil Galewitz for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Florida News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Serv…


play sound

After thousands of homes and businesses burned in the Los Angeles fires, public health doctors are warning about the toxic pollution from plastics …

Social Issues

play sound

As Congress continues to threaten deep cuts to the Medicaid program, a new KFF report shows how some of the proposed changes could end coverage for …


Montana's Lewis and Clark Caverns were first protected by the Department of the Interior under President Teddy Roosevelt in 1908. Management was transferred to the state of Montana in 1937. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Over the last 120 years, U.S. presidents have used the Antiquities Act almost 300 times to recognize national monuments, protecting portions of …

play sound

New legislation would transition more ocean-going container ships to run off electricity instead of diesel while they are docked at Washington ports…

More than 7.5% of the Commonwealth's electricity comes from solar power. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Virginia lawmakers and clean air advocates are closely watching budget talks in Congress. They hope clean energy tax incentives, passed in previous …

Social Issues

play sound

As Mississippi grapples with chronic violence and unconstitutional conditions in its prisons, new research provides a roadmap for reducing harm and …

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021