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Wednesday, October 9, 2024

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Hurricane Milton makes landfall near Siesta Key; expected to remain a hurricane as it moves across central FL; Groups file an emergency lawsuit to reopen FL voter registration amid hurricanes; ND wildfires: Heavy damage to cropland; importance of early warnings; Report: 67 PA counties boom for low unemployment, job growth, wage increase.

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President Biden denounces disinformation about federal disaster response. Experts address concerns about how hurricanes impact voting, and activists left and right question VP Harris' stance on meat.

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Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month, and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.

Alabama court ruling protects voting rights for thousands

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Wednesday, August 28, 2024   

A new court order in Alabama has blocked the enforcement of House Bill 100, ensuring people with past felony convictions can vote in the November election.

The law would have expanded the list of crimes resulting in losing voting rights, potentially disenfranchising thousands. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge James H. Anderson's decision clarified eligible voters will not be turned away at the polls.

Ellen Boettcher, legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, calls the ruling, along with guidance from Attorney General Steve Marshall, a major victory for those determined to make their voices heard.

"Attorney General Marshall also issued guidance to all Alabama district attorneys, instructing them not to enforce HB 100 until after the election," Boettcher explained.

The ruling comes after the center, alongside Alabama attorney J. Mitch McGuire, filed a lawsuit in July challenging the measure. The law, they argued, could have caused widespread confusion among voters who have felony convictions and election officials right before the November election.

Boettcher made it clear the order only affects the upcoming election but added the law will be enforceable in future elections.

"If they're impacted by HB100, they are not eligible to register or vote in future elections after the November election until they receive something called a certificate of eligibility to register to vote," Boettcher noted. "That's a certificate provided by the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles."

She encouraged people with felony convictions who are unsure of their voting eligibility to use the Campaign Legal Center's "Restore Your Vote" tool.


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Hurricane Milton grew to become a major hurricane on the morning of Oct. 7, 2024. (AWS S3 Explorer/Wikimedia Commons)

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