As the general election nears, a study from the think tank ThinkTennessee found the Volunteer State trails most neighboring states on voter registration and turnout rates.
In November 2022, Tennessee ranked 42nd in voter registration and 51st in turnout.
Dawn Schluckebier, advocacy and government relations director for ThinkTennessee, said the study identifies opportunities to increase civic engagement in urban and rural communities using voter registration data from the Secretary of State and average voter turnout rates from each county's last three presidential election cycles.
"Eighty percent of Tennessee's counties have a registration rate of 80% or higher," Schluckebier reported. "The nationwide voter registration rate in 2022 was at 84.42%. So just under half of Tennessee counties, about 49.5%, have a rate at that level or higher, using this data."
Schluckebier pointed out the counties with the lowest rates and registration are mostly rural, particularly In West and Upper East Tennessee. As of 2023, there were an estimated 156,000 unregistered residents in Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties.
Tennesseans must register to vote by Oct. 7 to participate in the Nov. 5 election. Schluckebier noted the state offers several options for citizens to register, such as opportunities at college campuses and voter drives at local events, festivals and high schools.
"We also have online voter registration in Tennessee," Schluckebier emphasized. "Even just messaging in those communities that if you have a Tennessee driver's license and access to the internet, whether at home or on your phone, wherever you are, you can get registered without even having to go anywhere."
Schluckebier acknowledged high registration rates do not necessarily result in high voter turnout rates. Rural Polk, Clay and Sevier counties have a voter registration rate of more than 88% but fewer than 60% of registered voters have cast recent ballots.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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As worries of election interference and intimidation grow in Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says election officials have been preparing to ensure they're ready in November.
But just last week, an Arizona judge rejected Fontes' request to delay a court order which blocks certain rules from the state's Elections Procedures Manual - outlining what people can do in and around polling places.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill says some of the provisions, which limit things like what people can wear and do, infringe on First Amendment rights.
Fontes said the manual creates a standard for all 15 counties, but the recent ruling could present challenges for voters.
"And losing that standard is really the problem because we could end up with chaos, we could end up with folks screaming and yelling at voters in line," said Fontes. "And some people, in some county, might say, they have 'a First Amendment right.' Well what about the voter standing in line?"
The recent ruling received praise from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club - which challenged the provisions, and claimed the 2023 Elections Procedures Manual "improperly placed protected political speech at risk of criminal prosecution."
But Fontes said voters should have the right to peacefully assemble in line under the First Amendment as well.
To those concerned, Fontes said folks can request an early ballot and drop it in the mail by October 24.
Many Arizona voters are also concerned about how election denialism will impact the election. Some candidates have already pledged that if they lose, it must mean the election was rigged. But Fontes said he feels election denialism is waning.
"I think one of the main reasons it is going away is because the business community is telling these folks, 'You're making Arizona look bad,'" said Fontes. "When you deny the elections, what you're saying is, 'This isn't a good place to do business; this isn't a good place to rely on your government.'"
Fontes said he and others will continue to condemn election denialism because it not only hurts democracy, but because it's also bad for business and will hinder economic growth in the Grand Canyon State.
Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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North Dakota's election laws are coming back into focus ahead of the 2024 vote and state officials have guidance for certain populations who might struggle to get information about ballot access.
North Dakota does not have voter registration but it requires individuals to show a valid state ID when requesting a ballot. Political analysts expect a strong showing of college-age voters this November. Under state law, a student can vote in their college town by updating an ID to reflect where they live while attending school. They must reside at the address for at least 30 days before voting.
Erika White, state election director for the Office of the North Dakota Secretary of State, said there is a relatively new twist for the student demographic.
"The North Dakota Legislature expanded the use of supplemental documentation to include student voting certificates," White explained. "If there is a North Dakota student away from home, they can bring in that student voting document."
The change, approved in 2021, applies to students whose hometown is within North Dakota. They can access the voting certificate through their "Campus Connection" portal. If a student chooses to vote in their home district or home state, and they won't travel to the precinct on Election Day, they can request an absentee ballot. Details are posted at Vote.ND.org.
Community service groups said North Dakota has increasingly been dealing with housing affordability issues. For those experiencing homelessness or housing instability, White reminded them they can still cast a ballot.
"All voters should be encouraged to vote," White urged. "We want to make sure that our qualified electors that have that valid identification are able to cast ballots and have access to the ballot box."
For voting situations involving the unhoused, the state transportation department provides a free nondriver ID. In a rural state like North Dakota, some local election administrators said there can be barriers to accessing ID cards. However, White said transportation officials try to make the process as easy as possible.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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There's evidence that respectful conversations about politics - while not changing hearts or minds - can lead to greater understanding on both sides. That's the goal of New Mexico's Braver Angels Alliance.
The local group is part of the larger national organization dedicated to political depolarization.
Albuquerque volunteer Pat Hirschl said often meetings cannot be held unless there's both a red co-chair and a blue co-chair, to guarantee equal engagement about difficult topics.
"Locally we've had workshops, we've had skills training for bridging the divide in which you try to help people see how they can talk to their neighbors or their families," said Hirschl. "There are families that are split apart by this division in the politics."
Braver Angels takes its name from a speech by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, when he encouraged both sides of the conflict to call on the "better angels" of their nature, rather than see each other as enemies.
Albuquerque's group will host a meetup at the Cherry Hills library this Thursday at 4 p.m. for a structured conversation on the topic of politics.
Hirschl said the meetings are not designed to get either side to agree with the other, but to recognize why people think the way they do based on their life experiences.
Across the country and in crucial swing states, Hirschl noted that independent voters are expected to play an outsize role in this year, and said leaders of the major parties would be smart to take notice.
"If they have any sense at all, both parties will reach out to those people who are not members of their party," said Hirschl. "So, we'll see - a ver que pasa - we'll see what happens."
The program for this year's Braver Angels national convention focused on four issues: abortion, economic inequality and growth, free speech versus hate speech, and immigration.
The nonprofit launched in 2016 and now has 120 chapters and some 12,000 members nationwide.
Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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