A majority of Connecticut voters have elected to allow early voting in the state. Though a similar ballot initiative failed in 2014, this time 60% of Connecticut voters approved the amendment.

The goal is to provide people with greater ability to vote. Before, Connecticut was one of four states to not allow early voting.

Helen Humphreys, communications coordinator for the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, noted the biggest drawback of single-day voting is lack of access. She thinks cities will see direct benefits to adding early voting.

"I've voted in Suffield, and I've voted in Bridgeport, and the experience was very different," Humphreys recounted. "In Suffield, you walk in and out; in Bridgeport, I waited in line for over an hour to vote. So, I think especially for those in cities and high population areas, this is going to be a huge benefit, because it will give them the opportunity to vote when they can."

Passing with a modest majority, the new amendment already faces a legal challenge from a New Britain woman who claims it is unconstitutional. Humphreys disagrees, after speaking with some legal experts in the state. Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, R-Wolcott, and Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, both wanted more checks and balances in the state early-voting bill to prevent voter fraud.

Humphreys acknowledged implementing the rules for early voting will be a matter of balance. She wants to ensure people have enough time to vote, while towns and poll workers are not overburdened. She noted the change will help those who might not have the time to go out and vote on Election Day.

"People want a voting system that meets the needs of Connecticut families today," Humphreys contended. "Really, it's clear Connecticut voters want more opportunities to exercise their right to vote. It's something that I think will benefit a lot of people who aren't available on one specific Tuesday in November."

In November 2024, Connecticut voters will be asked to add an amendment about no-excuse absentee voting. It would mean any voter can request a mail-in ballot, rather than having to submit an application to receive a ballot.

A Republican-sponsored bill in the Arkansas Legislature would make it illegal to circulate petitions at or near polling places during elections.

House Bill 1025 would amend the state law about circulating petitions to limit signature-gathering within 100 feet of the primary entrance to a polling place. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, and Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock.

Bonnie Miller, president of the League of Women Voters of Arkansas, said the bill appears to be a remedy in search of a problem. She said there haven't been any issues around circulating petitions as people are voting.

"This is his next attempt to try to make the people's constitutional right to direct democracy in Arkansas much more difficult," she said. "We, the League of Women Voters, we believe that it is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, of our right to free speech, and to petition."

Miller said the 100-foot limit that currently exists is for candidates, to prohibit what's known as electioneering. She said voters circulating a petition are not the same thing. When Arkansans vote in a general election, she said, any issue would have already gone through a rigorous process to get onto the ballot - so there would be no reason to circulate petitions or gather signatures at a voting location. She contended that this may be another way to intimidate groups or chip away at the democratic process.

"It's not really something that happens already, because the timing just doesn't make sense with elections, and direct democracy, the whole process," she said. "I don't understand the reasoning behind this bill, except for just continue to attack it, in whatever way that they can."

It's unknown whether HB 1025 has bipartisan support, as it is newly introduced.

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

According to AmeriCorps' latest research, Utah was the state with the highest number of residents volunteering with nonprofits in their communities from September 2020 through 2021.

Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps, said those in the Beehive State and across the country had to find innovative ways to give back to their communities during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the data, about 40% of Utahns regularly volunteered with nonprofit organizations, which classifies as formal volunteering. Smith pointed out the number jumped to 61% when looking at how people from Utah helped in informal ways, such as doing favors for neighbors.

"To put that in context, we got 23% for formal and 51% for informal," Smith reported. "Those rates were pretty high, and it shows why we need to do this research. We need to study what was happening. What was the secret sauce?"

The research is conducted every two years in a joint effort between AmeriCorps and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Smith emphasized the research showed cause for concern and celebration. For the first time since the agencies started tracking the data in 2002, there was a 7% dip in the number of Americans engaging in formal volunteering. He added informal help remained strong and steady.

Smith admitted he was a bit nervous in receiving the numbers from the latest research, since he knew the COVID-19 pandemic would likely mean many were not able to volunteer as in previous years. He explained AmeriCorps was not shocked to see a dip in formal volunteering, but it was greater than expected.

At the same time, he added he was pleased to see when the going got tough, Americans really showed up for one another.

"We saw neighbors creating learning pods so that children of first responders could have a place to go and learn in a safe place," Smith recounted. "We saw folks saying 'I'm going to the grocery store. Anyone who can't get out to the grocery store in my apartment building, I'll go and get that done.' "

Smith hopes formal volunteering will rise again, but stressed AmeriCorps will be looking at ways to remove barriers to get even more Americans volunteering and civically engaged. He noted the need for volunteers within nonprofits is at an all-time high, which can also become a pipeline for employees in the social sector.

Some Nevada Democrats said the state's new Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo missed the mark on addressing key issues and putting forth solutions during his State of the State speech.

Lombardo will have to work with a Democratic-controlled Assembly, which could lead to partisan disagreements in the upcoming session.

Asw. Selena Torres, D-Las Vegas, a member of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus, said in her eyes, Lombardo failed to address crucial issues for the state, including health care, housing, public safety and clean energy. Torres noted Lombardo did not speak on what he plans to do to help Latino families in Nevada, which according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is the second-largest demographic in the state.

"He focused a lot on what he is going to do for wealthy corporations and wealthy families in the State of Nevada," Torres pointed out. "But I think we're missing key elements of what he is planning to do for the working-class families in our community."

Lombardo did lay out plans to put away a hefty amount of state dollars in savings, cut gas and payroll taxes and increase public school spending, as well as expand the controversial school-choice program, something for which he received praise from fellow Republicans.

Torres pointed out the Latino Caucus priorities this session will surround health care, education, language access and housing.

She argued Lombardo failed to touch on a number of health care-related issues she sees as paramount, such as bringing more health care providers to the state. She also said abortion is top of mind for Nevadans and voters across the country.

"He had no plan for protecting women's health or reproductive rights, and obviously this was a critical issue for voters at the ballot box this election cycle. So, it really was disheartening to see that, you know, these issues were not focused on."

Torres added she and other members of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus are ready and willing to work with those across the aisle on a number of issues to help Nevadans.