#voting laws

[gothicvalentine]

Is 2024 the Last Election Women Can Vote If this Plot To Strip Women Of ...

This has some really important info. 

I was not aware that voter ID laws disproportionality affect women. In some states, you can be asked to present your birth certificate alongside your driver’s license, but if your birth certificate doesn’t match your ID exactly, you can be turned away.

Most married women take their husband’s last name and thus would be affected by this. Also, it is apparently required by law to formally change your name with your state even when you’ve been married. It’s technically illegal (this may vary by state) to just start using your husband’s last name. 

Apparently it’s never enforced, but this content creator is concerned that in the states with the strictest voter ID requirements, the states might start enforcing this type of thing in order to keep women from voting. Considering, of course, that women are expected to be the ones who will turn up to vote in droves due to all the anti abortion laws being enacted and the talks of a nationwide ban being the next step in the republican playbook. Because they think those damn women should just shut up and do what they’re told. And it’s not right that some of them can still travel out of state to get an abortion. /s

[ausetkmt]

https://x.com/LqLana/status/1702044194422866153?t=Qf8T3he5bFxB_oms4lIJJA&s=09

[trendynewsnow]

The Legal Risks of Sharing Ballot Selfies on Election Day

Think Twice Before Sharing Your Ballot Selfie Your hair might be styled to perfection, and the spirit of democracy may be pumping through your veins, but before you hit “post” on that selfie with your completed ballot this Election Day, consider the legal implications. In 13 states, ballot selfies are prohibited, as highlighted in a recent report by the nonprofit organization Lawyers for Good…

[nobody-2024-dao]

The State of Voting in America 2024

What do you think about the current state of voting in America? Voting is the cornerstone of any democracy, serving as the primary means by which citizens influence government policy and leadership. In America, however, the state of voting is increasingly dire. Voter suppression, outdated infrastructure, and political resistance to reform are pervasive issues that threaten the integrity of the…

[inkskinned]

"don't make it political!" .... what proportion of death and suffering must occur before politics are involved. if this isn't political, what is even the point of any politics, ever. of democracy. the words are "by the people for the people." if i am going to be left alone by my elected representatives to "figure it out" - to undergo damage, hardship, fear. what the fuck did i elect them for. what was their job. the entire point is that they handle this shit. this is why we were supposed to be electing leaders.

poverty is political. misogyny is political. gun control is political. climate change is political. how much aid a community gets is political. what the fuck are you talking about. it's been political this whole fucking time.

[natecoumbe31]

Mississippi elections are broken

Tuesday was the Mississippi Primary Election, and like a good citizen, I turned out to vote.  I hate voting in primaries in this state. But this week, it was especially humiliating.  As usual, I drove to the church, walked inside, and approached the table to check in. And like usual, I had to identify as either Democrat or Republican (even though I was hoping things might have changed). Now,…

[destielmemenews]

"The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, said the band was also objecting to Trump’s use of the song because members Jack White and Meg White “vehemently oppose the policies adopted and actions taken by Defendant Trump when he was President and those he has proposed for the second term he seeks.”

Several prominent musicians have previously criticized Trump for using their songs at rallies. Last week, a federal judge in Atlanta ruled that Trump and his campaign must stop using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” after a lawsuit from the estate of Isaac Hayes Jr."

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[gwydionmisha]

Let's talk about Pennsylvania and a trend in voting....

[philosopherking1887]

More good things the Biden administration is doing: OSHA heat safety rules for workers

Remember when Texas and Florida passed laws preventing local and municipal governments from implementing their own heat safety rules and said that if heat is such a big problem, OSHA should make rules that apply to everyone? If not, NPR can remind you. OSHA has now accepted the challenge, moving much faster than they usually do:

OSHA National News Release U.S. Department of Labor July 2, 2024 Biden-Harris administration announces proposed rule to protect indoor, outdoor workers from extreme heat WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has released a proposed rule with the goal of protecting millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat. If finalized, the proposed rule would help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the workplace. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Excessive workplace heat can lead to heat stroke and even death. While heat hazards impact workers in many industries, workers of color have a higher likelihood of working in jobs with hazardous heat exposure. “Every worker should come home safe and healthy at the end of the day, which is why the Biden-Harris administration is taking this significant step to protect workers from the dangers posed by extreme heat,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “As the most pro-worker administration in history, we are committed to ensuring that those doing difficult work in some of our economy’s most critical sectors are valued and kept safe in the workplace.” The proposed rule would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. Among other things, the plan would require employers to evaluate heat risks and — when heat increases risks to workers — implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat. It would also require a plan to protect new or returning workers unaccustomed to working in high heat conditions. “Workers all over the country are passing out, suffering heat stroke and dying from heat exposure from just doing their jobs, and something must be done to protect them,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas L. Parker. “Today’s proposal is an important next step in the process to receive public input to craft a ‘win-win’ final rule that protects workers while being practical and workable for employers.” Employers would also be required to provide training, have procedures to respond if a worker is experiencing signs and symptoms of a heat-related illness, and take immediate action to help a worker experiencing signs and symptoms of a heat emergency. The public is encouraged to submit written comments on the rule once it is published in the Federal Register. The agency also anticipates a public hearing after the close of the written comment period. More information will be available on submitting comments when the rule is published. In the interim, OSHA continues to direct significant existing outreach and enforcement resources to educate employers and workers and hold businesses accountable for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s general duty clause, 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1) and other applicable regulations. Record-breaking temperatures across the nation have increased the risks people face on-the-job, especially in summer months. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more suffer illnesses related to hazardous heat exposure that, sadly, are most often preventable. The agency continues to conduct heat-related inspections under its National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards, launched in 2022. The program inspects workplaces with the highest exposures to heat-related hazards proactively to prevent workers from suffering injury, illness or death needlessly. Since the launch, OSHA has conducted more than 5,000 federal heat-related inspections. In addition, the agency is prioritizing programmed inspections in agricultural industries that employ temporary, nonimmigrant H-2A workers for seasonal labor. These workers face unique vulnerabilities, including potential language barriers, less control over their living and working conditions, and possible lack of acclimatization, and are at high risk of hazardous heat exposure.

[reasonsforhope]

"Georgia Republicans bundled over a dozen measures that targeted the state’s transgender residents into omnibus packages in a desperate attempt to get them passed. In a stunning defeat for the GOP, every single one of them failed.

Legislators gutted bills that had passed through committee and instead stuffed them full of their anti-LGBTQ+ wishlist items.

Bills that would ban transgender students from playing on teams aligned with their gender identity, ban transgender students from bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, opt parents into notification for every book a student checks out of the library, bar sex education before sixth grade, make all sex-ed classes opt-in and expand obscenity laws to make it easier to ban books with LGBTQ+ content all failed.

“MAGA politicians in Georgia tried it all in service to their anti-LGBTQ+ agenda,” said Human Rights Campaign Georgia State Director Bentley Hudgins, “including silencing debate and gutting unrelated, popular bills that had bipartisan support to ram through policies that would have put young LGBTQ+ Georgians in harm’s way. They failed.”

“It’s undeniable that the tides are shifting, both here in Georgia and across the nation,” Georgia Equality executive director Jeff Graham added. “Anti-LGBTQ actors are losing their political power, and more and more Georgians who know and love LGBTQ people are standing up against their baseless fear-mongering.”

In Florida recently, nearly two dozen anti-LGBTQ+ bills were defeated in the wake of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s (R) presidential campaign implosion, dozens of measures in Virginia were tabled [Note: In the US, "tabled" means "shelved" or "taken out of consideration - the opposite of its meaning in the UK and other places], and Ohio’s governor backed off his attempt to restrict gender-affirming care access for transgender adults and minors. 

Meanwhile, in D.C., Democrats successfully excised 50 anti-LGBTQ+ provisions in the two budget bills passed and signed by President Joe Biden to fund the federal government.

Even Fox News has been forced to acknowledge transgender issues are among the lowest-priority concerns among voters."

-via LGBTQ Nation, April 1, 2024

[huenistar]

block me if u support trump idgaf.

im actually done with this dumb fucks who support trump for the stupidest reasons

“groceries!!” no abortion!!! no more rights!!!

“kamala harris doesn’t support god or wtv” trump has a BIBLE of his self. is that not blasphemy?

any reason u have makes no sense and if u DARE to speak about trump in a positive way on my blog you will be blocked idgaf. fuck you and fuck ur family

[cometrose]

trump may be a lying felon and biden a foot away from death but my fellow americans don’t forget to vote for your senators and representatives they’re important!!!

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

UPDATE:

A judge ruled that Georgia law allows Saturday voting before the runoff for U.S. Senate, finding that polling places can open even though they follow state holidays on Thanksgiving and the day afterward that years ago honored Robert E. Lee’s birthday.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox decided Friday that state law permits counties to offer voting Nov. 26, finding in favor of Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s campaign in a lawsuit.

County governments may now choose to offer residents an opportunity to vote on that Saturday in addition to five mandatory weekdays of voting the following week.

The judge’s order reversed Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s interpretation that state law barred Saturday voting before the Dec. 6 runoff between Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.

The plaintiffs argued in court Friday that the law barring Saturday voting after holidays only applies to regularly scheduled elections — not Georgia’s quick runoff election that leaves limited early voting opportunities.

“Eliminating that day of weekend voting reduces voting opportunities,” said Uzoma Nkwonta, an attorney for the Warnock campaign, the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “The court does not need to find that voting opportunities have been eliminated entirely to demonstrate that there’s been an impairment or infringement or burden on the right to vote.”

Cox had questioned why local election offices couldn’t offer Saturday voting after a holiday as they did in the last U.S. Senate runoffs two years ago.

At the time, early voting was allowed Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, the day after Christmas when over 15,600 voters in three counties cast their ballots on

“I work during the week, and on the weekend you have more time. There are other Georgians who may only have limited time off, and that may be Saturday. What do you say to that?” Cox asked an attorney for the state.

Charlene McGowan, an assistant attorney general representing the state, responded that Sunday voting is available in counties that choose to offer it, giving voters flexibility on a weekend.

“There are many options available to voters so that no one’s right to vote is being denied here,” McGowan said. “It may be more convenient for some voters to offer a Saturday voting day, but again, that is not the issue before the court.”

An attorney for the plaintiffs said the Georgia General Assembly in 2017 specifically removed the word “runoff” from a law preventing Saturday voting after a holiday, indicating that lawmakers intended for it to be permitted.

Initially, Raffensperger had said that early voting would be available on Saturday, Nov. 26, but his office later reversed course. A bulletin issued last weekend said state law prohibits Saturday voting on that day.

The limitation on Saturday voting after state holidays was passed in 2016, but it was never an issue in runoffs before this year.

Previously, runoffs were held nine weeks after the general election, but Georgia’s voting law passed last year moved runoffs to four weeks after the initial election, creating a scheduling conflict with holidays during Thanksgiving week.

The Republican-majority General Assembly shortened the runoff period after Democrats Warnock and Jon Ossoff won their elections to the Senate, giving their party control of the chamber.

With less time before runoffs, there are also fewer days of early voting available.

Before general and primary elections, 17 days of early voting are required. Before runoffs, five days are mandated.

State law requires early voting to end the Friday before election day, which prevents voting on the Saturday immediately before the election as well as the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

For decades until late 2015, Georgia had a state holiday on the day after Thanksgiving memorializing Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general during the Civil War.

Gov. Nathan Deal changed the day’s name to a more neutral title, “State Holiday,” which is still observed on the same day of the calendar.

You can read the judge's order in full here.