Free Republic

For years, the ways in which voters in New York have been stymied by the state’s antiquated voting laws have stood in stark contrast to the state’s liberal reputation. During last year’s contentious midterm elections, New York was the only state in the nation that held separate state and federal primary elections, a bifurcation that almost seemed designed to suppress voter turnout — which is generally thought to favor incumbents. Early voting? Voting by mail? Same-day voter registration? All are fairly basic voting policies now found in many states, but not in New York. But with Democrats now in control...

A federal judge on Monday night upheld North Carolina’s voter ID law, the Charlotte Observer reported. Judge Thomas Schroeder issued a 485-page ruling posted online Monday evening, dismissing all claims in the challenge to the state’s 2013 election law overhaul. Schroeder, appointed by George W. Bush, also upheld portions of the law that cut the number of days people could vote early and eliminated same-day registration and voting allowances. "This ruling further affirms that requiring a photo ID in order to vote is not only common-sense, it's constitutional," Gov. Pat McCrory said in a statement. Opponents immediately condemned the decision....

Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) want every state to offer same-day voter registration for federal elections. The Democratic senators have reintroduced the Same Day Registration Act, which would require states to allow voters to register on the day of an election. Ten states, plus the District of Columbia, currently allow eligible voters to do so, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In addition, the group notes that Illinois is expected to implement statewide same-day voter registration later this year. Advocates argue it can help increase voter turnout, while opponents say it increases the chances for...

Sweeping Illinois election law changes likely to be in place this fall mean it'll be easier to register, vote while away at college and cast an early ballot. Democrats say the relaxed rules will allow more people to exercise a basic democratic right, but Republicans are leery the moves are aimed at pumping up the Democratic vote in what has been a decidedly blue state. The changes are part of a measure lawmakers approved this spring that Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign into law this summer. The biggest one will allow same-day registration for the first time, meaning Illinois...

Madison - Ending election day registration would likely open the state to lawsuits from groups that believe agencies that administer public benefits aren't doing enough to sign people up to vote, the state's elections board was told Tuesday. Also Tuesday, the Government Accountability Board was told that a separate proposal to check whether voters are citizens would cost $1.2 million over five years but may identify few problems. Republicans who will control the Legislature starting next month are considering ending the ability of people to register to vote at the polls, though the idea has foundered lately because of concerns...

A new Civitas Institute study has confirmed what critics have been saying for years: North Carolina’s Same Day and Last-Minute Voter Registration processes are seriously flawed. The law allowed voters to register and vote during a one-stop early voting procedure called Same Day Registration (SDR). After the 2008 General Election, the State Board of Elections (SBOE) issued a favorable report echoing the glowing reviews of a focus group made up of the following liberal groups... According to one county, there were “numerous undeliverable voter registration cards returned after the canvass time-frame which allowed the voter’s vote to count and it...

...But 2004 included much more, eventually enough to trigger a joint probe by the local prosecutor and the U.S. attorney that turned up a mess of illegal voting but led to few prosecutions. Now, the Milwaukee Police Department's report serves up 67 pages of cases, addresses, numbers, and this conclusion: "The task force believes fraud was committed."... Police found that campaign workers brought to Wisconsin for the final days voted, though their homes to which they immediately returned were in other states.... Investigators' top recommendation is to ditch same-day registration. It simply doesn't allow time to catch mistakes or fraud.......