February, 2009
Below are stories from February, 2009 related to election law developments from across the country. The links below will open in a new window and will direct you to sites that are not affiliated with Election Law @ Moritz or the Moritz College of Law. They are subject to change, and some may expire or require registration as time passes. (See Archives | Recent Headlines)
February 1, 2009
- - Oklahoma senator introduces voter ID bill
- Idaho - Republicans Decide to Renew Fight to Close Primary
- Minnesota - In Senate trial, Coleman turns to Bush v. Gore
- Minnesota - In Senate trial, Coleman turns to Bush v. Gore
- New Jersey - Money, law, technology vie in N.J. voting-method battle
- New Jersey - Money, law, technology vie in N.J. voting-method battle
- New Jersey - Money, law, technology vie in N.J. voting-method battle
- Oklahoma - Oklahoma senator introduces voter ID bill
- California - November's election certified, Riverside County vote count continues
February 2, 2009
- California - Pappas Lays Out Voter Fraud Case
- Colorado - Labor fights Denver election reform
- Georgia - Handel supports Williams' legislation
- Indiana - Groups press FSSA to let clients register to vote
- Indiana - Groups threaten suit over Indiana registration
- Kansas - Burgess to propose voter ID reform
- Kentucky - Sentences Handed Down For Vote Fraud
- Minnesota - Ramsey County election chief: Many possible reasons why more Senate votes were recounted than voters in a precinct
- Minnesota - Spending on Coleman-Franken race keeps rising
- Virginia - State Senate passes 2 absentee voting bills
- Minnesota - Coleman election contest begins second week
- Indiana - Groups press FSSA to let clients register to vote
- Minnesota - Making sense of the Coleman-Franken recount trial
- Minnesota - Recount trial: Coleman blocked some absentee ballots
February 3, 2009
- Arkansas - Senate bill addresses absentee ballot issues
- Georgia - Handel, Dempsey partner to protect abuse victims in voting process
- Iowa - Secretary of State wants some changes in election law
- Minnesota - Judges limit ballot review in Minn. Senate lawsuit
- Virginia - Virginia Senate Approves Absentee-Voter Bill
- New Jersey - Senate panel approves vote-by-mail
- Ohio - Elections board will ask Brunner to resolve dispute
February 4, 2009
- Kansas - Thornburgh offers yet another Voter ID bill
- Minnesota - Minn. Senate trial continues 1 absentee at a time
- Minnesota - Minnesota Senate Trial Proceeds, Giving Coleman Hope
- Minnesota - Voter ID bill would make Minnesota laws most restictive in the nation
- Minnesota - Ramsey County official promotes election law changes to St. Paul City Council
- South Carolina - Bill would require SC voters to show photo ID
- Washington, D.C. - Now is the time for DC voting rights
- Minnesota - Senate recount trial judges put 4,800 more ballots in play
- Mississippi - Voter ID alive as deadline passes
February 5, 2009
- Georgia - Bill would require proof of citizenship to vote
- Minnesota - Franken asks Minn. court to put him in Senate now
- Minnesota - Coleman seizes on newfound ballots
- Montana - Legislators consider mail-in ballots pilot project
- Montana - Legislators consider mail-in ballots pilot project
- New Mexico - House panel OK's presidential popular vote bill
- Tennessee - Lawmakers Want To Revisit Paper Ballots
- Utah - Legislature approves online voter registration
- Utah - Legislature approves online voter registration
- National - Efforts to help overseas voters cast ballots had little effect in 2008 election
- Mississippi - Voter ID bill hangs on in House
- Mississippi - Exemption removed from voter ID bill
- Washington, D.C. - Gonzales May Face Obstruction Charges in U.S. Attorney Probe
- Oklahoma - OK GOP fast-tracks voter fraud measure
- Mississippi - Voter ID amendment pulled
- Mississippi - Election reform hinges on IDs
February 6, 2009
- California - D.A. considers 211 cases of possible voter fraud
- Mississippi - Lawmakers still mired in ‘toxic’ voter ID debate
February 7, 2009
- California - Case threatens voting rights
- Minnesota - In D.C., Ritchie recounts Senate recount work
February 8, 2009
February 9, 2009
- Mississippi - Hosemann plugs early voting in Miss.
- Virginia - Va. Senate approves voting rights restoration amendment
- Virginia - Virginia Senate Approves Early Voting Bill
- West Virginia - W.Va. clerks wary of early voting bill
- National - Many U.S. voters abroad never received '08 ballot
- Minnesota - GOP: ‘No reports of voter fraud’ in Minnesota
February 10, 2009
- Alabama - Clean, open elections
- Indiana - Election reform bill advances to Senate vote
- Kansas - Hearing Held On Voter ID Bill
- Minnesota - Judges add 23 to Franken's count, but it's far from over
- North Dakota - Ballot bills defeated in ND Legislature
- North Dakota - Bills affecting college voters killed
- Oklahoma - Military Heroes Voting Access Bill Passes House
- Pennsylvania - PA LAwmakers Call for Early Voting
- National - EAC certifies first voting system under voluntary guidelines testing program
- Texas - Austin developer, corporations, indicted in election law case
- North Dakota - Closer checking of voters defeated in ND House
- Kansas - Hearing Held On Voter ID Bill
February 11, 2009
- Georgia - Fewer polling places proposed for next election
- Hawaii - Honolulu may look into Net voting
- Iowa - Iowa may ditch Electoral College
- Minnesota - Ritchie calls for early voting, fewer recounts
- Minnesota - Early Voting, Other Minn. Election Law Changes Proposed
- Mississippi - Miss. House OKs revamped voter ID bill
- Montana - Renewed attempt on mail ballots surfaces
- North Carolina - County elections board working to remove ineligible voters
- Texas - Voter settles for $4,000
- Minnesota, Washington, D.C. - Mr. Franken Comes to Washington
- National - Court To Overturn Key Part Of Voting Rights Act?
- New York - Governor expects special election on March 31
February 12, 2009
- Alabama - Panel OKs proposal to define moral turpitude for voting rules
- Minnesota - Senate recount trial turns on what exactly a 'legal' absentee ballot is
- Minnesota - Pace picking up in Minn. Senate trial
- Minnesota - House committee kills voter ID proposal
- Minnesota - Senate recount trial turns on what exactly a 'legal' absentee ballot is
- Mississippi - Voter ID takes another step in Miss. Legislature
- Missouri - Mo. bill lets military ballots arrive late
- Pennsylvania - Bringing PA voting into the 21 century
- Tennessee - Bill Would Require Party Affiliation In Primaries
- Utah - Bill Requires Identification to Vote
- Virginia - Absentee voting bill defeated
- Washington - Guest Columnists: Restore voting rights to ex-felons
- Mississippi - Compromise voter ID bill passes House, faces uncertain future
- Alabama - Alabama Moves One Step Closer to Early Voting
- Mississippi - House passes photo ID to vote
- Oklahoma - Oklahoma panel OKs absentee voting bill
February 13, 2009
- Minnesota - House committee kills voter ID proposal
- Minnesota - Judges: No widespread problem with rejected ballots shown
- Utah - ID may be needed to cast ballot
- Virginia - Felon voting rights face the House
- Washington - Bill would allow freed felons to vote again
- Mississippi - EDITORIAL:Photo ID
- Mississippi - Legislature needs to pass voter ID bill
- Oklahoma - State Legislature Considers Voter ID Law
February 14, 2009
- Connecticut - Registrars ‘slapped on wrist’
- Minnesota - Recount trial: Coleman dealt blow, but no knockout
- Rhode Island - Lawsuit, bills targeting RI ballot access law
February 15, 2009
- Minnesota - DFLers shot down voter ID bill
February 16, 2009
- Indiana - Bill could allow Hoosiers to register to vote online
- Minnesota - Coleman asks court to reconsider ruling on rejected ballots
- Mississippi - Lawmakers leery over chances for voter ID passage
- Missouri - Robin Carnahan wants troops to get ballot by e-mail, fax
- Oklahoma - Panel approves voter ID bill
- Virginia - House subcommittee kills bill on voting rights for felons
- Ohio - Editorial: Improve democracy
- Minnesota - Winner in Senate race? It could be early voting
- Minnesota - Coleman lawyers call on court to reconsider ballots
- Indiana - Panel OKs bill for online Ind. voter registration
February 17, 2009
- Alabama - Is this election worth $500,000?
- Minnesota - Common Cause advises voting changes
- New Mexico - Opposition rises against same-day voter registration
- Texas - Federal voting rights trial set to begin in Irving
- Texas - Voter ID Bill Referred to Full Senate
- Virginia - Assembly moves closer to making voter registration more student-friendly
February 18, 2009
- Florida - Three-vote margin spurs Palm Beach mayoral ballot recount Saturday
- Iowa - Two Pine Ridge women file voting rights lawsuit
- Minnesota - Stimulus highlights stakes of Minnesota recount
- Nebraska - Bills Would Allow Election Day Voter Registration
- Pennsylvania - House wants new voting methods
- South Dakota - 2 American Indians sue over being barred from voting
- Texas - Sen. Williams: Voter ID measure won’t come up all that soon
- Utah - Committee approves bill on proof of citizenship
- Alabama - Panel votes to ease ballot access requirements
- Minnesota - Carver County's handling of absentee ballots a focus of Coleman's argument
- Colorado - Panel urges all-paper ballots by 2014
February 19, 2009
- California - Trial Begins in Voter Fraud Case
- Kansas - Topeka legislator's voter ID bill stalls
- Minnesota - Coleman team cites ruling in challenge to recount tally
- New Mexico - Teens could serve at polls in NM under House bill
- Virginia - Two charged with voter fraud
- Wisconsin - Inactive Wis. voters will get card from state
- National - Election Law Litigation Has Doubled Since 2000
- Texas - EDITORIAL: Voter ID legislation innocuous at best, politically malevolent at worst
- Minnesota - Judges shoot down Coleman request on excluded ballots
- Minnesota - Coleman lawyers blast judges
February 20, 2009
- Illinois - Homeless candidate seeking court help to get back on ballot
- Minnesota - Rhetoric over Senate trial gets angrier
- New Mexico - New GOP voter ID measure tabled in the Legislature
- Utah - What voter fraud?
- Virginia - Student voting bill dies in House subcommittee
- Ohio - Streetsboro man fights election law
- Pennsylvania - Berks election board says early voting would be costly
- Utah - Utah House panel backs bill to end 11th-hour absentee voting
February 21, 2009
- Minnesota - Franken suggests review of 1,585 absentee ballots
- Oklahoma - Henry Still Seeks Early Voting Expansion
February 22, 2009
- California - State considers decertifying election software
- Minnesota - Franken: Consider 1,600 votes for recount
- Mississippi - State senator wants to put voter ID issue to a vote
- Oklahoma - Voter ID will keep elections honest
- Oklahoma - Voters should have rights, not licenses
- South Dakota - Nelson: Officials looking at voting rights suit
- Texas - Bill would allow 17-year-old Texans to vote in primaries
February 23, 2009
- Indiana - Bill to expand Ind. voter ID law stalls in House
- Indiana - Panel would study moving Indiana's primary election
- Michigan - How local clerks can help voters
- Minnesota - Recount trial enters second month
- Minnesota - Overseas voting reforms said to have paid off
- New Jersey - NJ lawmakers vote to shelve ballot printer plan
- New Jersey - Vote by mail bill on hold in NJ Senate
- Vermont - Federal Government Drops Absentee Ballot Dispute With Vermont
- Minnesota - Minn. elections director takes stand in Senate recount trial
- Minnesota - Rulings have diminished Coleman's recount chances
- Mississippi - EDITORIAL:Seize the chance
February 24, 2009
- Florida - Browning wants to beef up overseas voting via e-mail
- Florida - Coalition Says Voting in Florida Too Hard
- Indiana - Senate OKs bill for online Ind. voter registration
- Indiana - Voter I.D. law stalls in
- Iowa - Senate committee votes to dump electoral college
- Minnesota - Setbacks for Coleman grow at Senate recount trial
- Minnesota - Franken tries to pare Coleman list in Minn. case
- Minnesota - More absentee ballots ruled in and out
- Indiana - Dems, GOP debate early voting models
- Georgia - Election fraud focus of bill
- Delaware - Electronic voter registration system launched
- Michigan - Bill could repeal law requiring voter card, license to match
February 25, 2009
- Arizona - Easier polling on Secretary of State's agenda
- Florida - New rules for third party voter registration groups to take effect
- Minnesota - Senate trial digs into voter complexities
- Minnesota - Key Coleman witness tossed from Minn. Senate trial
- Minnesota - Coleman-Franken trial: Day 23 offers entertainment – inside and outside the courtroom
- New Mexico - House OKs registration, voting on the same day
- South Carolina - Voters may be required to produce photo ID before casting ballots
- Minnesota - Senate trial: Haggling over what evidence to allow
- Minnesota - Recount trial: The Energizer Bunny of Senate races
- Minnesota - Franken-Coleman Senate trial hinges on voter mistakes
- Minnesota - Ritchie discusses election issues
February 26, 2009
- Minnesota - Coleman-Franken recount trial: A possible answer to the 300 odd St. Louis County ballots
- South Carolina - Legislative Black Caucus stages walkout
- Washington, D.C. - Democrats Divided Over Gun Amendment in D.C. House Voting Rights Bill
- Washington, D.C. - Senate Passes D.C. Voting Rights Bill, 61-37
- Minnesota - Senate recount trial dustup du jour: Testimony disallowed
- Utah - Utah House OKs bill to limit absentee voting
- Florida - Invalid Ballots in Florida Doubled in 2008
- Oklahoma - League of Women Voters opposes bill
- Mississippi - Voter ID bill offers election protection
- Massachusetts - Asian voters renew call for bilingual ballot mandate
- Oregon - Oregon House looks at online voting, citizen access
February 27, 2009
- Minnesota - Senate recount trial: Witness swept into the vortex
- Minnesota - Franken drops Becker County ballot claim
- Minnesota - Coleman faces setback in Minn. Senate trial
- Oklahoma - Senate awaits voter ID bill
- Pennsylvania - Fayette begins purging voter rolls
- Texas - Partisan fight looms over voter ID bill
- Utah - Lawmakers Approve New Absentee Ballot Deadline
- Minnesota - Senate recount trial: Ballot ruling buoys Coleman
- South Carolina - Voter ID wins key approval
- Colorado - Committee supports all-mail elections
- Maryland - Lawmakers debate voting reform
- Florida - Browning Proposing Tweaks to Voting Laws


Commentary
Silence of the Lambs
Dale A. Oesterle
With the election of 2012 now well over and past the second inauguration of the incumbent President, the historical analysis of the events has begun and will last as long as written human history lasts. An interesting tidbit may already be lost to the majesty of the moment.
The voters of three very different states, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Ohio, all had an opportunity to call state constitutional conventions. In each state the voters turned the opportunity down by very similar votes, 68%, 64% and 68% respectively against.
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