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Cook County Jail Detainees Are Voting, But Getting Informed On The Candidates Can Be Tough

Trey Arline

March 17, 2023 |

Block Club Chicago |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Since instituting in-person voting and bringing in volunteers and advocacy organizations to help with registration, Chicago's Cook County Jail has seen the number of ballots cast by people incarcerated there increase. Turnout in the jail was 25 percent for the February 2023 municipal election, which surpassed the citywide turnout rate of 20 percent.

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Efforts to Expand Ballot Access in Washington State Jails Face Local Pushback

Khawla Nakua

January 23, 2023 |

Bolts |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

Washington lawmakers allocated $2.5 million in grant funding to help jails improve voting access for people incarcerated there, which resulted in a big spike in ballots cast in one facility that participated. But only five counties applied for the grant program, and jail officials interested in participating have faced opposition from political representatives in some areas.

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How this Texas election official is winning voters' trust

Natalia Contreras

November 14, 2022 |

Votebeat Texas |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Forth Worth, Texas

In an effort to minimize disruptions from impassioned poll watchers, one Texas county enhanced transparency by offering tours of the elections office, installing large TV screens to broadcast the tabulation process, publicly posting often-requested information online, and hosting workshops to walk residents through every step of election procedures. The county has been praised for its approach and the 2022 midterm election went off without any outbursts from voting activists.

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ND Tribal Advocates Highlight Efforts of Poll Watchers in Midterms

Mike Moen

November 14, 2022 |

Public News Service |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, North Dakota

Organizations such as North Dakota Native Vote stationed trained poll watchers at election sites across the state during the midterms to help assist Indigenous voters being improperly turned away. According to North Dakota Native Vote, the organization recorded only one instance of a voter not returning to complete the process after encountering issues at the polls.

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Non-Citizen Immigrants On Voting In Takoma Park

Héctor Alejandro Arzate

November 09, 2022 |

DCist |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Takoma Park, Maryland

Non-citizen residents of Takoma Park, Maryland have been able to vote in municipal elections since 1993, and 16- and 17-year-olds there have had access to the ballot since 2013. Residents of the city, where roughly 30% of the population was born outside of the United States, say participating in city elections makes them feel more welcome in the community and helps them get invested in local issues.

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Election Protection Force Fights Voter Suppression: Racist Poll Workers, Vigilantes, Missing Ballots

Amy Goodman Juan González

November 08, 2022 |

Democracy Now! |

Broadcast TV Talk Show |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Beaumont, Texas

The Election Protection coalition is a group of law and advocacy organizations that deploys volunteer attorneys to polling places, runs a hotline where voters can bring questions or concerns, and files lawsuits when necessary to enforce voter rights. The coalition filed a lawsuit after Black voters in Beaumont, Texas reported being harassed and improperly turned away by white poll workers, successfully obtaining a court order removing the presiding election judge from their position.

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Midterms turnout: Could Australia-style voting help in US?

Tiffanie Turnbull Jason Arnesto

November 04, 2022 |

BBC |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

In Australia, all eligible adults are required to vote unless they qualify for an approved exception, with a failure to show up on election day resulting in a fine of A$20. The country has one of the highest turnout rates in the world, with 76 percent of eligible voters casting ballots in 2022.

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In North Carolina, a Rush to “Restore Hope in the Vote” in People with Felony Convictions

Kelan Lyons

November 04, 2022 |

Bolts |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Bern, North Carolina

A Superior Court ruling in North Carolina restored voting rights to people with felony convictions who are no longer in prison, giving up to 56,000 residents the opportunity to return to the ballot box. Organizations participating in the "Unlock Our Vote" movement are working to connect with and register disenfranchised voters, and people who have been re-enfranchised say reclaiming their rights has given them new hope that they can help effect change.

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When It Comes to Voting in Jail, the Devil Is in the Details

Alexandra Arriaga

November 04, 2022 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

To help eligible voters behind bars participate in elections, civic and volunteer groups visit jails such as the Vernon C. Bain Center with registration packets and absentee ballot request forms. The volunteers also answer questions about issues, candidates, and the voting process, and about 300 people in New York jails have registered to vote since January.

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Navajo voters in one Arizona County see their ballots rejected more frequently. Here's what would fix that.

Jen Fifield Carrie Levine

November 03, 2022 |

Votebeat Arizona |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Navajo Nation, United States, Arizona

Some Arizona counties that include parts of the Navajo Nation have set up voting centers, central locations where residents can come to vote in-person regardless of what precinct they are assigned to. The centers have helped reduce the number of provisional ballots cast on the reservation, which faces significant voting barriers due to distance, transportation access, and spotty mail and internet service, and other counties with reservation land are now pushing to establish their own voting centers.

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