House Republicans are rushing ahead with legislation that would impose strict new voter ID requirements ahead of the midterm elections. The bill, coming to a vote on Wednesday, is a Trump administration priority aimed at scrutinizing ballot access. But it faces blowback in the Senate. Called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, the legislation requires Americans to present proof of citizenship when they register to vote and to show a valid photo identification before they cast ballots. Republicans say it's needed to prevent voter fraud. Democrats warn it will make it harder for millions of Americans to vote. Experts say voter fraud is extremely rare.
By CHRISTINE FERNANDO and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press
The nation's deep partisan divisions extend to trust in the vote tallies for this year's election. A new poll finds that Republicans are much more skeptical than Democrats that ballots will be counted accurately. The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that voters generally show more distrust toward nationwide voting results compared to the tallies done by their own local election offices. The survey also found older voters have more faith in the vote count at all levels than younger voters. This year's election marks the first presidential race since former President Donald Trump began a campaign of lies about a stolen 2020 election. Election experts warn that Trump may be laying the groundwork to once again challenge the election if he loses.
BY YUE STELLA YU AND SAMEEA KAMAL/CalMatters CalMatters
California is hailed as a national leader for voting access, but visually impaired voters and their advocates say they still face unnecessary barriers. They argue that people should be able to return ballots electronically. Disability advocates are asking a federal judge to compel Secretary of State Shirley Weber's office to allow voters who have difficulty using printed materials to return their ballots via fax in the November election. Weber's office declined to speak about the lawsuit, but opposed a 2022 bill that sought to let voters return ballots electronically. Weber cited security concerns including the threat of cyber attacks. The case is set to be heard this month in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
