The Freedom to Vote Act was introduced in the Senate as the successor to the For the People Act, which was shot down twice by Republican filibusters. The new act, which has the support of all 50 Democrats in the Senate, is sometimes described as a “compromise bill,” but let’s be clear: The bill is no compromise when it comes to essential protections for voting rights.
Elections 2024
For Republicans, It’s Still the Trump Show
For good or ill, Trump in retirement is the same force of nature he was as president. Republican leaders tread lightly around him, conscious of polls that show him by far the first choice of self-identified Republicans for the nomination, even as they worry he’s alienated so many voting blocs that his top of the ticket presence would drag down-ballot candidates to defeat.
Will Democrats Get Their Act Together?
This is not the New Deal or Great Society era, when Democrats had power in numbers. The current era requires “an honest embrace of what the politics of the moment will accept,” if only to prevent a return of the cult that doesn’t give two figs about governing.
Desmond Meade, Leader in Restoring Felons’ Voting Rights, Wins $650,000 MacArthur Fellowship
Desmond Meade, a former drug dealer who has received international accolades after leading the drive to pass a 2018 Florida constitutional amendment to restore voting rights for felons, has been awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the program announced on Tuesday. Meade is one of this year’s 25 fellows selected for “originality, insight and potential,” according to the program’s website. They receive $625,000 grants, paid out over five years.
County Goes Over Redistricting Boundaries in ‘Numbers Game’ That Will Barely Affect Voters, Maps or the Elected
The process is formal and obviously important as a reflection of fairness in elections and representation. But at the local level, it is far less consequential than at the state and federal level, especially in counties like Flagler, where school board and county commissioners serve at-large–meaning they are elected by voters across the county, not just by voters in their districts.
47 Million Americans Think Biden Is ‘Illegitimate.’ 21 Support Violence to ‘Restore’ Trump
The survey found that many of these 21 million people with insurrectionist sentiments have the capacity for violent mobilization. At least 7 million of them already own a gun, and at least 3 million have served in the U.S. military and so have lethal skills. Of those 21 million, 6 million said they supported right-wing militias and extremist groups, and 1 million said they are themselves or personally know a member of such a group, including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.
Final $128,000 Cost of Palm Coast Special Election for Mayor Was $60,000 Less Than Initial Estimate
The actual cost to the city–and to taxpayers–of the July 27 special election that brought Mayor David Alfin to power cost $127,983.15, compared to an initial estimate of $187,764. A low turnout of 26 percent, compared to the 79 percent that voted in last November’s election, drove the cost down.
How Election Deniers Are Organizing at Local Levels to Seize Control of the GOP and Reshape America’s Elections
The stolen election myth is inspiring thousands of Trump supporters to take over the Republican Party at the local level, from city councils to school boards to county commissions, as fact-denying extremists and militants exert mounting partisan influence on how elections are run.
Just Call Him David: Palm Coast Mayor Alfin Settles In With Exuberant Focus on Growth, Town Center and the Next Manager
In a wide-ranging interview in his new office at City Hall, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin talked about getting a budget done, getting a permanent city manager hired, and fostering the reemergence of Town Center as an economic, educational, cultural and health care hub.
Palm Coast Council Appoints 5-Member Redistricting Commission, With 120-Day Deadline
Palm Coast’s process, guided by charter, requires the appointment of a citizens’ redistricting commission, which then crunches the new population numbers, draws the new boundaries and submits its results to the council. The council then approves the end result. The commission has 120 days to do its work.