Virginia becomes the first state to start in-person early voting for Election 2024.

Hey, wait a second - I know this guy! time.com/7017486/chad-l…

.TIME: Votebeat Democracy Defender! 😭

This is too cool. Chad Lorenz, my boss and EIC of Votebeat, named one of Time's 11 democracy defenders. Totally deserved time.com/7017486/chad-l…

So much this.

I think we might have some relevant info here, courtesy of Gillespie County, Texas. votebeat.org/texas/2024/03/… votebeat.org/texas/2024/03/… cc: Natalia Contreras

if you're wondering what this decision could mean for georgia, read Natalia Contreras's wild account of hand counting ballots this year in gillespie county TX, which the county election director called "a circus" votebeat.org/texas/2024/03/…

This hand count rule is pretty certain to be challenged in court, and, as stephen fowler notes in this chain, the AG has already warned the board against passing it and other proposed changes this close to the election. @votebeatus has a lot more on hand counts! 1/

In a course talking about Implementing New Programs in Election Administration with other Election Officials from across the country and here is how we feel evaluate the legislation that comes out of our legislatures.

Late last month, as Ted Cruz’s polling against Dem challenger Colin Allred began to falter, he got a major boost from judicial financier Leonard Leo’s Concord Fund — helmed by a former Clarence Thomas clerk — which poured $1 million into a Cruz super PAC docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…

So far this has been a great example of local dynamics checking DC-dreamt up partisan strategy. We'll see if that continues for the next 45 days.

“There is no doubt that these new directives will generate delays on Election Day, spur baseless conspiracy theories, and attract a litany of lawsuits.” A bipartisan coalition of Georgia leaders warns of ballot-counting changes will “threaten citizen engagement.” #gapol

NEW: The Department of Justice sued two Wisconsin towns -- Thornapple and Lawrence -- for banning voting machines. Here's the complaint: justice.gov/crt/media/1370… Background: votebeat.org/wisconsin/2024…

NEW: Feds sue two Wisconsin towns for failure to use accessible voting machine votebeat.org/wisconsin/2024…

BREAKING: The 97K Arizona voters who were affected by an error will not need to provide proof of citizenship to vote in state races in November, Arizona Supreme Court has ruled: "We are unwilling on these facts to disenfranchise voters en masse." READ: votebeat.org/arizona/2024/0…