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Kentucky Secretary of State Announces Removal of Over 300,000 Deceased Voters from Rolls Since 2020

Kentucky Secretary of State Announces Removal of Over 300,000 Deceased Voters from Rolls Since 2020

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams has announced that more than 300,000 deceased voters have been removed from the state's voter registration rolls since he took office in January 2020. This effort is part of a broader initiative that has seen a total of 753,181 ineligible voter registrations purged during the same period. In August alone, 3,664 voters were removed, including 3,233 deceased individuals, 258 who moved out of state, 74 duplicate registrations, 65 deemed mentally incompetent, 18 who voluntarily deregistered, nine non-citizens, and seven convicted felons. Despite these removals, Kentucky's voter registration numbers increased by 4,602 in August, with 8,266 new voters added. The current voter demographic breakdown shows Republicans constitute 48% of registered voters with 1,624,505 registrations, Democrats make up 41% with 1,371,014 registrations, and 386,382 voters are registered under other affiliations, predominantly as independents.

Idaho Utilizes Recycled Glass as Highway Fill Material in 2002 Project

Idaho Utilizes Recycled Glass as Highway Fill Material in 2002 Project

In 2002, Idaho incorporated nearly 300 tons of crushed glass, known as cullet, into the construction of a section of Highway 75 near Ketchum. This initiative involved crushing bottles and jars into gravel-sized pieces, which were then laid in an 8-to-12-inch layer beneath approximately 200 feet of the highway. The glass served as fill material during a $5.6 million project that also included the replacement of a narrow three-span bridge over the Big Wood River with a new 178-foot, two-span bridge designed for up to four lanes of traffic. The glass was sourced from the Ohio Gulch Recycling Center in the Wood River Valley. This project was championed by the late Idaho state senator Clint Stennett, who described it as an 'excellent example of Idahoans, business and government working together to use our resources in the best possible way,' emphasizing the importance of reusing and recycling critical resources.

Supreme Court to Review Arizona Voter Laws Requiring Citizenship Proof and Noncitizen Removal

Supreme Court to Review Arizona Voter Laws Requiring Citizenship Proof and Noncitizen Removal

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in December concerning two Arizona state laws related to voter registration and voter rolls. These laws mandate that individuals provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and allow for the removal of noncitizen voters from voter rolls within 90 days of an election. The case, RNC v. Mi Familia Vote, will determine if these Arizona statutes violate the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Election groups, including the Center for Election Confidence, Inc., Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, Inc., and Honest Elections Project, have filed an amicus brief arguing that a lower court's ruling against these laws could lead to an 'absurd' consequence, making it impossible to remove noncitizens, minors, or fictitious individuals from state voter rolls. They contend that citizenship is a fundamental qualification for voting and states must have the ability to verify it and act on findings of noncitizens on voter rolls before an electio...

Congressman LaHood Expresses Cautious Support for Mail-in Balloting, Calls for Federal Oversight

Congressman LaHood Expresses Cautious Support for Mail-in Balloting, Calls for Federal Oversight

Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) has voiced cautious support for mail-in balloting, acknowledging its current safety but emphasizing the critical need for vigilant oversight to prevent potential errors and corruption. LaHood highlighted that the varying mail-in ballot systems across different states could lead to inconsistencies and issues. He stressed the importance of robust monitoring, including involvement from federal prosecutors and the FBI, to ensure the integrity of the election process. LaHood also mentioned his consistent support for the SAVE America Act in the House, a legislative effort designed to review the mail-in ballot system. This comes after Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman reassured the public about the security of vote-by-mail, following a local article that raised federal concerns, though LaHood stated he had not seen the whistleblower report that prompted the article and did not perceive widespread panic regarding mail-in voting at this time.

Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton Pursues Voter Roll Clean-Up Efforts Under NVRA

Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton Pursues Voter Roll Clean-Up Efforts Under NVRA

Tom Fitton, representing Judicial Watch, has been actively engaged in legal efforts to address voter registration integrity across the United States. His work involves suing states and counties to open voter rolls, subsequently identifying and seeking the removal of what he describes as fraudulent registrations. Fitton utilizes the National Voting Rights Act (NVRA) to pursue these actions. Following the 2020 election, statistical analyses reportedly indicated that numerous counties had more registered voters than actual residents, prompting Judicial Watch's interventions. The process Fitton undertakes is extensive, involving issuing statutory notices, initiating lawsuits against states or counties, securing settlements, sending confirmation notices to voters, and then waiting through two federal general election cycles before ineligible voters who have not responded or voted can be removed from the rolls. This multi-step legal process is described as time-consuming.

Federal Judge Indefinitely Blocks Trump Administration's Mail-In Ballot Restrictions

Federal Judge Indefinitely Blocks Trump Administration's Mail-In Ballot Restrictions

A federal judge in Boston has indefinitely extended her order preventing the Trump administration from implementing new restrictions on mail-in ballots. The proposed plan would have required states to use scannable ballot envelopes and provide the federal government with lists of voters eligible to receive mail ballots. This ruling comes as North Carolina began mailing out ballots for the November election, becoming the first state to do so. The judge's decision, issued after a hearing, found that the Trump administration's order was unconstitutional, violating Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, which grants authority to run elections solely to state legislatures or Congress. Furthermore, the judge determined that the order violated several statutes regulating the U.S. Postal Service's operations, asserting that the Postal Service cannot selectively deliver mail ballots. The ruling concluded that the plaintiffs, including about half of U.S. states (mostly Democratic) and voting rights groups, were l...

Justice Kavanaugh Denies Emergency Request for Michigan Citizen Voting Proposal

Justice Kavanaugh Denies Emergency Request for Michigan Citizen Voting Proposal

Justice Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Supreme Court has denied an emergency request from a group seeking to place a proposal on the Michigan ballot that would require voters to prove their citizenship status. The proposal, put forth by Americans for Citizen Voting (ACV), aimed to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in Michigan elections, mandate photo identification for voters, require the Secretary of State to verify citizenship, and implement systematic reviews of voter rolls. The legal challenge arose after the Michigan Board of State Canvassers reached an impasse, with its two Republican and two Democratic members unable to agree on the validity of the submitted signatures. ACV claimed there was sufficient evidence to qualify the proposal, but the board could not certify it. Following Justice Kavanaugh's denial, the Michigan Supreme Court also rejected ACV's request, stating that the Board of State Canvassers acted within its rights. This decision makes it unlikely the proposal will appear on the No...

Congresswoman Laurel Lee Introduces 'Ballots by Election Day Act' to Mandate Federal Ballot Receipt by Election Day

Congresswoman Laurel Lee Introduces 'Ballots by Election Day Act' to Mandate Federal Ballot Receipt by Election Day

Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) has introduced the 'Ballots by Election Day Act,' a companion bill to Senator Ashley Moody’s (R-Fla.) earlier legislation. This bill aims to amend the 'Help America Vote Act of 2002' by requiring all federal election ballots, including absentee and mail-in ballots, to be received by the appropriate election official by the end of Election Day. The proposed legislation would prohibit states from accepting any ballots after this deadline, with the sole exception of ballots cast by absent uniformed services voters or overseas voters. The bill's provisions are intended to apply to federal elections held in 2027 and beyond. Congresswoman Lee emphasized that Florida has successfully implemented similar measures for many years, ensuring organized elections and timely results without denying any voter the right to vote. She clarified that the bill does not limit mail-in voting but rather establishes a clear deadline for ballot receipt.

Idaho Transportation Department Tours Rocky Point Wildlife Crossing on US-30

Idaho Transportation Department Tours Rocky Point Wildlife Crossing on US-30

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) recently conducted a tour of the Rocky Point wildlife crossing on US-30, located in southeastern Idaho, for Congressional staff and industry stakeholders. This project, scheduled for completion in the fall, consists of three highway underpasses utilizing two box culverts, a bridge, and fencing designed to safely guide animals away from motor vehicle traffic. The fencing also incorporates "jump-outs" to allow deer to exit the highway if they inadvertently enter the funneling area. The Rocky Point area is a critical migration passage for thousands of mule deer, which historically resulted in over 100 wildlife-vehicle collisions annually, costing approximately $2 million per year. ITD secured a $20.8 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program, covering about 98% of the construction costs, with an additional $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding a portion of the fencing.

Adina Bielenberg Appointed to Idaho Economic Advisory Council by Governor Little

Adina Bielenberg Appointed to Idaho Economic Advisory Council by Governor Little

Adina Bielenberg Appointed to Idaho Economic Advisory Council by Governor Little

Researchers Develop Acoustic Technology to Track Wildfires by Infrasound

Researchers Develop Acoustic Technology to Track Wildfires by Infrasound

Researchers have developed a new method to track wildfires using acoustic sensors that detect infrasound, a low-frequency rumble inaudible to human ears. A study published in Geophysical Research Letters details how these sensors were deployed near a prescribed burn in Idaho, successfully mapping the flames' spread by picking up the distinctive low-frequency sound emitted by the fire. This technique proved effective even for relatively weak fires in damp landscapes, which burn less intensely. Jake Anderson, a geophysicist at Boise State University and lead author of the study, noted that this method is encouraging for broader use. Unlike traditional fire spotting methods that require a direct line of sight, acoustic monitoring can operate in conditions with poor visibility, such as those caused by clouds or dense smoke.

Federal Judge Denies Immediate Recount for Portland Police Ballot Initiative

Federal Judge Denies Immediate Recount for Portland Police Ballot Initiative

A federal judge in Oregon has denied an immediate recount for a ballot measure that aimed to divert money from Portland's climate fund to local police. The initiative, led by the 'Safer Portland' campaign, failed to meet the 40,437-signature minimum required to qualify for the November ballot, as ruled by Portland elections officials on August 4. Safer Portland subsequently sued, alleging discrimination and requesting an emergency recount of the signatures. However, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon denied these requests, stating that the initiative's supporters lacked evidence that Portland elections workers deviated from state election laws. Deborah Scroggin, who manages Portland's elections division, viewed the decision as a vindication, asserting that Portland City Elections followed the law and accurately reported the result.