DC, FEC, Kentucky — Democracy!
Despite a historic vote, we won't have a 51st state anytime soon 🏛️🚫
Welcome to the first ever rendition of Democracy Update, a newsletter about efforts to update, fix, tweak, amend, strengthen and/or weaken democracy in the United States! We’re rooting for strengthen 💪
Below are the biggest recent developments. Please subscribe if you’d like to receive future reports in your inbox. You can expect one or two emails a week — and it’s free :)
Big Ones
Historic Vote on DC Statehood
The US House of Representatives approved a bill that would allow the District of Columbia to become the 51st state. Most democrats voted for the bill and republicans opposed it.
What does this have to do with democracy reform? Well, currently the district’s 700,000 residents are do not have voting representation in Congress. For scale, Wyoming and Vermont both have fewer residents than DC.
Adding DC as a state would have a massive impact in the Senate, where smaller states undemocratically receive disproportional representation.
To be clear, it’s not DC residents’ fault that the Senate is undemocratic, and they deserve voting representation in Congress as much as any other citizens — despite Sen. Tom Cotton’s cynical suggestion that DC isn’t “well rounded” enough.
DC also has an extremely high percentage of black residents, making the timing of the House’s vote all the more impactful amid a national wave of anti-racism protests.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said he won’t take up the bill in the Senate. DC’s residents are mostly democrats so it would be a solidly blue state. The Dems would likely need to win a filibuster-proof, 60-seat majority in the Senate to advance this cause.
Read more about the vote in the Washington Post or check out the text of the bill passed in the House.
FEC Down to Three
The Federal Election Commission, the agency tasked with enforcing campaign finance law, took a major hit Friday when one of its commissioners resigned. The departure of Caroline C. Hunter leaves the agency with vacancies on three of its six commissioner seats.
Now without a quorum of commissioners, the agency will be significantly hamstrung in the lead-up to November’s general election.
Here’s Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s statement.
“This resignation means that the FEC will once again lose its quorum and be unable to hold meetings, promulgate rules, or vote on enforcement matters. In other words, the FEC will be unable to take any substantive measures to enforce federal election laws. This is unacceptable, especially during a presidential election year disrupted by COVID-19 and as foreign adversaries continue their work to influence our political system.
The FEC was without quorum for nearly a year before it was re-established just last month.
Hunter’s resignation means it’s back to the drawing board with what are often lengthy confirmation processes for new commissioners.
Politico has more on this troubling story.
What’s the Deal With Kentucky?
Kentucky got mixed reviews, to say the least, for its handling of the last week’s primary elections. On one hand, collaboration between the state’s Democratic governor and Republican secretary of state to increase access to voting by mail could lead to record turnout for a primary election.
On the other hand, the state was criticized for reducing in-person polling locations from nearly 3,700 to less than 200, including just one polling location each for Jefferson and Fayette counties. These counties are the state’s two biggest in terms of population; they include the cities of Louisville and Lexington, respectively.
National figures such as Ava DuVernay LeBron James, and Stacey Abrams spoke out against the decision, saying the prospect of long lines and huge crowds would deter black voters from showing up.
How did things turn out?
There were long lines in Lexington, as some voters were forced to wait up to two hours.
Lines weren’t a big problem in Jefferson County, but a startling scene unfolded when a group of voters were locked out after the 6 pm closing time. They began banging on the doors and chanting “Let us in.”
They were eventually let in and allowed to cast their ballots.
“A historic Kentucky primary defied the naysayers. Then in the last 5 minutes, chaos struck,” was the Louisville Courier-Journal’s headline summarizing the day — but much remains to be seen.
The final voting tallies are expected to be released this week. Beyond total number of voters and the rate of registered voters who cast a ballot, we need to understand if and how all the changes, chaos, and controversy affected ballot access for voters from marginalized groups.
Quick Hits
Covid-19 has caused voter registration rates to plummet despite polls showing high levels of voter enthusiasm. FiveThirtyEight dug into this trend and created graphics showing the slowdown in new voter registration compared to 2016 📉
The US Supreme Court declined to intervene in a case that would have expanded Texas voters’ access to mail-in ballots ahead of primary runoff elections next month. The Texas Democratic Party won a court decision in May that would allow all voters access to mail ballots who due to coronavirus concerns. An appeals court judge put that ruling on hold to give Texas the opportunity to challenge the ruling (yes, Texas’ government apparently doesn’t want to expand vote-by-mail access during a pandemic). The Supreme Court decided not to lift the stay. Justice Sonia Sotomayor encouraged the appeals court to take up the case sooner rather than later. Read more from the Texas Tribune. 📬
Jamaal Bowman, a progressive candidate and high school principle from the Bronx, has declared victory over longtime Rep. Eliot Engel in the Democratic primary for NY’s 16th district. Bowman’s campaign site says he supports fully ending disenfranchisement for the millions who have lost the right to vote because they were convicted of felonies, including those currently serving time. Maine, Vermont, and Puerto Rico are currently the only states that have fully restored voting rights to people who have been convicted. (H/T @Taniel) ☑️🗳️
On the same subject, DC has taken a major step to join Maine, Vermont and Puerto Rico. The judiciary committee for the district’s city council unanimously advanced a budget proposal that includes the restoration of voting rights to people serving felony sentences. DCist has a full report. Because DC isn’t a state (see above) and doesn’t have its own prisons, this decision could even cause something of a chain reaction ✅✅✅
On the other end of the felony disenfranchisement spectrum is Iowa, which is the last state that permanently bans voting rights for people who have been convicted even after completing their sentences. Currently, people with convictions need to individually apply to the governor to have their rights restored. The state’s governor, Kim Reynolds, says she plans to sign an executive order that would automatically restore voting rights to some people with felony convictions who have served their sentences ahead of November’s election. Reynolds says she’d like to work with the legislators to pass an amendment to the state constitution 📜
Speaking of Iowa, the state saw record turnout earlier this month for its primary elections after its secretary of state took actions to make absentee voting more accessible. That’s great! Right? Well, Iowa’s Republican-controlled government responded by passing a law restricting the secretary of state’s authority over elections 🙃
Super PACs and dark money groups have so far contributed $145 million in spending to the presidential election according to Issue One. Of the $93 million reported spending for the general election thus far, two-thirds of it has been to support Biden 😬
Alaska launched an online portal that allows voters to apply for mail-in ballots ahead of the state’s primary elections in August. The state, unlike many others, does not have any restrictions for requesting absentee ballot 💻💯
For Your Consideration
“The damage of Trump’s voter-fraud allegations can’t be undone” via The Atlantic
“Here are all the ways Mitch McConnell has made voting harder” via Mother Jones
“Washington’s growing swampier, even as coronavirus lockdowns let Congress climb off ‘hamster wheel of fundraising’” via MarketWatch
Lastly, in the video below, Jason Harrow of Equal Citizens describes how eight states discriminate against young voters.
You’ve reached the end! Thank you for reading. This is a brand new project so please feel free to send any questions, suggestions, possible corrections/omissions, and any other feedback you have by emailing francisberkman@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you 🙏