NCSL: “As of 2022, 22 states and Washington, D.C., have implemented same-day registration (SDR), which allows any qualified resident of the state to register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time. Of those states, 20 and Washington, D.C., offer Election Day registration, which means voters can both register and vote on Election… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Fed Up With Political Text Messages?
The New York Times – “In this polarized climate, hundreds of Americans told us they agree on one thing: Campaigns must stop spamming voters’ phones with unwanted political texts…The campaign messages not only capture some voters’ deep frustrations with unwanted political texts. They also document how political texting is becoming a go-to method for spreading… Continue Reading
How to Inoculate against Midterm Misinformation Campaigns
Scientific American: “A New York University professor advocates “prebunking”—sounding the alarm before a conspiracy theory spreads too widely.“We the People,” as we self-identify in the preamble to the Constitution, are more polarized than ever in these ostensibly United States. When it is misinformation that fosters this polarization, all eyes immediately turn to social media. Research… Continue Reading
Online Consumer Data Collection
CRS Report – Online Consumer Data Collection, October 31, 2022 – “Large amounts of consumer data can be collected, processed, and analyzedby operators of websites and mobile applications (apps) and third parties, which are entities otherthan the website or appprimary operator (e.g., data brokers). Operators collect data for multiple purposes, including providing services, selling user… Continue Reading
Trump lawyers saw Clarence Thomas as key to stop Biden electoral count
Washington Post: “Lawyers for President Donald Trump saw Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as key to overturning the results of the 2020 election, according to a set of emails provided to congressional investigators. Eight emails, ordered released by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter of California, include correspondence between Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro, John Eastman… Continue Reading
Fortune 500 Companies Have Given Millions to Election Deniers Since Jan.
Pro Publica – “In the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, more than 100 major companies pledged to suspend political giving to the members of Congress who voted to invalidate Joe Biden’s presidential victory. Since then, many have resumed funding this group of lawmakers, often with little to no explanation.… Continue Reading
First-of-its-kind database tracks threats against public officials
Princeton Univeristy: “Threats to and harassment of local officials present a significant challenge to American democracy by discouraging civic engagement, undermining the work of public servants, and creating unprecedented stress on the cornerstones of democratic society including elections, education, and public safety processes. A heightened environment of fear among local officials seems ubiquitous, but the… Continue Reading
How to track your ballot online
Washington Post: “Want to make sure your vote counts in these high-stakes midterm elections? Track your ballot online like a UPS delivery. The technology to do that is now available to more than a quarter of all Americans, in part because of investments made for mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic….For once, there’s a new… Continue Reading
Americans Value U.S. Role as Scientific Leader, but 38% Say Country Is Losing Ground Globally
Report – Widening partisan divide over scientists’ place in policy debates – “Large majorities of Americans value government investments in the scientific enterprise and consider it important for the United States to be a world leader in scientific achievement. However, on the heels of a global coronavirus outbreak that put scientific research and understanding in… Continue Reading
Select Subcommittee Details Trump Administration’s Assault On CDC And Politicization Of Public Health During The Coronavirus Crisis
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus – Oct 17, 2022 – Press Release – “Report is the third installment detailing findings from investigation into Trump Administration’s political interference with federal coronavirus response…the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, chaired by Rep. James E. Clyburn, released a staff report detailing efforts by the Trump Administration to compromise… Continue Reading
Americans remain critical of state of US democracy
AP: “Many Americans remain pessimistic about the state of U.S. democracy and the way elected officials are chosen — nearly two years after a divisive presidential election spurred false claims of widespread fraud and a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Only about half of Americans have high confidence that votes in the upcoming midterm… Continue Reading
Data Protection and Privacy Law: An Introduction
CRS in Focus – Data Protection and PrivacyLaw: An Introduction, Updated October 12, 2022 – “Recent controversy surrounding how third parties protect the privacy of individuals in the digital age has raised national concerns over legal protections of Americans’ electronic data. The current legislative paradigms governing cybersecurity and data privacy are complex and technical and… Continue Reading
