I follow this dumb Twitter bot that exists solely to post weird mashups of a guy slapping the roof of a car and proclaiming, “This bad boy can fit so many [insert objects] in it.” (A post from yesterday, for example: “*slaps roof of blood* this bad boy can fit so many blood cells in it.”)
I’m not sure why I follow this account. (Look, Twitter is a weird place.) Anyway, it’s on my mind as we dive into another day of election coverage, because our stories today focus on policy and behind-the-scenes machinations rather than race results and voter turnout. It’s the election equivalent of popping the hood. Or, in botspeak: *slaps roof of elections* this bad boy can fit so many newsletters in it.
The Big Takeaway
Elections are always kind of weird, but the 2022 cycle may be the strangest of all, simply because it’s taking place against the ridiculous backdrop of our ridiculous political climate. Across the country, state and local officials are going about their jobs and administering elections while their elected leaders actively try to make those jobs — and those elections — more difficult, all because of one guy who can’t accept that 80 million people voted for his opponent.
We talk a lot about the threat this poses to democracy, which I know can feel like hyperbole. But it really isn’t. The threat is real, and it’s ongoing, and it’s ubiquitous. So far this year, lawmakers in 40 states have introduced a staggering 571 bills that would either restrict voter access or tighten the rules governing election administration.
The bright spot (if you can call it that) is that few of those proposals survived the legislative process. That outcome often required herculean efforts from election officials, who spent hours testifying in public hearings and appealing directly to lawmakers, begging them not to pass unnecessary laws that would do little more than complicate their jobs. In battleground states like Arizona and Georgia, those efforts succeeded, according to reporting from our D.C. bureau.
For now, anyway. The legislative session isn’t over in Arizona, where election officials spent hours each week testifying against proposals that would have either inhibited their work or proven impossible to execute.
“For most of the voting bills, the language was unimplementable,” said Jen Marson, executive director of the Arizona Association of Counties. “Either it didn’t work with the technology that counties have spent millions of dollars investing in, required personnel that we don’t have, or required us to go backwards in terms of efficiencies.”
In total, Arizona lawmakers introduced roughly 100 bills that restricted voter access or made it more complicated to administer elections, including failed proposals that would have ended early and mail-in voting and allowed the legislature to reject election results. Around 10 bills are still in play, which feels like a win for election officials in this, the stupidest timeline.
“Given the magnitude and sheer volume of election bills that were introduced this year, the fact that we’re only now dealing with maybe 10 or so is a win, absolutely,” Marson said.
A proposal to tweak campaign finance law suffered a similar fate in Idaho, where high-dollar donors and political action committees are playing an increased role in elections. More than $22.5 million has flowed into political coffers for the 2022 primary since the beginning of last year, compared with $14.8 million at the same point in the 2018 midterm election, per the Idaho Capital Sun.
Some of those donors are long-time contributors, but others are new committees with shadowy origins and plenty of cash. The Capital Sun examined three entities that donated a combined $52,727 to candidates across the state, more than 10 times the individual contribution limit — which is relevant, since all three donors seem to tie back to a single family.
But it may not matter. Contributions to each candidate are within the legal limits (up to $1,000 for state legislative races, up to $5,000 for statewide races), with the exception of one — Rep. Heather Scott, a Republican who received money from all three entities. If they’re all led by the same person, those donations would be a violation, though Scott could fix the problem by returning one of them, officials said.
It’s a confusing mess that’s hard to keep track of, which is basically the hallmark of campaign finance regulations. State Sen. Patti Anne Lodge attempted to address the problem this year via legislation that would have lowered the reporting threshold for donations and classified as a state political action committee any group that registered with the Federal Election Commission.
Those provisions were designed in response to reporting lags in 2020, when political action committees donated thousands of dollars on races in Idaho which did not become public record until after the election due to federal filing deadlines. The bill cleared the Senate but languished in the House, where lawmakers used it as a bargaining chip to force Lodge to hold hearings for culture-war bills related to book bans and gender-affirming health care.
Lodge, a Republican, declined to do so, dooming her legislation. She’s retiring this year. It’s not clear whether campaign finance reform is a priority for any of her colleagues, though Lodge thinks it should be.
“That transparency is so needed, and was so needed for this election, because this is such an important election,” she said.
Other important election stories: Pillen snatches victory from Trump pick Herbster in Nebraska’s GOP gubernatorial primary … Florida House leaders silent on Black delegation’s protest; will some GOP lawmakers support punishment? … (Nevada) Four candidates, including appointed judge, vie for seat on justice court … (Maryland) In GOP governor race, Schulz campaign calls Cox ‘unstable’ and ‘unfit for office’ … Georgia officials say Marjorie Taylor Greene will not be disqualified as a candidate … Will three Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidates accused of forging signatures make it on the ballot?
From the Newsrooms
- Pandemic-fueled Apple union movement unlikely to spur a trend in right-to-work Georgia
- (Louisiana) House Republicans plan to remove language punishing pregnant people from abortion bill
- Missouri Senate divisions on full display going into session’s final days
- (New Mexico) Families sue the state and health care companies over lack of care for medically fragile children
- Entire life prepares Alaska investigator of missing and murdered Indigenous people (Welcome to States Newsroom, Alaska Beacon!)
One Last Thing
Apple is officially killing the iPod, and I, stalwart iPod user, am devastated. Yes, I know streaming exists. No, you will not convince me it’s better than owning your own library of music. But also yes, you may send me your old and abandoned iPods*; I promise to give them a good home.
*You can also send me your Zune, if you’re one of the five people who had a Zune. My husband really likes them. (I can not even begin to attempt to explain.)
This edition of the Evening Wrap published on May 11, 2022. Subscribe here.
