Huntington Beach gets Calif. lawsuit against its voter ID law dismissed
The state of California’s attempt to stop Huntington Beach’s voter ID law lost in court on Monday, Dec. 16. The city said a state judge dismissed a lawsuit from the California attorney general and secretary of state that argued the city mandate violated the state constitution.
Huntington Beach’s voter-approved rule requires a photo ID to vote starting in 2026 for city elections.
Huntington Beach’s Mayor Pat Burns celebrated the ruling by the superior court.
“This is a big loss for the state of California and a major success for the city of Huntington Beach,” Burns wrote on X.
MI officials dismiss voter fraud claims in viral Project Veritas video
Michigan election officials have responded to a video posted by Project Veritas, an organization known for undercover investigations. The organization claims to show evidence of ballot tampering at a Detroit polling location.
The video shows individuals carrying what appear to be ballot boxes into a polling station late at night, with additional footage suggesting similar activity at 2 a.m.
Project Veritas questioned why vehicles with California license plates were delivering ballots in Detroit during at night.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson publicly addressed the video, stating that the footage wasn’t recorded in Detroit. She noted that the details of the location seemed inconsistent with the city.
“Anyone that actually lives in Detroit could see it wasn’t an accurate portrayal of reality,” Benson said. However, she didn’t provide further specifics on how she identified the video as being from another location.
Project Veritas has recently focused on alleged voter fraud in Michigan. The group shared encounters in which they claim absentee ballots were associated with incorrect addresses.
In one interaction, a resident was reportedly surprised to learn of a ballot tied to an individual who hadn’t lived at the address for decades.
Michigan’s secretary of state’s office continues to stand by the integrity of the state’s election process, citing protocols in place to prevent unauthorized voting or ballot tampering.
Officials have reached out to Project Veritas for additional comment on the video, and the investigation is ongoing.
Judge allows Musk’s $1 million daily voter giveaway in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania judge ruled on Monday, Nov. 4, that Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day voter giveaway can continue, just one day before the presidential election. The decision followed heated testimony over whether the giveaway, backed by Musk’s pro-Trump political group, constitutes an illegal lottery.
America PAC, Musk’s political action committee, has awarded $16 million so far to registered voters in battleground states, with participants required to sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights to enter.
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Judge Angelo Foglietta ruled against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s attempt to block the daily payouts to swing state voters, saying he would release a detailed explanation later.
In court, Krasner’s lawyers argued that the contest was fraudulent, claiming that winners were chosen not at random, as Musk initially advertised, but based on their potential as spokespeople for the PAC’s pro-Trump agenda.
Chris Young, director of America PAC, testified that winners were picked by reviewing videos and social media profiles, and that winners signed non-disclosure agreements barring them from discussing terms of their selection.
Young also acknowledged being surprised when Musk referred to the contest as “random” during a public rally, despite the PAC’s active selection of individuals who would serve as spokespeople.
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Musk’s lawyer, Andy Taylor, defended the contest as a means of supporting free speech and the right to bear arms, accusing Krasner of infringing on Pennsylvania citizens’ rights. The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly warned Musk’s PAC about potential violations of federal laws prohibiting incentives for voter registration, though no federal actions have been taken.
Musk, who became an outspoken Trump supporter this year, has donated nearly $120 million to America PAC for its voter mobilization efforts.
FBI sets up 24/7 National Election Command Post to handle security threats
The FBI has established a 24/7 National Election Command Post in Washington, D.C., to address any threats that may arise before and after Election Day. This weeklong effort brings together over a dozen federal agencies and roughly 80 personnel per shift to monitor for federal election crimes, cyber threats, foreign interference and domestic terrorism risks.
The FBI’s Election Command Post is based in the Strategic Information and Operations Center at FBI headquarters. Agents and officials are prepared to respond to threats as results come in.
Agencies supporting this operation include the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Secret Service, among others.
Each of the FBI’s 55 field offices are also operating local command posts. The offices are working closely with state and local election officials to pass on relevant tips and complaints.
James Barnacle is the deputy assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI. He said they’re prepared for the election.
“We feel like we’re well positioned to handle and triage information that comes in. We have the people in place,” Barnacle said.
The NECP’s mission is to protect the election process from potential disruptions while ensuring that information flows swiftly between federal, state and local partners.
This multiagency effort will continue through at least Nov. 9, handling all significant complaints and any incidents that could impact election integrity.
Pennsylvania voter registration fraud investigation expands ahead of election
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, election officials in Pennsylvania have broadened their investigation into fraudulent voter registration applications across more counties. Straight Arrow News reported earlier this week that three counties are currently investigating suspected fraudulent applications. Lancaster County officials reported receiving 2,500 such applications.
Election officials said they identified irregularities during the processing of these applications. Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams noted that some irregularities included incorrect or nonexistent addresses and false personal information, such as names or Social Security numbers.
Adams added that while some applications contained correct information, the individuals listed as the applicants claimed they didn’t fill them out. Investigators determined that 60% of these forms were fraudulent.
“At this point, it is believed that the fraudulent voter registrations are connected to a large-scale canvassing operation for voter registrations that date back to June,” Adams said.
Officials believe an Arizona-based organization is behind this canvassing operation. Monroe County officials reported about 30 voter registration applications with irregularities.
Mancuso posted on Facebook that several forms were not completed by the individuals named. At least one of the listed individuals is deceased.
“The fraudulent voter registration forms have been traced to a specific person,” he stated.
According to Mancuso, the person is affiliated with a company called Field and Media Corps. The group is a subsidiary of FieldCorps.
The DA indicated that Field and Media Corps is operating out of Lancaster County and is responsible for submitting the questionable forms.
WGAL News in Lancaster reported that the company’s website listed various Democratic campaigns as clients, including Biden-Harris, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Arizona Democrats.
Someone has since taken down the Field and Media Corps website.
In York County, officials are investigating over 3,000 voter registration applications submitted last week, with an update provided Thursday, Oct. 31.
About 47% of these applications were verified as legitimate and approved. Approximately 29% had incomplete information. Officials won’t approve these applications until the necessary information is provided.
Officials declined about 24%. Those are under further review by the York County District Attorney’s Office.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry stated in a press release the investigation was ongoing and any offenders will be held accountable under the law.
Republicans more skeptical than Democrats about election vote count: Poll
A new poll finds Americans are deeply divided on whether the 2024 election will be fairly counted, with Republicans particularly skeptical. The AP-NORC survey reveals that while most voters have confidence in their local election offices, trust in a nationwide count is considerably lower among Republicans than Democrats.
The survey shows that 50% of Republican voters have at least “a great deal” of confidence in their local election officials. However, this drops sharply when considering the national level, with only 1 in 4 Republicans expressing confidence that the nationwide vote will be counted accurately.
Among Democrats, about 75% report confidence in vote counts at all levels — local, state and nationwide.
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This election marks the first presidential race since former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election took hold among many Republican voters, contributing to a lingering sense of mistrust.
In fact, 6 in 10 Republicans say they believe voting by ineligible people is a major problem in the U.S., while only 2 in 10 Democrats feel the same.
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The divide also extends to age. Around 7 in 10 voters ages 60 and older report confidence in vote counts at all levels, whereas only about half of voters ages 18 to 29 feel the same.
Younger voters, who have experienced fewer elections, often express more skepticism, with some noting that exposure to misinformation has contributed to their doubts.
Among the issues dividing the two major parties, 50% of Democrats view voter suppression as a significant problem, while one-third of Republicans agree. And when it comes to mail-in ballots, 6 in 10 Democrats are confident these will be counted accurately, compared to only 1 in 10 Republicans.
With just under 4 in 10 voters expressing concerns about foreign interference, election officials nationwide are focusing on educating voters about the process to build trust.
Early voting ends in key state of Georgia as Election Day nears
Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 1, in the battleground state of Georgia. Millions of people have already voted in the key state ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5.
Around 3.7 million voters, a record number of early voters, already cast their ballot in Georgia, where 16 electoral votes are at stake in the presidential election. According to NBC News, 48% are Republicans, 45% are Democrats and 7% are registered as something else. It is a state that President Joe Biden won in 2020 by about 11,000 votes.
Republican nominee former President Donald Trump alleged there was cheating, voting irregularities and fraud in the state during the last election. Because of those accusations, 19 people, including the former president, are facing criminal charges for allegedly participating in an illegal scheme to overturn the results of the election in Georgia.
Georgia elections officials said early vote results will be reported by 8 p.m. on election night. Votes cast in person on Election Day are expected to be counted on election night. Back in 2020, it took 10 days for Georgia officials to call the race for Biden.
Nationally, more than 64 million people have voted early in the 2024 election as we come down to the final weekend. Early voting also ends on Nov. 1 in the battleground states Arizona and Nevada, along with Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Texas and Utah.
Virginia and New Hampshire suddenly drawing interest in election
As the presidential campaign enters its final weekend, Republican nominee Donald Trump is set to hold a controversial rally in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 2. The move is raising eyebrows as candidates make their last push in key battleground states.
Joe Biden won the state by nearly 10 points in 2020 and most pundits have put Virginia, and its 13 electoral votes, in Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ column in 2024. However, a new poll paints a picture of a very close race in Virginia.
The Rasmussen survey of 1,014 likely voters has Harris up by just two points at 48%, while Trump sits at 46%, with 3% of voters undecided. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin went on Fox News this week proclaiming that Virginia is very much in play.
Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Virginia, not only downplayed the possible closeness of the race, she name-called and criticized Trump.
Swecker told The Associated Press, “Kamala Harris will win Virginia convincingly, as he knows, and any visit from this deranged lunatic will only widen the margin.”
Another state that is suddenly getting attention is New Hampshire. A poll, out this week for the New Hampshire Journal, showed Trump with a narrow lead over Harris, 50.2% to 49.8%. Joe Biden won the state in 2020.
In addition, RealClearPolitics has now moved New Hampshire, and its four electoral votes, into the toss-up column.
AI chatbots struggle with election questions in Spanish: Study
Voting rights groups are sounding the alarm over AI chatbots spreading misinformation to Latino voters. With just days until the presidential election, Latino voters are being inundated with targeted election ads in Spanish.
An investigation conducted in collaboration with Proof News, Factchequeado and the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab at the Institute for Advanced Study found a disparity between the accuracy rates of English and Spanish language responses produced by five leading AI models.
The groups conducted a study on election questions answered by AI chatbots in both English and Spanish.
For example, the authors asked Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, about voter fraud in English. The response from Gemini was that voter fraud is “incredibly rare” and it redirects the person to look into other topics such as voter suppression.
The authors said they then asked the same voter fraud question in Spanish and found that Gemini provided a completely different answer, including a list to root out voter fraud, adding it’s a “complex issue.”
Gemini wasn’t the only AI chatbot tested. The study also included Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, Meta’s LLaMA, and French AI company Mistral AI.
The study found that more than half of the election-related responses in Spanish had inaccuracies, compared to 43% in English.
Voting rights advocates warn that AI-generated misinformation could deepen information gaps for Spanish-speaking voters.
Supreme Court ruling on VA voter purge spurs civil rights election concerns
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court raised concerns among civil rights leaders and election watchdogs. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority blocked a lower court order that would have reinstated approximately 1,600 individuals who were purged from Virginia’s registered voter rolls.
These voters had been removed under an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin, which mandated daily purges of individuals who self-identified as noncitizens. The Justice Department, alongside civil rights and immigration groups, filed lawsuits, arguing that the policy was discriminatory.
Damon Hewitt of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights said these actions were “highly coordinated, with a specific aim in mind.” Others claimed the decision could set a precedent for broader post-election challenges in the future.
Youngkin praised the Supreme Court’s decision, saying that clean voter rolls are essential for ensuring fair elections. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares called it a “win for common sense,” adding that “Virginia residents should decide Virginia elections.”
In contrast, Anthony Ashton, associate general counsel for the NAACP, described the issue of noncitizens voting as “an absolute myth,” adding that claims of voter fraud often serve to undermine public confidence in democracy.
Concerns also surfaced about eligible voters being mistakenly purged. Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center for Justice warned that the Supreme Court ruling could lead to confusion as voters head to the polls, not only in Virginia but also across the nation.
In response to these concerns, Virginia voters have a new option. For the first time, they can register on the same day, through Election Day on Nov. 5. Gov. Youngkin highlighted this safeguard, stating that anyone removed mistakenly would still have the opportunity to vote by casting a provisional ballot
