If 2024 is anything like 2020 or 2016, the presidential election will be decided by relatively small margins in a handful of states. That means some local battles scattered across the country could have national importance. Here are some instances to keep an eye on:
In Georgia, Democrats are suing to stop new election certification rules. The state election board recently passed two rules that allow election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results and permit members of county election boards to investigate ballot counts. The Democratic National Committee, the Georgia Democratic Party, and Democratic members of several county election boards have argued in court that the rules could lead to post-election “chaos” if local officials refuse to certify elections.
In Arizona, proof of citizenship is currently required to register to vote. The US Supreme Court gave Arizona Republicans a partial win last week when it allowed part of a new voter ID law to stand, at least for now. People who newly register to vote in Arizona using a state form will now have to prove their citizenship, but people who are already registered will not have to prove citizenship to vote in the coming presidential election.
In North Carolina, there are new rules for voting by mail. People mailing in their ballot will have to include a photocopy of a photo ID and fill out their ballot in the presence of either two witnesses or a notary public. In many states controlled by Democrats, including the key states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, access to mail-in ballots has been expanded. In other states, many of them controlled by Republicans, absentee voting has been made more difficult.
In Texas, there is outcry over home searches tied to a voter fraud probe that dates back to 2022. The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton conducted raids last week. This week, the League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC, filed a complaint with the Department of Justice over the raids, which its leaders said constitute “a direct attempt to suppress the Latino vote through intimidation and harassment, in violation of the Voting Rights Act and other federal civil rights law.”
