How US Voting Laws Have Changed Since 2020

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If you’re a registered voter in the Western U.S. state of Nevada, you’d have received a mail-in ballot this year, whether you asked for one or not. That’s thanks to a new law that the state enacted last year as part of a broader effort to make it easier for people to vote. But if you’re a voter in the Southwestern state of Texas, that option is not available to you. Indeed, a 2021 Texas law makes it a crime for election officials to automatically send mail-in ballots to voters. The two laws epitomize the divergent paths that U.S. statesmore

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Analysts Don’t Expect Significant Changes in Immigration Policy After the Midterms

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Despite the record influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and a shortage of workers in the United States, experts believe immigration policy will remain unchanged after the midterm elections. Some experts say that if Republicans take control of Congress, President Joe Biden likely will turn to the administrative process to accomplish any immigration changes.   Republicans have a “very clear” position on immigration, Neeraj Kaushal, a social policy professor at Columbia University, told VOA. “They want to restrict immigration,” said Kaushal, who is also an expert and researcher on immigration policy.   Democrats, on the other hand, are less focused whenmore

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Midterm Elections Usually Favor the Opposition, But Will 2022 Buck History?

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History suggests the Democratic Party’s narrow control of both houses of Congress — the Senate and House of Representatives — could end after the midterm elections in November.   But the conservative Supreme Court ‘s unpopular decision to end the constitutional right to an abortion for women could be the catalyst that bucks history.  “Historically, the president’s political party has almost always lost seats in Congress in the midterm elections,” says Mark Rozell, dean and professor of policy and government at George Mason University in Virginia. “So, if this were just a normal, ordinary midterm election year, we would expect themore

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Biden Implores Voters to Save Democracy From Lies, Violence

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After weeks of reassuring talk about America’s economy and inflation, President Joe Biden turned Wednesday night to a darker, more urgent message, warning in the final days ahead of midterm election voting that democracy itself is under threat from former President Donald Trump’s election-denying lies and the violence he said they inspire.  Pointing in particular to the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, he said that Trump’s false claims about a stolen election have “fueled the dangerous rise of political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years.”  Six days before the elections, Biden said, “As I standmore

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Officials Fear Disinformation Could Spark US Election Violence

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With just one week to go until the U.S. midterm elections, a key senior U.S. official is expressing concerns that misinformation, or influence operations by U.S. adversaries, could ignite violence at the polls. For weeks, top officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security have said they have found no traces of specific or credible threats to the November 8 vote. But increasingly officials have voiced fears about the heightened domestic political tensions that have gripped much of the country and about how that could play out on Election Day when mixed with false ormore

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Despite Huge Redistricting Advantage, Republicans Play it Safe

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As the midterms approach, the Republican Party is facing a tougher than expected fight from the Democrats for control of the House of Representatives despite having had a rare opportunity to redraw the political map in their favor. “People thought, ‘Well, Democrats are going to get shellacked in redistricting, and, you know, they more or less managed to fight to a draw,’” says Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. Though Republicans are still likely to win control of the House, he said. Every 10 years, congressional districts are redrawn to reflect population changes and ensure that eachmore

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Majority of Americans Want Supreme Court Reform, Here’s How it Could Work

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Two-thirds of Americans want court reform in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned a half-century of abortion rights that were guaranteed under the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. “We’re in somewhat uncharted territory here,” says Carolyn Shapiro, professor of law at ITT Chicago-Kent College of Law. “For the first time in a very long time, maybe ever, there is increasing public appetite for making changes to the court, like adding seats and/or imposing term limits.” Public approval of the U.S. Supreme Court hit a new low last month, withmore

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US Politicians Condemn Political Violence Ahead of Tense Midterm Vote

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Political violence has cast a pall over the U.S. midterm vote, with poll workers expecting high emotions at election venues and a recent, violent home invasion targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. President Joe Biden and other top politicians have condemned the attack, which badly wounded Pelosi’s husband, Paul, and they are calling for an end to political violence as the election looms on Nov. 8. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Washington. …

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As Midterms Near, Political Ads Seize on Voters’ Fears about Crime

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Crime statistics are notoriously hard to interpret. They’re often incomplete, out of date and ambiguous. But that hasn’t stopped candidates running in the midterms this year from cherry-picking data to score political points. Take a Republican attack ad against Josh Riley, a Democrat running for a competitive congressional seat in upstate New York. The ad, sponsored by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, cites a New York Post article about “violent crime surging in New York.” But the June 22 article is about rising violent crime in New York City — and five other U.S. cities — notmore

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Poll Workers Train for Conflict: ‘A Little Nervous? I Am.’

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Milwaukee’s top election official surveyed about 20 poll workers gathered in a classroom in a city building stuffed with election supplies, then spoke frankly about the tense environment they may face next week when the city expects more people watching their work than ever before. “So who is worried about observer disruptions?” Claire Woodall-Vogg, head of the Milwaukee Election Commission, asked the group. “Who has read things or heard things on the news, and you’re a little nervous? I am. I’ll raise my hand,” she said, smiling. A few of the workers raised their hands, too. They’re not alone inmore

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With US Midterm Vote, Massachusetts Cambodians Flex Local Power

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For Cambodian American residents of Lowell, Massachusetts, the upcoming midterm vote is chance to voice concerns on a list of local concerns familiar throughout the U.S. — potholes, schools and housing costs. Sreang Heng, the Cambodia-born owner of Heng Heng Auto Repair near Lowell’s Koumantzelis Park-Roberto Clemente Baseball Field, said potholes are taking a toll on his customers’ vehicles, which come to him with damaged tires and tie rods. While this means more work for auto repair shops like his, he’d rather not have it because of the social cost, especially to those who cannot afford to make all themore

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Economy, Abortion Top Concerns as Voters Elect New US Congress

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U.S. voters are weighing heavy issues as they head to the polls this November. From inflation to abortion rights, to border security and crime, concerns about the direction of the country will motivate voters to either keep Democrats in power or give Republicans a chance to control both the U.S. Senate and House. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from the voters. Videographer: Scott Stearns …

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Pennsylvania’s Pivotal Senate Race Could Determine Fate of Biden Agenda

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If opposition Republicans capture both the U.S. House and Senate in the November 8 midterm election, the legislative agenda of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, will be derailed. One of the most closely watched and tightest races is for an open Senate seat in Pennsylvania. It features Republican Party nominee Mehmet Oz against Democratic Party nominee John Fetterman, who is the state’s lieutenant governor. Fetterman’s campaign has issued social media memes mocking Oz’s apparent lack of knowledge about Pennsylvania, portraying him as a wealthy, out-of-touch carpetbagger from over the border, in New Jersey. Oz, a physician and political novice, hasmore

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Election Push to Turn Out Voters  

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Young volunteers walk down a neighborhood street knocking on doors in Washington. Their message is short and simple: “Please vote.”  Similar scenes are happening around the United States as political parties and a broad spectrum of advocacy groups try to persuade Americans to vote in the November 8 midterm elections.  “I know the election is important and a lot of people have approached me about making sure I vote,” said Evelyn Newman, a retired African American health care worker who believes the country is heading in the wrong direction. “I think people are upset about inflation hitting everybody hard, especially those on limitedmore

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Fetterman Faces Oz at Senate Debate 5 Months after Stroke

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More than five months after experiencing a stroke, Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman struggled at times to explain his positions and often spoke haltingly throughout a highly anticipated debate Tuesday against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz as they vie for a critical Senate seat. In the opening minutes of the debate, Fetterman addressed what he called the “elephant in the room.” “I had a stroke. He’s never let me forget that,” Fetterman said of Oz, who has persistently questioned his ability to serve in the Senate. “And I might miss some words during this debate, mush two words together, but it knockedmore

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In Polarized 2022 Midterms, US Candidates Find Common Ground Opposing China

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As American voters get ready for the midterm elections next month, candidates from both parties are pledging tough policies on China in hopes of wooing voters. American attitudes toward China have worsened in recent years, especially since the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. New data from Pew Research Center said that this year, 82% of Americans have an unfavorable view of China, a historical high. Five years ago, that number was about half, standing at 47%. Polls indicate those negative views are shared by Republicans and Democrats, which is why candidates from both parties are talking about China and Beijing’s formidable economicmore

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US Supreme Court’s Thomas Temporarily Blocks Graham Election Case Testimony

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday temporarily blocked a judge’s order requiring Senator Lindsey Graham to testify to a grand jury in Georgia in a criminal investigation into whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies unlawfully tried to overturn 2020 election results in the state.  Thomas put the case on hold pending further action either from the justice or the full Supreme Court on a request by Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, to halt the order for testimony. Graham filed the emergency application to the Supreme Court on Friday after a federal appeals courtmore

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Republican Committee Sues Google Over Email Spam Filters

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The Republican National Committee has filed a lawsuit against tech giant Google, alleging the company has been suppressing its email solicitations ahead of November’s midterm elections – an allegation Google denies. The lawsuit, filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of California Friday evening, accuses Gmail of “discriminating” against the RNC by unfairly sending the group’s emails to users’ spam folders, impacting both fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts in pivotal swing states. “Enough is enough – we are suing Google for their blatant bias against Republicans,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in a statement to The Associated Press. “Formore

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