Early voting for this fall’s general election began this week, and with it comes fears about election integrity and security on both sides of the aisle.
There also appears to be high levels of voter engagement. A new NPR/PBS/Marist poll shows nearly 9 in 10 voters say they care quite a bit about which party will win control of Congress in November.
President Trump and the Republicans have been trying to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act for the past two legislative sessions. It would require enhanced identification to register to vote and increased voter identification at the polls.
They say the intention is to safeguard election integrity, prevent non-citizens from voting and increase confidence in election results.
Read more: The SAVE Act: What every American Voter Needs to Know
Democrats and voting rights organizations say the legislation amounts to voter suppression. They say that requiring proof of citizenship at the polls would disenfranchise voters and having to obtain proof would amount to an illegal poll tax.
They also point laws that already make it illegal for non-citizens to vote.
And while the president claims most elections his party have lost have been rigged, studies have found it occurring between 0.0025 percent and 0.0003percent of the time.
Read more: Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth, Again
Locally, there are no municipal races on the ballot, but there are a handful of county races and numerous state-wide races that will impact the daily lives of Hoosiers. Several school boards in the state are proposing referendums to raise money, and in northwest Monroe County, voters will decide whether or not the town of Ellettsville and Richland Township are merged into one governmental body.
On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll talk with election officials and political representatives about midterm election security measures, details on local races, and what issues are on the ballot.
Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0812 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show to news@indianapublicmedia.org.
You can also record your questions and send them in through email.
Guests
Debora “Ralf” Shaw, spokesperson, League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County
