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The following states have recently adjourned their 2010 legislative sessions.
Arkansas – Adjourned March 4, 2010
No election bills of note passed the legislature.
Iowa – Adjourned March 30, 2010
Bills to require photo voter ID (S 2231) and extend primary voting rights to 17-year-olds (H 320) were introduced in the legislature. Both bills failed upon adjournment.
Idaho – Adjourned March 29, 2010
A bill requiring voters casting a ballot in person to either present photographic proof of identity or sign an affidavit was signed by the (H 496) governor.
Kentucky – Adjourned April 15, 2010
Two noteworthy bills to improve voting access passed the Kentucky House, including a measure to automatically restore the voting rights of felons after completion of sentence (HB 70) and another bill to provide 12th grade students with voter registration applications and voting information (HB 212).
It is unclear if these bills will be carried over to the next session.
Maine – Adjourned April 12, 2010
No election bills of note passed the legislature.
Maryland – Adjourned April 12, 2010
Just before adjourning for the 2010 legislative session, the Maryland Legislature adopted a bill to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote. Read a full summary of Maryland’s session here.
Nebraska – Adjourned April 14, 2010
The popular issue of online voter registration was introduced in the Legislature (LR 409), but ultimately failed. A more unusual bill to allow noncitizens to register and vote in the U.S. county where one of their parents are currently registered to vote was signed by the governor on April 5 (LR 951). The bill also requires each state and community college to provide students with instructions on early voting and an application to request an early voting ballot, as furnished by the secretary of state.
New Mexico – Adjourned February 18, 2010
Though Election Day Registration was a hot topic in the state legislature, related bills gained no traction due to budget issues this session. EDR is expected to return in the next legislative session. Read the full summary of New Mexico’s session here.
South Dakota – Adjourned March 30, 2010
No election bills of note passed the legislature.
Utah – Adjourned March 1, 2010
The Utah Legislature introduced two bills to expand the list of acceptable voter ID. A bill permitting Medicare recipients to use their cards as voter ID (H 79) failed, however another bill allowing the use of military and Indian cards as voter ID was signed into law (H 254).
The legislature also introduced a couple of noteworthy voter registration bills. The governor signed a bill to restrict voter registration in the state to only those who possess valid Utah identification (S 18). A bill to improve the provisional voting process by allowing provisional voters to register to vote at the same time (H 244) failed.
Finally, an election challengers bill (S 53) was signed into law. The bill allows a person to challenge another person’s right to vote by submitting a written statement to an election officer up to 21 days before an election. The officer must then notify the challenged voter that they must prove eligibility or vote provisionally.
Virginia – Adjourned March 14, 2010
Although a large focus was on voter ID and restoration of voting rights in Virginia, neither issue made it to the governor. However, several election bills did make it to the governor. Read the full summary of Virginia’s legislative session here.
Washington – Adjourned March 11, 2010
After adjourning, the Washington Legislature reintroduced and reinstated several bills in a special session, including preregistration for 13-year-olds (H 1193), mail voting (H 1572), EDR (H 1798), primary voting rights for youth (HJR 4202), and proof of citizenship (S 5187). The bill allowing all mail elections appeared most viable, however, all bills ultimately failed.
West Virginia – Adjourned March 20, 2010
The state legislature focused on vote-by-mail this legislative session. However, none of these bills gained any traction.
Wyoming – Adjourned March 5, 2010
No election bills of note passed the legislature.