Legislators are trying to weaken state courts' ability to ensure fair elections. (Brennan Center)

[Nevilledog]

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Brennan Center
@BrennanCenter
Partisan state legislators are attempting to weaken the ability of state courts to ensure fair elections.
An empty state courtroom

In Assaults on Democracy, State Lawmakers Target Courts
Legislators are trying to weaken state courts’ ability to ensure fair elections.
brennancenter.org
3:36 PM · Dec 14, 2021

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/assaults-democracy-state-lawmakers-target-courts

Courts are one of the last lines of defense against abuses of power during our elections. But an alarming updated analysis by the Brennan Center shows that partisan state lawmakers are increasingly taking aim at state courts’ ability to ensure free and fair elections.

It’s part of the unprecedented effort by partisan legislators nationwide to undermine or distort the outcomes of future elections, with the past year seeing a wave of new voter restrictions, partisan election audits in several states, and state-level efforts to sabotage future elections.

In 2020, state courts intervened in some states to protect voters’ ability to safely cast their ballots, and in others, they rejected efforts to manipulate or overturn election results. Many state courts will also play a major role in redistricting battles across the country over the coming year as congressional and legislative maps are redrawn. This critical function in defending democracy has put these courts in state lawmakers’ sights.

Legislators in 35 states considered at least 153 bills between January 1 and December 10 of this year that would have limited state courts’ power or independence or made them more partisan. Of those bills, at least 19 have become law across 14 states. An additional two measures will go before voters in Montana and West Virginia in 2022, and another 53 advanced in a meaningful way — either receiving a hearing, getting voted out of committee, or passing one chamber of the legislature.

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[PortTack]

1. And these laws are all being challenged..much of which will not stand