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RandySF's JournalWyoming Senate rejects post-election audit bill on third reading
CHEYENNE — Another bill aimed at changing the way Wyoming conducts its elections was shot down Thursday by the state Senate after calls to hit the brakes on the measure came from Wyoming county clerks.
Although House Bill 85 received approval from the House, it could not make its way through the Senate on third and final reading, and died on a 9-21 vote.
HB 85 sought to mandate that county clerks take formal minutes during post-election audits and provide those records to the Secretary of State’s Office. It also required the presence of at least two electors from different political parties to observe the audit procedures and results, giving them the legal authority to register “observed errors or other objections.”
The bill would have codified a more rigid structure for public and political observation than currently exists in state statute.
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/wyoming-senate-rejects-post-election-audit-bill-on-third-reading/article_1fe4efb3-cc2e-495a-b729-047c4f76f56c.html
Staples-Motley Referendum 2026 Election Guide
STAPLES — The Staples-Motley School District is asking voters to approve $42.5 million in bonds to address a long list of maintenance and design needs impacting students' safety, education and extracurriculars.
The district said it has spent months gathering community and professional feedback on its plan to renovate, update and expand its facilities ahead of the April 14 election.
There's no one major project the money would go toward. Rather, the referendum would help pay for the laundry list of issues that come with facilities that are, on average, over 50 years old, like outdated brickwork and roofing and undersized classrooms.
The district has highlighted the need for new career and technical education spaces. Classes in welding, woodworking, automotive technology, machining and meat cutting are highly sought after by students, but a lack of space and outdated equipment limit educational opportunities.
https://www.kaxe.org/elections/2026-02-26/staples-motley-referendum-2026-election-guide-what-to-know
Tybee mayor proposes election system change
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — Tybee Island city officials discussed the possibility of how residents are able to vote in the future on Thursday.
A referendum to amend the city’s revised elections procedure was on Thursday’s city council agenda but was removed. The reason they took it out was because some city leaders wanted more time to review the topic.
City of Tybee Mayor Brian West proposed a referendum to change the way the city council election system works. Currently the top three people with the most votes get a seat.
Now, West is proposing a change to make each seat a position, meaning residents would vote for three specific seats.
https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/tybee-mayor-proposes-election-system-change/
Douglas County Election Commissioner announces polling place changes for May's primary election
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Neb. — Heads up Douglas County voters: your voting location may have changed.
Information can be found on the Douglas County Election Commission's website.
The Douglas County Election Commission said up to 7% of polling places are affected.
The changes are due to construction, scheduling conflicts and changes in building ownership.
https://www.ketv.com/article/douglas-county-polling-place-changes-may-primary-election/70521480
Syracuse GOP candidate charged with campaign finance fraud, must repay taxpayers $238K
A former candidate for New York state Senate in Syracuse must pay back $238,000 in public campaign matching funds after cheating taxpayers in a massive election fraud scheme, a state investigation has concluded.
Caleb Slater, a Republican who lost his bid for the 48th Senate District seat in 2024, is accused of giving donors gift cards in exchange for contributions and falsely attributing some contributions to fake donors.
Those donations fraudulently inflated the share of public matching funds Slater received for his campaign by more than $61,000, according to a notice of enforcement from the New York Public Campaign Finance Board.
The notice, obtained by syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, said the board is seeking a total of $286,052 in penalties and repayments from Slater for violations of election law and the state’s public campaign matching funds program.
https://www.syracuse.com/politics/cny/2026/02/syracuse-gop-candidate-charged-with-campaign-finance-fraud-must-repay-taxpayers-238k.html
3 Monroe County residents charged with ballot fraud
MONROE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — State authorities have arrested three Monroe County residents on charges related to the 2025 Frisco City municipal election, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Thursday.
Prosecutors say Sarah Bennett, 60, Sharon Denson, 67, and Samantha Kyles, 46, face a total of 17 counts of ballot harvesting and 20 counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots.
“The indictment alleges that each defendant falsified absentee ballot applications or verification documents and harvested the ballots of multiple individuals,” Marshall said in a news release.
Unlawful use of absentee ballots, a Class C felony, carries a possible sentence of one year and one day to 10 years in prison.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/3-monroe-county-residents-charged-001346870.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADlZMP5bkLFyd5BdO1T9F49MTnje3enqKNTjPRDIlHkz3f_zn2qLJQrnDbTYsNQXvraAX1-2RIYNgwtxn8nzqrltv3SvbuBbaNSYKbztJMeZff4mca0SGpKq0UhUZ1jyf49pzVvfiSR5QLQquhE4k4zykQv83fKbDCNs2N14MkKr
St. Helens to ask residents to pay $24 monthly fee in May election Read more at: https://columbiacountyspotlight.com/2
Facing a budget deficit, the city of St. Helens is asking its residents to vote on an additional monthly fee to fund city services.
In the upcoming election May 19, St. Helens voters will decide whether to support a $24 monthly fee on their water bills to boost the city’s general fund budget. The city council voted 4-0 to refer the fee to the ballot, with Council President Jessica Chilton absent.
The $24 fee proposal prevailed over a similar $35.30 fee that was also considered as a solution to the city’s looming $2.2 million budget deficit.
Should the majority of voters vote in favor of the fee, it would be charged monthly to all housing units in the city — both homeowners and renters — through utility bills, which comes out to $288 annually.
https://columbiacountyspotlight.com/2026/02/26/st-helens-to-ask-residents-to-pay-24-monthly-fee-in-may-election-2/
Judge to rule Monday on Lynchburg's request to halt redistricting referendum
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — A Lynchburg Circuit Court judge will decide Monday whether to halt the city’s upcoming congressional redistricting referendum, including early voting set to begin March 6.
Attorneys for the city, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Virginia for Fair Elections Committee argued in court Thursday over whether the election process should move forward.
The city is asking for an injunction to stop the April 21 referendum on Virginia redistricting, arguing the General Assembly moved the election forward too quickly and created constitutional concerns.
Tim Anderson, the attorney representing the city, called the situation a “constitutional crisis.” He argued the court must determine whether the required 90-day notice period applies to the start of early voting on March 6 or to Election Day on April 21.
https://wset.com/news/local/judge-to-rule-monday-on-lynchburgs-request-to-halt-redistricting-referendum-february-2026-department-of-elections-virginia-va-registrar-election
Audit: Multnomah County Elections secure; staffing, outreach and infrastructure strained
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With all eyes on elections — as debates over the SAVE Act continue and the White House explores possible changes to how elections are run — a new report is raising serious questions about whether Multnomah County’s Elections Division has the support it needs.
The performance audit, released Wednesday by Multnomah County Auditor Jennifer McGuirk, found that local elections are secure and that ranked choice voting was successfully implemented for the City of Portland’s November 2024 contests – with one major caveat:
Auditors warn the division is operating without key support systems that helped make 2024 successful, including a full-scale Voter Education and Outreach program that has now been eliminated from the county’s FY 2026 budget.
Because the program no longer exists, the report warns the county will be challenged to ensure east county voters — including communities in Gresham and Troutdale — are prepared for the county’s ranked choice elections.
https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/audit-multnomah-county-elections-secure-staffing-outreach-and-infrastructure-strained/
Wellington voters to decide on $17.85 million school bond proposal
WELLINGTON, Kan. (KSNW) — Wellington residents will vote on the district’s revamped school bond Tuesday after the initial proposal failed by less than 150 votes in November.
The new $17.85 million proposal is $4.75 million less than the one voters rejected in November.
Superintendent Adam Hatfield said the school board considered taxpayers’ opinions when shaping the new bond, ultimately reducing costs and scaling back the number of projects.
“They felt like they needed to put something out that was a little bit less, based off of what they were hearing from the community,” Hatfield said.
https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/wellington-voters-to-decide-on-17-85-million-school-bond-proposal/
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