RandySF
RandySF's JournalCT-COMP: Comptroller Sean Scanlon (D) announces re-election bid
State Comptroller Sean Scanlon on Tuesday officially announced he will seek election to a second term.
Scanlon, a Democrat and former four-term state representative from the 98th District serving Guilford and Branford, was elected comptroller in 2022.
In his announcement, Scanlon, 39, pointed to his work over the past three years, including pension fund changes he said will save taxpayers more than $800 million and efforts to lower health care costs.
In addition to the pension reform, he cited other accomplishments that include:
https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/ct-comptroller-sean-scanlon-announces-re-election-bid/
Early voting to be held Saturday in Warwick special election
WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — The City of Warwick will hold an early voting period from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday for the city's upcoming special election on authorizing an additional $50 million bond to help construct new high schools.
Mayor Frank Picozzi said this early voting period was being offered to allow another early voting opportunity to residents who were planning on voting early on Monday. Warwick City Hall was closed on Monday due to the recent winter storm.
According to the mayor, passing the bond would be necessary to ensure the construction of athletic facilities at both Pilgrim and Toll Gate high schools.
In a public meeting, Chris Spiegel, an executive with the contracted owner's project manager, said that construction of the schools with completed athletic facilities would likely come in at $13 million to $18 million over the initial budget, with a worst-case scenario of an additional $23 million needed.
https://turnto10.com/news/local/early-voting-to-be-held-saturday-in-warwick-special-election
Ozark approves April ballot question on charter
Some April elections are shaping up for the region.
In Springfield, voters now know the city will revisit the question of increasing a city hotel/motel license tax to help pay for a new convention and event center. Springfield will have no school board elections this year as the two incumbents up for election face no challengers.
Republic will have one competitive city council race, in Ward III Justin Snider will face Brian Fields. Three other Republic Ward elections have only one candidate.
In Ozark this year’s trend of one-horse races continues. Elections in Wards one and two in Ozark will have one candidate for each. One race will have no candidates. No one filed for election to represent Ozark’s Ward three.
https://www.ksmu.org/news/2026-01-27/ozark-approves-april-ballot-question-on-charter?_amp=true
Group adds 5K more signatures in ballot push to grow Miami Commission, move elections to November
A charter reform group hoping to expand the Miami Commission and reschedule the city’s elections just delivered an additional 5,000 signed petitions to the Clerk’s Office, bringing the total to over 18,000.
The newly submitted petitions move the nonprofit Stronger Miami’s campaign ever closer to the roughly 20,000 valid signatures required under state law for the measures to qualify.
More petition deliveries are planned in the coming weeks, the group said.
Mel Meinhardt, a Board member of the homeowners advocacy group One Grove Alliance and a member of the campaign, said the latest submission reflects growing participation across Miami.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/776371-group-adds-5k-more-signatures-in-ballot-push-to-grow-miami-commission-move-elections-to-november/
Douglas County hiring election workers
Douglas County is seeking election workers for the 2026 June primary and November general elections.
Duties would include setting up and closing voting centers, helping voters understand their voting rights, and protecting ballots and voting equipment.
To qualify you must be at least 16 years of age, be a registered voter in Nevada if you're over 18, and you can't be a candidate or have a family member who is running for office.
To apply visit the Douglas County careers page
https://www.2news.com/news/douglas-county-hiring-election-workers/article_31a16cc4-70d2-47a1-a8d5-54ec4458d759.html
Backlog of San Antonio area voter registrations cleared -- again
The Bexar County Elections Department had to hire additional temporary personnel for a second election in a row to clear a backlog of voter registrations.
A backlog of 7,000 voter registrations was cleared this month in advance of the March 3 primary election.
Back before the November 2025 election, the backlog hit the much larger number of 75,000 voter registrations before being cleared.
Both election backlogs were blamed on software issues with the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
https://www.tpr.org/news/2026-01-27/backlog-of-san-antonio-area-voter-registrations-cleared-again
State adjusts charges against county elections official accused of drugging girls' ice cream
Prosecutors have adjusted felony charges against a North Carolina county elections official accused of putting drugs in ice cream intended for his step-granddaughter and a friend. The decision follows new lab testing in the case.
James Yokeley, who resigned from the Surry County Board of Elections in August after he was initially charged in the case, now faces two possible counts of felony “unlawful distribution of food or beverage” and one count of felony child abuse.
Prosecutors initially charged Yokeley in August with child abuse, possession of a controlled substance and two counts of contaminating food with a controlled substance. Police in Wilmington had arrested Yokeley on allegations that he had put pills in ice cream purchased for his 16-year-old step-granddaughter and her 15-year-old friend. The pills, police said at the time, tested positive for MDMA and cocaine, which are controlled substances.
The drug charges were dropped last month after lab testing determined that the drugs alleged to have been found in the ice cream weren’t controlled substances under state law, court records show.
https://www.wral.com/news/state/state-adjusts-charges-surry-county-elections-official-drugging-girls-ice-cream-january-2026/
COCONINO COUNTY SEEKS 500 ELECTION WORKERS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PUSH AHEAD OF UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Coconino County is actively seeking 500 election workers for the upcoming electoral period as part of a campaign fueled by Help America Vote Day. This initiative, first established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in 2022, was created to encourage civic engagement and to ensure the election process is safe, secure, and accessible. The effort is not just a call to action, but a recognition of the crucial role these volunteers play in the democratic process.
As reported by Coconino County's official news release, Eslir Musta, the Elections Director, underscored the importance of election workers, citing their work as one of the most effective ways for Americans to serve their communities. Hiring 500 election workers, she says, is something the county anticipates eagerly. Musta told the county's news service, "In 2026, we are anticipating hiring 500 election workers across the county. We are excited to recognize Help America Vote Day to kick-off our recruitment efforts and encourage county residents to be the face of elections in our communities and sign up to be an election worker today."
The roles these election workers will take on include a variety of tasks. From setting up and preparing polling locations to verifying voter registrations and issuing ballots, these individuals are key to guiding voters through the process. As described in the official news statement, they help voters understand how to use the voting equipment and explain voting procedures, ensuring every eligible voter is capable of casting their ballot.
Besides contributing to the democratic process, serving as an election worker also comes with a monetary reward. According to Coconino County, workers can earn up to $295, playing a pivotal role in protecting the integrity of our democracy. For those interested in becoming part of this essential workforce, information on how to sign up as an election worker is available by scanning a QR code or visiting coconino.az.gov/elections or HelpAmericaVote.gov.
https://hoodline.com/2026/01/coconino-county-seeks-500-election-workers-in-civic-engagement-push-ahead-of-upcoming-elections/
In blow to Trump DOJ, experienced anti-voting lawyer is out
Maureen Riordan, the veteran election lawyer whose appointment as Acting Chief of the Department of Justice’s voting section symbolized the department’s sharp anti-voting shift, is no longer at DOJ, the department said in a court filing Tuesday.
Riordan came to DOJ from the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a right-wing anti-voting legal group that has pushed aggressive voter purges and promoted false claims about widespread illegal voting. Still, her departure leaves the section largely in the hands of a slew of new hires with less experience and ties to even more radical anti-voting figures.
In a filing seeking New Mexico’s unredacted voter rolls, DOJ lawyers wrote that “Riordan is no longer with the Department of Justice.”
Riordan continued to be listed in official filings and complaints as recently as this month.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-blow-to-trump-doj-experienced-anti-voting-lawyer-is-out/
LA City Council to explore potential tax measures ahead of June election
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- The Los Angeles City Council is considering additional ways to raise revenue with three proposals set to be discussed Tuesday with the intent of placing them on the June primary election ballot.
The City Council will consider an increase in two existing taxes: transient occupancy, also referred to as the "hotel tax," and parking occupancy. The third proposal would establish a tax on unpermitted cannabis businesses.
City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo and Diana Mangioglu, the city treasurer and director of finance, have explored increasing the transient occupancy tax, or TOT, a tax on the right to occupy space for lodging.
The tax covers hotel and motel rooms, short-term rentals, and hostels. TOT stands at 14% of the paid total, including all fees and charges that are associated with the occupancy of the space.
https://abc7.com/post/los-angeles-city-council-explore-potential-tax-measures-ahead-june-election/18486651/
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