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April 16, 2021

Friends,

In the ongoing legal battle with Fair Fight Inc. (the PAC started by former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams) True the Vote has been facing a fight waged not just by the organization and its supporters, but the media as well.Let's not forget that, among the many court battles in Georgia relating to the 2020 elections, advocacy group Majority Forward sued Ben Hill County Board Of Elections in U.S. District Court over verification of voter eligibility. The judge in that case, Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, is the sister of Fair Fight founder Stacey Abrams, whose organization was filing similar lawsuits in other counties. Majority Forward is an arm of the Democrat-affiliated Senate Majority PAC, to which Abrams and her group are major donors. Is fair the right word for that fight?Fair Fight, as you know, took True the Vote to court to block our efforts toward the integrity of the ballots and verification of eligibility in the state.Our subsequent countersuit against Fair Fight over their tactics brought us into conflict with the organization as well as its allies, including those in Hollywood and newsrooms.Fair Fight's intimidation of responsible citizens - some of whom are military veterans, and all of whom were exercising both their right and responsibility to ensure the integrity and legitimacy of the casting and counting of ballots in their home counties and districts - was anything but fair. It was not even predicated on the principles of fairness.The latest developments include a court-backed demand for disclosure of private information for each of the citizens who exercised those rights. Fair Fight has taken its campaign of intimidation beyond the polling places and election board meetings and brought it into the courtroom.When True the Vote announced our lawsuit against Fair Fight, founder and president Catherine Engelbrecht said that "this case aims to fight back against a group that took square aim at the constitutional rights of those committed to election integrity. Citizens have the right to petition of government. We will stand against any who would try to stifle that right through intimidation tactics.”It is as true now as it was when the fight began. Even more so, in fact.We continue to fight this fight because we believe in it. Because we believe in the power of the American citizen, the power of the people to govern themselves. Because we believe that a democratic republic should endure, and should always answer to the people.- True the Vote

For The Record

From True the Vote's Courtney Kramer and Dan Gelertner

More states are coming out with election bills in the wake of Georgia passing their Election Integrity Act of 2021. Texas, in particular, has bills in the House and Senate. The Senate has advanced SB 7. This bill requires that registered voters who have been excused from jury duty for ineligibility to vote (i.e. not being citizens) be removed from voter rolls. It requires the Secretary of State to monitor registrars for compliance with the law and imposes financial penalties where registrars fail to correct violations within a timely manner.SB 7 provides for the electronic tracking of mail-in ballot applications and the ballot itself. It also requires that electronic images of both sides of all applications, envelopes, and ballots be maintained. Ballots also must be preserved after an election and chain of custody to be maintained in order to prevent vote tampering. Moreover, ballot storage locations must be guarded by a licensed peace officer and allow for the installation of video security cameras at these locations.These provisions protect voter integrity by making it harder for criminals to cheat during election cycles. Not shockingly, this bill is widely unpopular with parties whose electability would appear to depend on voter fraud.On the other side of the legislature, under consideration in the Texas State House is HB 6. This bill makes it a felony to pay for ballot harvesting and trafficking, protects voters who need assistance from being victimized by the people assisting them, prevents election judges from removing poll watchers from a polling place, and makes it illegal for election officers to refuse to accept duly appointed watchers. Further, this bill provides for the removal of dead voters from the voting rolls, which proved to be an issue in 2020. HB 6 also makes it illegal to solicit for mail-voting applications or to send applications and ballots to voters who have not requested them, just as in Georgia’s new law. Lastly, to make elections more transparent, HB 6 makes it illegal for election officials to alter or suspend election procedures on their own recognizance.Then there's California. California is considering legislation (AB 37) that erases the current limitation of mail-in voting to those who cannot vote in person. It will instead require that election officials mail a ballot to every registered voter in the state, effectively eliminating the concept of an election day and in-person voting completely. The bill would permit votes to be received and counted up to seven days after an election. The bill permits ballots with no postmark or with no date on the postmark to have a date stamped on them upon receipt of the ballot by the elections official and permits votes to be delivered either by the Post Office or by "a bona fide private mail delivery company." This means that an unlimited number of ballots (with no postmarks) can be dumped on election officials up to seven days after an election, and those ballots must be counted.It is a tale of two states: One state wants those who are able to vote in person to do so, and the other state thinks that a ballot mailed without a postmark is legitimate. It is clear which state wants to protect voter integrity. Each fraudulent ballot dilutes the ballot of a legitimate voter. Plain and simple.Meanwhile, CEOs of more than 100 large corporations are gathering to discuss how to exert economic pressure against our democracy. These companies include Delta, American, and United Airlines, Starbucks, Target, LinkedIn, Levi Strauss, and BCG. This used to be anathema to the Left: The idea that powerful companies and wealthy individuals might use their money to change the law, in defiance of the will of voters. These CEOs are unanimous in the opinion that voting laws should be more relaxed and security provisions weakened—which would include getting rid of voter ID. To counter these initiatives, everyday Americans, like you, can take action by calling your legislature, getting involved in the passage of new election bills, and making sure your voices are heard.

Legislative UpdatesWe're excited to be working with so many groups who are ready and willing to help support Election Integrity efforts, specifically those that are playing out right now in states across the country. Case in point - AMAC Action!AMAC Action is engaging their advocates in Texas in support of House Bill 6, the Election Integrity Protection Act of 2021. AMAC members will be contacting their Texas state representatives who have not yet signed on to the bill to encourage them to do so. If you're a Texas resident, check out AMAC Action and join with hundreds of thousands of Texans who are speaking out in defense of fair and accurate elections in Texas! Do it today! Time is of the essence!Latest LegislationMA S.477 - Mail-in votingIntroduced as "An Act to expand voter access by making mail-in voting permanent," the partisan bill from Democratic state Senators Lewis and Eldridge would make no-excuse voting by mail permanent in the state. Voters would be able to request the mail-in ballot through a website.Status: IntroducedLink to BillSC H3822 - Same day registration, no-excuse absentee ballotsPartisan bill introduced by Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter that would "would expand voting through a 30-day no-excuse-needed period for absentee ballots, eliminate the requirement that mail-in ballots be certified by witnesses and allow for same-day voter registration," as the Washington Examiner put it on Friday.Status: Pending - House Judiciary CommitteeLink to BillMD HB745 - Early voting, drop boxesA Democratic bill that increases the number of early voting locations in the state as well as establishing and clarifying guidelines related to the location and establishment of required and additional early voting centers on the basis of factors such as population density and accessibility to "historically disenfranchised communities."Status: Passed 04/09/21Link to Bill

Take Action

Does your local or state party have an election integrity task force?

Find out whether your local or state party has a task force focused on securing the integrity of the next election. Our state by state database has all the information you need to find out who to contact in your town, precinct, county, or state. And once you're in touch, get involved in the process. You can help out, volunteer, or even just offer your support for their effort, to keep them on the right track.

Click on your state using our interactive map to find out what's happening where you vote!

MUST READS

Country Faces A Fight For Election IntegrityMarsha Blackburn, Murfreesboro Post - If you liked the chaos of the pandemic election, you’re going to love the left’s new effort to complicate voting in America. Despite its innocuous name, the For the People Act, known in the Senate as “S.1,” is a harbinger of anything but productive election reform. It is a federal takeover of the electoral process.Read the restVirginia Shuts Down Elections Site Ahead of Key Republican DeadlineFrom Washington Free Beacon - Virginia's Department of Elections shut down its voter information portal for "scheduled maintenance" during the final day Republican voters in the commonwealth's largest county were able to register for the party's upcoming convention.Read the restAmerican Airlines’ CEO on Voter Access and What Comes Next in TexasFrom Wall Street Journal - With the parties increasingly at odds over voting rules in states, several Democratic members of Congress are maintaining their opposition to voter ID laws despite broad popularity among the public, polls show.Read the restThe Popularity of Voter ID Laws Should Matter to LawmakersFrom Washington Examiner - With the parties increasingly at odds over voting rules in states, several Democratic members of Congress are maintaining their opposition to voter ID laws despite broad popularity among the public, polls show.Read the rest

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