The Federal Election Commission (FEC) unanimously voted to receive public input on a petition brought by the nonpartisan advocacy group Public Citizen, which pushes to restrict the use of AI from generating intentionally false content in campaign materials. It's a significant development amid widespread concern that quickly evolving AI technology could make it increasingly difficult for voters to accurately identify fraudulent video and audio material, which is particularly worrisome in campaign advertisements. “Deepfakes pose a…
The Oregon legislature has approved legislation to place Ranked Choice Voting before the voters during the 2024 election. If approved, they would join Maine and Alaska in offering the alternative voting structure. Oregonians will get the final say on whether their state becomes the third to adopt Ranked Choice Voting as its base general election structure. HB 2004 passed the state legislature an will be delivered to the Governor. From coverage on the NBCNews website:…
The United States Supreme Court's decision to reject the "independent state legislature theory" preserves the counties' ability to set rules and make decisions about federal elections. In a landmark decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal elections clause does not vest exclusive and independent authority in state legislatures to set the rules regarding federal elections and therefore did not bar the North Carolina Supreme Court from reviewing the North Carolina legislature's congressional…
The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) named Jared DeMarinis the next elections administrator. The vote was unanimous, and Mr. DeMarinis's appointment is effective September 1, 2023. Demarinis will succeed long-time SBE Administrator Linda Lamone, who earlier this year announced her retirement after holding the position since 1997. Mr. DeMarinis currently serves as SBE's director of Candidacy and Campaign Finance, where he is responsible for implementing electoral policy and interpreting candidacy and campaign finance laws.…
Introducing Our Celebratory Blog Series: Showcasing the Remarkable Achievements of Maryland's Award-Winning Counties! Join us on an exciting journey as we embark on a special blog series dedicated to honoring the exceptional accomplishments of the counties that triumphed in the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2023 Achievement Awards. Each week, we will shine a well-deserved spotlight on a few remarkable counties, delving into their accomplishments, innovative initiatives, and the profound impact they have had on…
This week, the Anne Arundel County Council passed Bill 25-23. Introduced by Council Chair Pete Smith on behalf of County Executive Steuart Pittman, this bill will create a Public Campaign Financing Fund for county executive and county council candidates. The program requires participating candidates only accept contributions of $250 or less. Eligible donations will then receive matching funds through the program, with the smallest contributions matched at the highest rate. To qualify for the program,…
Baltimore County announced a call for applications to serve on the Fair Election Fund Commission for its new public financing system for County Council and County Executive candidates — beginning with the 2026 election cycle. The Fair Election Fund Commission consists of nine members subject to confirmation by the County Council. The Commission will be responsible for estimating the amount of funding needed during the upcoming 2026 election cycle and making annual recommendations to the…
Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2023 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. In addition to the swearing-in of a new governor, comptroller, attorney general, and legislators alike, the 445th legislative session kicked off with more relaxed health and safety measures compared to the turbulence of the last few years. With the 2023 session in the books, it's time to take stock. As…
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