Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minnesota Mail-In Absentee Ballot Extension Rejected In Court
NPR: 'No Pandemic Exception To The Constitution': Court Rejects Minn. Ballot Extension
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with Minnesota Republicans in a dispute on mail-in ballots, deeming that absentee votes received by mail after 8 p.m. and in person after 3 p.m. should be separated from other ballots. The move means that the fate of those later-received ballots will likely fall in the lap of another court, which could eventually declare the votes invalid. This ruling reverses an extension by Secretary of State Steve Simon to accommodate voters who may have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. (Wise, 10/29)
The Washington Post: Appeals Court Panel Rules Minnesota Must Set Aside Ballots Received After Election Day In Case They Are Invalidated
Under a federal appeals court panel decision issued Thursday evening, Minnesotans must return mail-in ballots by Tuesday to ensure they are counted, upending plans the state had advertised to keep counting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day for another week. The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit said a Republican lawmaker and GOP activist could challenge the state’s plans to keep counting ballots after the election — and predicted those received after Election Day could ultimately be invalidated, sending Democrats scrambling to warn voters. (Davis, 10/29)
In related news on voter safety —
NPR: Polling Places Are Closing Due To COVID-19. It Could Tip Races In 1 Swing State
The New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Waterloo. The senior high school in Fort Dodge. The Masonic Temple in Council Bluffs. Iowa voters won't be able to cast their ballot at any of those polling places this Election Day because of hundreds of closures and consolidations that have rippled across the state due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Payne, Rebala, Levine and Talbot, 10/29)
The Washington Post: Options Dwindle For Voters Diagnosed With Covid-19 As Election Day Draws Near
Hundreds of thousands of Americans will test positive for the novel coronavirus between now and Election Day, leaving many scrambling for alternatives to in-person voting and injecting another dimension of uncertainty into an election already shadowed by the pandemic. Those voters will need to navigate an unfamiliar and varied landscape to cast their ballots. Some will be required to get doctor’s notes or enlist family members to help. Others, in isolation, will need to have a witness present while they vote. Planned accommodations — such as officials hand-delivering ballots — may prove inadequate or could be strained beyond limits. (Satija, 10/29)
Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Failed To Spend $10 Million For Election Security, COVID Protection
With days to go, Florida has failed to spend more than $10 million designated for election security, COVID-19 protection at the polls and a surge in mailed ballots. A large piece of that pie is $3.5 million that Secretary of State Laurel Lee requested from the Legislature earlier this year for the state’s 67 county supervisors of elections to shore up their systems. (Schweers, 10/29)
