Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he had selected Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as secretary of state.
Read the full storyTrump Taps ‘Fearless Warrior’ Marco Rubio for Secretary of State
Tag: Secretary of State
Secretary of State Blinken Signals He Wouldn’t Stay on If Harris Wins
Secretary of State Tony Blinken signaled on Wednesday that he wouldn’t stay in his role if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the 2024 presidential election.
“As to my own future, all I’m looking at right now is the balance of this administration and January. And I can tell you from having spent some time over the last week on … break with my kids, I will relish having a lot more time with them,” he said at a news conference.
Read the full storyLaRose Wants Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in Ohio
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose wants the Legislature to allow him to require proof of citizenship on voter registration forms following a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Both state and federal laws already make it illegal for noncitizens to vote to vote in federal and state elections.
Read the full storyAudit: Georgia SOS Should Act to Ensure It Meets Federal Reporting Requirements
Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office should take additional action to ensure it meets federal reporting and inventory requirements tied to federal election grants.
The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts included the finding in a new audit following a March 2022 examination.
Read the full storySecretary of State Urges Tennesseans to Become Poll Workers for Upcoming 2024 Elections
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is urging those eligible across the Volunteer State to become poll workers for the upcoming August 1 primary elections and the November 5 general election.
The job of poll workers is to help polling sites run smoothly during early voting and on Election Day by conducting various tasks, including greeting voters, answering questions, explaining how to cast a ballot, and counting votes at their community locations.
Read the full storyTennessee Division of Elections Nationally Recognized for Improving Voting Accessibility
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recognized the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Division of Elections as a recipient of the National Clearing House Awards for the division’s American Sign Language video project.
The EAC awarded the state in the category “Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities.”
Read the full storyOregon Uses Artificial Intelligence to Flag Election ‘Misinformation,’ Raising Fresh Concerns About Censorship
The Oregon secretary of state’s office used artificial intelligence in the 2022 election that flagged election fraud concerns as mis-, dis-, and malinformation (MDM) and may use it again this year, similar to how Arizona monitored online election information. The effort is already facing a lawsuit.
Read the full storySec. of State Blinken: Trying to Confirm Reports of Multiple Americans Dead in Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Sunday that he is working to verify reports that multiple Americans have died and are missing in Israel following the Hamas attack.
Read the full storyPro-Life Advocates File Lawsuit Requesting Ohio Supreme Court Block November Abortion Amendment
A group of pro-life advocates has filed a lawsuit requesting that the Ohio Supreme Court block a proposal that aims to enshrine abortion into the state constitution.
The Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, a coalition of radical pro-abortion activists that includes Planned Parenthood, Pro-Choice Ohio, the Abortion Fund of Ohio, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, along with the Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights has proposed “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety” which would add a Section 22 to Article 1 of the state constitution.
Read the full storyOhio Lt. Governor Jon Husted Names Aaron Crooks as New Chief of Staff
Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced on Tuesday that he named Aaron Crooks, former director of Legislative Affairs for Governor Mike DeWine, to serve as his new chief of staff.
Crooks, of Upper Arlington, has served as DeWine’s director of legislative affairs since 2021. As director of legislative affairs, he oversaw the development and promotion of the administration’s legislative agenda with the General Assembly and other stakeholders in that capacity. He worked for CareSource, OhioHealth, and the Office of Health Transformation before joining the DeWine-Husted administration. In 2002, he took a position with the Ohio Senate.
Read the full storyOhio Adult-Use Marijuana Activists Fail to Collect Enough Signatures for November Ballot
On Tuesday, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office ruled that the petitions submitted by a coalition to legalize the purchase and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older did not collect enough valid signatures to be put on the November ballot.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has proposed an initiative to impose a 10 percent tax on the sale of all cannabis products, permit adults to grow up to six plants per person or 12 per household, and legalize the possession, purchase, and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older.
Read the full storyRepublican Lawmakers Upset after Several More Bills Felled by Katie Hobbs’ Veto Hammer
The office of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) revealed she had taken action on several more pieces of legislation Monday.
Of the 13 bills she dealt with, eight were on the receiving end of her veto stamp, including bills on pronouns in schools, election officials, and the Rio Verde Foothills (RVF) water solution.
Read the full storyGeorgia’s Republican Secretary of State Foils Democrats’ ‘Diverse’ Primary Plans
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has set the Peach State’s 2024 party primary elections for March 12, foiling the Democratic National Committee’s plans to move Georgia’s vote toward the front of the presidential nominating line.
Raffensperger says the DNC acted “unilaterally” in its bid to make their nominating process more “diverse” by bumping predominantly white states like Iowa and New Hampshire back and pushing more “racially inclusive” states like Georgia and Michigan to the front of the primary line.
Read the full storyLong-Serving Wisconsin Secretary of State La Follette About to Cash in on Lucrative Taxpayer-Subsidized Pension
Secretary of State Doug La Follette’s sudden retirement from the post he’s held for nearly half a century raised questions, particularly when Governor Tony Evers swiftly appointed former state treasurer and Democratic Party political climber Sarah Godlewski to take La Follette’s place.
But it’s the millions of dollars La Follette — and his survivors — could take home in retirement benefits that may really raise eyebrows.
Read the full storyWisconsin Legislature Passes Key Crime Bills, Stops Evers Administration Rule on ‘Conversion Therapy’
In a busy and divisive day, the Republican-led Legislature on Wednesday passed several crime bills, a measure blocking what some say is the Evers administration’s assault on the First Amendment, and a resolution demanding the governor call an election for Secretary of State.
Many of the measures passed mostly along party lines, including a bill that defines “serious harm” and “violent crime” in state law. The proposal is tied to a bail reform constitutional amendment on next month’s spring election ballot. Under the amendment, judges would be allowed to consider expanded factors when issuing bail to violent offenders, beyond whether the defendant would show up for his court date.
Read the full storyGovernor Tony Evers Quickly Names Liberal Political Climber Godlewski Wisconsin Secretary of State after Long-Serving La Follette Retires
In a surprise move Friday, Governor Tony Evers hastily appointed former Democrat State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski Secretary of State after Doug La Follette suddenly resigned the post he’s held for nearly half a century.
Consider it a gift to the far left Godlewski, who ceded last year’s Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate to former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes in his losing campaign against Wisconsin’s Republican senior U.S. Senator Ron Johnson.
Read the full storyWilson County Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Voter Registration Fraud Charges
In criminal court on Monday, a Lebanon man admitted to committing voter registration fraud, according to WSMV 4 Nashville.
Read the full storyGeorgia Election Chief Blasts County for Taking $2M in Zuckerbucks, Suggests Legislative Remedy
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) slammed DeKalb County for accepting $2 million in private money for election administration — or “Zuckerbucks” — in “violation” of state law while suggesting a legislative remedy to prevent counties from directly receiving such funds.
Read the full storyNew Bill from Rep. Rachel Jones Would Bar an Arizona Secretary of State from Certifying Their Own Election
One of Arizona’s newest Republican State Representatives, Rachel Jones (R-Tucson), introduced a new bill that would prevent a Secretary of State from certifying an election in which they participated.
“So, I think it is pretty clear what the intent of this bill is. It is basically saying if a current Secretary of State is running for another office, such as happened in the 2022 election with Katie Hobbs running for governor, this is just getting rid of any potential conflicts of interests with that individual,” Jones said while introducing her bill to the House Municipal Oversight and Elections Committee.
Read the full storyCuyahoga County Republican Party Appoints Emily Moreno Miller and Mike Gibbons as Committee Leadership
Following the notice of resignation of Executive Committee Chairman Henry F Curtis, the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County announced two changes in committee leadership.
On January 5th, Curtis submitted his resignation to the party citing the need for fresh leadership.
Read the full storyJudge Denies Motion for Sanctions Against Kari Lake, Will Still Require Awarding of Taxable Costs
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson has officially ruled against the defendant’s motions for sanctions against Kari Lake in her election challenge, stating that her claims were not made in bad faith.
“Plaintiff failed to meet the burden of clear and convincing evidence required for each clement of AR.S. § 16-672 does not equate 10 a finding that her claims were, or were not, ‘groundless and presented in bad faith,” wrote Thompson.
Read the full storyArizona Attorney General’s Office Issued Warnings Months Before the Election About Maricopa County Ballot Signature Verification
Correspondence from Arizona’s Office of the Attorney General months before the November 2022 general election warned of issues with Maricopa County’s signature verification of mail-in ballots.
The first letter came from Attorney General Mark Brnovich on April 16, 2022, and was directed to Senate President Karen Fann as an interim report of the Maricopa County November 3, 2020, general election.
Read the full storyMohave County Supervisor Ron Gould Was Told He Must Certify Election by County Attorney and Secretary of State’s Office
Ron Gould, a Mohave County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) member, appeared in a video shared by the Kari Lake Campaign Monday, saying that he had been threatened with being arrested and facing a felony should he vote against canvassing the 2022 General Election. Gould told The Arizona Sun Times via the phone that this warning came to him partially from an official within his county.
“Actually, our county attorney [Matthew Smith] advised us that if we did not canvass by the deadline, that we would be in violation of ARS § [16]-642,” Gould said.
Read the full storyArizona County Refuses to Certify Election, Could Face Potential Lawsuit
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors in Arizona voted 2-1 to delay the certification of the 2022 election results Monday, which may result in a lawsuit from the state.
Arizona’s deadline for counties to certify election results is Nov. 28 and Cochise County may be sued for missing the deadline. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to have another meeting Friday and has demanded the state of Arizona prove that voter tabulation machines were certified for accuracy, local media reports.
Read the full storyPollster: ‘Real Possibility’ GOP Takes Three Statewide Wins
Trafalgar Group chief strategist Robert Cahaly joined Liz Collin on her podcast to discuss the results of a new poll that found Dr. Scott Jensen narrowly leading Gov. Tim Walz in Minnesota.
Read the full storyIn Black Eye for Katie Hobbs, Arizona Mails Thousands of Incorrect Ballots
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat now running for governor, is acknowledging that as many as 6,000 voters got a mail ballot with only federal races.
Hobbs, whose campaign is staked largely on defending the integrity of the 2020 elections, said Tuesday the mistake was the result of a database glitch.
Read the full storyMinnesota Secretary of State Simon Calls Voter ID Laws ‘Draconian’ in First Debate
The top candidates for Minnesota secretary of state squared off in their first debate Sunday night on WCCO Radio and the gloves came off almost immediately.
“My mission as secretary of state has been to protect the freedom to vote for every eligible Minnesotan. I’ve been proud to do that work with fairness, impartiality, and integrity, leading to results that we can all be really proud of,” said Secretary Steve Simon, a Democrat seeking a third term as Minnesota’s chief elections official.
Read the full storyGroup Files Voter Roll Complaint About SOS Benson
A complaint filed to the Michigan Board of Elections claims Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson violated the federal Help America Vote Act by outsourcing the managing of voter rolls to the Electronic Registration Information Center.
The conservative Thomas More Society filed the complaint on behalf of nonprofit Pure Integrity Michigan Elections.
Read the full storyCommentary: State Secretaries of State Play a Critical Role in Elections
Most state residents think of their secretary of state as someone who is in charge of their department of motor vehicles. Few realize that the decisions of secretaries of state could determine who becomes president. Dozens of states will hold elections this fall that will determine the officials who will run state elections in 2024 – and these officials could play crucial roles in the next presidential vote count.
Read the full storyWhite County and Tellico Village Public Libraries Both Receive TOP Grants for Technology Upgrades
Two Tennessee libraries recently received Training Opportunities for the Public (TOP) grants for technology upgrades, according to press releases by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.
Read the full storyBrad Raffensperger Calls for Federal Amendment on Election Security
In a follow-up tweet that expounded on his letter penned in January on election reform, Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, reiterated his call for a federal Constitutional amendment on U.S. citizenship and election integrity.
“A citizenship amendment is a necessary security measure that will ensure that only American citizens are voting in our elections. We need an amendment now,” Raffensperger said.
Read the full storyGwinnett County Ballot-Harvesting Cases Dismissed at Georgia State Election Board Meeting
ATLANTA, Georgia – The Georgia State Election Board held a meeting on Tuesday regarding alleged ballot harvesting in Gwinnett County during the 2020 election cycle.
“We will give this a fair look. We’ll call balls and strikes as fairly as we see them, and the chips will fall where they may, but it’s not going to be a witch hunt” said Matthew Mashburn, the senior-most member of the board before the meeting.
Read the full storyCommentary: The 25th Amendment Won’t Fix Our Biden Problem
Despite widespread concern about his cognitive health, President Biden won’t be removed from office pursuant to the 25th Amendment. It would require an unlikely display of integrity from his Vice President and Cabinet, plus an implausible level of bipartisanship in Congress. Moreover, the claims of politicians and pundits aside, the involuntary ouster of an unfit president isn’t the purpose of the amendment. Its principal function is to guarantee that the executive branch of the government is at all times led by an official who is conscious and able to communicate. Thus, the first 3 of its 4 sections focus on keeping the presidency continuously occupied.
Read the full storyFormer President Trump Endorses Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Ohio Secretary of State in his bid for re-election.
LaRose, who was elected in 2018, oversaw the state’s election for the past four years.
Read the full storyConnecticut Secretary of State: Multilingual ‘Virtual Poll Worker’ System to ‘Eliminate Language and Cultural Barriers’ for Voters
Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill announced the launch of a Multilingual Virtual Poll Worker system in a Tuesday press release. The system, according to Merrill, will “eliminate language and cultural barriers and make it easier for people to cast their ballots and make their voices heard.”
Read the full storyCongressman Jody Hice: Brad Raffensperger’s Mailing of Absentee Ballot Applications to Everyone on the “Grossly Inaccurate” Georgia Voter File for the November 2020 Election Was a “Horrible Decision That Majorly Impacted Our Election Process”
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s mailing of absentee ballot requests to everyone on the Georgia voter rolls for the November 3, 2020, presidential election, was a “a horrible decision that majorly impacted our election process,” Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA-10) told The Georgia Star News in a telephone interview Thursday, calling the voter registration file “grossly inaccurate.”
The November 3, 2020 presidential election results certified by Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp had Democratic candidate Joe Biden ahead of President Donald Trump by less than 12,000 votes out of 5 million votes cast, of which 1.3 million were fraud-prone absentee ballots.
Read the full storySecretary of State’s Office Warns of New ‘Certificate of Good Standing’ Scam Targeting Tennessee Businesses
Secretary of State Tre Hargett warned Tennessee business owners in a video message about a new scam targeting businesses with a deceptive mailer from a company called Business Document Center incorrectly implying that businesses need a Certificate of Good Standing.
Read the full storyColin Powell, First Black Secretary of State, Dead at 84 of COVID-19 Complications
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell died Monday morning due to complication from COVID-19, according to his family. He was 84.
Powell was the first black U.S. secretary of state, serving in the second Bush administration from 2001-2005. From 1989-1993, he served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.
He was fully vaccinated, the family said.
Read the full story11 Months After 2020 Election Georgia Secretary of State Missing Chain of Custody Documents for 6,995 Absentee Ballots Deposited in Fulton County Drop Boxes
A review of transfer forms provided to The Georgia Star News in response to an open records request reveals that the Secretary of State’s office in Georgia is missing chain of custody documents for 6,995 absentee ballots deposited in drop boxes in Fulton County during the November 2020 election.
The number of absentee ballots for which the office has no evidence of the origination of the ballots represents 9 percent of the 79,460 total that Fulton County has recorded as being deposited into drop boxes during the more than month-long early voting and election day period.
Read the full story‘They Lied to Us’: Hundreds of American Citizens and Others with Green Cards Were Left in Afghanistan
Hundreds of American citizens and people with green cards were left in Afghanistan after U.S. forces withdrew from the country, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who were left in Afghanistan were reportedly told after the last American flight took off from the Kabul international airport to expect information about routes out of the country, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said, according to the AP.
“We will communicate directly to them personalized instructions on what they should do, when they should do it, and how the United States government feels we are best positioned to help them do that,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said, the AP reported.
Read the full storyKari Lake Calls for Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to Recuse Herself from Overseeing Gubernatorial Race
Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is calling for “the most partisan Secretary of State in the history of Arizona,” Democrat Katie Hobbs, to recuse herself from overseeing the governor’s race. Hobbs is also running for governor. Lake cited Hobbs’ behavior during the 2020 election and aftermath, her “history of irrational bias and disdain toward Republicans in addition to what election investigators have reported to the public about serious issues affecting tens-of-thousands of ballots and voters.” She said, “Arizona voters have lost confidence in Katie Hobbs to run another election.”
Lake is concerned that Hobbs will not conduct the election fairly for Republicans like herself in the race. She asked other candidates to join her demand. She cited a tweet from Hobbs in 2017, where Hobbs said, “.@realDonaldTrump has made it abundantly clear he’s more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being @POTUS for all Americans.” Hobbs did not delete the tweet.
Read the full storyGeorgia Public Broadcasting Reveals Secretary of State Raffensperger Delivered Some Fulton County Absentee Ballot Chain of Custody Documents to Them in April
An interview between The Georgia Star News and Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) News revealed that they had received Fulton County’s drop box absentee ballot transfer forms from the Secretary of State’s office in April. GPB News, however, did not report on their findings until after The Star News report in June.
Stephen Fowler of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) News requested an interview with John Fredericks, which also included Laura Baigert, of The Georgia Star News, as part of his fact-check for a story and to get comments from everyone involved.
Read the full storyGeorgia Secretary of State Says He Wants Fulton County Elections Taken Over by State
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told Just the News on Wednesday that he wants Fulton County elections taken over by the state under a new law that addresses localities with habitual problems counting ballots, dramatically escalating his battle with the state’s largest urban center in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
“I think people are saying, enough is enough,” Raffensperger said in a podcast interview in which he discussed using the new election integrity law known as Senate Bill 202 to have the State Elections Board take over the Atlanta-area election counting in time for the 2022 elections.
Read the full storyConservative Sues Twitter, California Officials, and Biden Campaign Consultants For Colluding to Deplatform Him
Conservative political commentator and attorney Rogan O’Handley is suing former California Secretary of State and now U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, current Calif. SoS Shirley Weber, Twitter, Team Biden campaign consultants SKDK, and others, for coordinating to deplatform him from Twitter after he tweeted his concerns about the 2020 election.
The Center for American Liberty in conjunction with the Dhillon Law Group, Inc. filed the federal civil rights lawsuit on Thursday in the United States District Court in Central California.
O’Handley spent years developing a verified Twitter account with 440,000 followers only to find his account permanently suspended at the direction of the Secretary of State’s office, according to a press release from Center for American Liberty.
Read the full storyMichigan Bills Aim to Give $25 Million to SOS Office to Clear Months-Long Backlog
Michigan Democrat leaders are pushing for bills to allocate $25 million to the Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to clear an expanding 15-month backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as government orders to shut down walk-in service.
The legislation includes allocation of $5 million in overtime costs and $20 million of federal stimulus money to hire 200 more workers.
Read the full storyNew Georgia Bill Would Demand More Detailed Vote Reporting System from Secretary of State
Georgia legislators have submitted a bill that would require the secretary of state create a far more detailed election reporting system for general primaries, general elections, and runoffs from general primaries and general elections. “Such system shall provide for the entry of the number of ballots cast by type in each precinct, the results of state and federal races by precinct, the number of absentee ballots issued and returned, the number of absentee ballots certified, the number of absentee ballots rejected, the number of provisional ballots cast, and such other information which the Secretary of State deems relevant and useful to the citizens of this state,” according to the language of the bill.
Read the full storyFifteen Secretaries of State Endorse Keep Nine Amendment
A group of 15 secretaries of state this week issued their support for the “Keep Nine Amendment” recently introduced in Congress, marking the latest victory for the organization seeking to preserve the independence of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Keep Nine Amendment said in a statement that the 15 sent the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy.
Read the full storyGeorgians Demand Answers from Department of Labor on Missed Payments
Georgians are circulating petitions demanding that the state government, particularly the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) begins responding to their requests for information.
“This petition was started and organized by residents all throughout the State of Georgia that have filed claims with the Georgia Department of Labor,” says a Change.org petition started by Felicia Primus. “Many of Georgia Residents [sic] haven’t received any updates on claims or they’re missing payments from the Department of Labor. GDOL has not provided better Self-service [sic] options for its website or phone support to help with the increasing demand of unemployment claims, during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Read the full storyBiden’s Secretary of State Pick Led ‘Biden Center’ at UPenn, as School Allegedly Accepted Millions in ‘Anonymous’ Donations from China
Antony Blinken — former Vice President Joe Biden’s choice to become Secretary of State if he is inaugurated president in January — was the director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, which recently faced criticism for accepting $22 million in “anonymous” funds originating in China.
The Biden Center, which the University of Pennsylvania officially launched in February 2018, “engages Penn’s students and partners with its faculty and global centers to convene world leaders, develop and advance smart policy, and strengthen the national debate for continued American global leadership in the 21st century.” It is located in Washington, D.C.
Read the full storyGeorgia State House Republicans Continue Push for Change Ahead of U.S. Senate January Runoff Elections
Republican Georgia lawmakers increased their push for election changes Friday ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff elections for U.S. Senate.
House Majority Leader Jon Burns (R-Newington) sent a second letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Friday asking him to respond to an initial letter calling for two specific changes to the election process.
Read the full story