Poll workers prepare for Election Day and more news from the states

Good morning, readers. We’re starting off today’s lineup with an update out of Florida following a Category 2 hurricane over the weekend.

Days after Hurricane Isaias hit the Florida Panhandle, some 120,000 customers were still waiting for power restoration, as momentum gathered behind the state’s disaster recovery. Much of the damage was in Santa Rosa County, where wind gusts ripped the roofs off homes.

In immigration news, some fear the Trump administration’s immigration policies will dissuade or prevent doctors who earned their medical degrees in foreign countries from practicing in the United States. Among all U.S. doctors, an estimated one-quarter were educated abroad, Stateline reports. 

And this weekend, communities around the country will be holding No Kings rallies, this time focused on voting. Catch up on previews of the events, including this one from Rhode Island.

Oklahoma: Despite a federal court ruling in favor of a Jewish charter school, a state board again rejected the school from opening. The 4-3 decision fell one vote short of the five needed for the Statewide Charter School Board to approve Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School. 

Pennsylvania: A 39-year-old woman has reportedly died in Franklin County after being diagnosed with measles, according to the local coroner’s office. The state has become the epicenter of a nationwide measles outbreak. There have been more than 1,130 cases in the state, about 1 in 5 of which have required hospitalization.

West Virginia: The state will continue drug testing adults who participate in a federal welfare program that helps low-income families pay for food, utilities and other day-to-day necessities. 

Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, debated against an empty podium after GOP nominee Rick Jackson declined to participate. Jackson instead spent the day flying around the state talking to reporters and supporters, and ended the day with a rally.

Colorado: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security flagged the state as one to monitor for “vulnerabilities in upholding election integrity” ahead of the June primary this year, according to internal documents obtained through a records request and released earlier this month.

See the rest of the news of the day from all 50 states, plus our D.C. Bureau and Stateline, on News From The States.

In recent years, local election officials across the country, including poll workers, have faced an increase in threats and harassment. But Kentucky Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams said poll workers in the state haven’t faced those same kinds of threats while on the job, Kentucky Lantern reports. 

According to a 2024 survey released by the Brennan Center for Justice, 38% of local election officials experienced threats, harassment or abuse for doing their job. More than half of local election officials reported being concerned for their and their colleagues’ safety.

Poll workers help make sure polling places run smoothly, which can include checking voters in, issuing ballots and setting up polling locations, among other responsibilities. 

Adams said in swing states such as Arizona and Georgia, tempers around elections typically tend to run hotter. So while there sometimes is misbehavior at the polls in deep-red Kentucky, Adams said it hasn’t appeared to be related to angst about the elections. 

Some county clerks say confidence in the election system, a transparent process and strong laws are reasons why county clerks can adequately staff precincts.

Alaska has for years designated the second Monday of October as a holiday to honor the nation’s Indigenous cultures and acknowledge the harms of colonialism instead of observing Columbus Day, Alaska Beacon reports.

In Alaska, Indigenous Peoples Day has been an official holiday since 2015. Independent former Gov. Bill Walker’s yearly proclamations were followed by a 2017 bill passed by the Alaska Legislature that made the state holiday permanent. 

In 2023, the Anchorage Assembly made the day a paid holiday for municipal workers. Alaska is one of 17 states, along with the District of Columbia, that celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, according to the Pew Research Center.

Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage hosted a celebration that featured dances, traditional foods such as moose stew, a Native sports demonstration, arts and crafts vendors and information booths. It was one of several events in the city and around the state.

The private Anchorage university, which has a goal of becoming a tribal college, hosts Indigenous Peoples Day events annually.