A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked key portions of former President Donald Trump’s executive order that would have imposed new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration in federal elections. U.S. District Judge Denise Casper issued the ruling Friday, granting a preliminary injunction sought by attorneys general from 19 states who …
Read More »Trump Administration Hit with Court Setbacks on Immigration, Elections, DEI Crackdowns
The Trump administration was dealt a rapid succession of legal defeats this week, with federal judges across the country halting multiple executive orders related to immigration enforcement, election integrity, and crackdowns on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in education. The administration is currently facing over 170 lawsuits tied to …
Read More »Democratic States Sue Trump Over Executive Order Reshaping U.S. Elections
In a sweeping legal challenge, Democratic officials in 19 states have filed a lawsuit to block a new executive order from former President Donald Trump that they say would unconstitutionally rewrite how elections are run in the United States. The lawsuit — filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts …
Read More »Democrats Sue to Block Georgia Hand-Count Ballot Rule Ahead of Election
Jimmy Williams The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Party of Georgia are urging a judge to block a new Georgia State Election Board rule that mandates hand-counting ballots cast on Election Day. The Democrats argue that the last-minute rule, passed earlier this month, is unlawful and risks creating …
Read More »Suspicious Packages Target Election Officials in Multiple States Amid High-Stakes Voting Season
Jimmy Williams Election officials in more than a dozen states, including Colorado, Georgia, and Massachusetts, received suspicious packages on Tuesday, prompting an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The packages, some of which contained an unknown substance, were mailed during a tense voting season ahead of the …
Read More »Worried About Threats To Workers And Voters, States Move To Restrict Guns At Voting Sites
Barbara Rodriguez, Jennifer Gerson Originally published by The 19th A growing number of states are considering restrictions on guns near voting sites, a move that some lawmakers and voting rights groups hope will better protect not just voters, but election administrators and poll workers, from threats of violence and intimidation …
Read More »GOP State Officials At House Hearing Push Back Against Federal Election Oversight
Ariana Figueroa, Florida Phoenix Republican election officials from Florida, Ohio and Louisiana on Friday detailed to lawmakers on a U.S. House Administration panel the success of their states’ handling of the 2022 midterm elections, and said they can run their own elections without federal intervention. The chair of the Elections …
Read More »Georgia Senate Committee Passes Bill That Bans Drop Boxes. It Also Might Violate Federal Law
Stephen Fowler, GPB News The Georgia Senate Ethics Committee passed a version of an elections omnibus bill Tuesday night that might violate federal law and includes a last-minute ban on absentee drop boxes. A Republican majority on the committee approved a substitute to Senate Bill 221 that was only available …
Read More »Pennsylvania House Bill Would Make It Easier For Formerly Incarcerated To Vote
John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-Star From finding a job to securing a place to live, formerly incarcerated people face any number of challenges when they return to their hometowns and neighborhoods. And research shows that a steady job and access to opportunity are among the factors that play a key role in keeping someone from offending …
Read More »State Board Certifies Michigan Election Results Despite Protest From Some GOP Candidates
Allison R. Donahue, Michigan Advance The Michigan Board of State Canvassers unanimously voted Monday to certify the results of the Nov. 8 election. The midterm election resulted in victories for the three Democratic incumbents in the top statewide offices. Democrats in Michigan also took control of both the state House …
Read More »How Tennessee Disenfranchised 21% Of Its Black Citizens
by Bianca Fortis This story was originally published by ProPublica Leola Scott recently decided to become a more active citizen. The 55-year-old resident of Dyersburg, Tennessee, was driven to action after her son was stabbed to death and nobody was charged. In August, Scott tried to register to vote. That’s …
Read More »GOP On Track To Control U.S. House, But Dozens Of Races Still Undecided
Republicans remained on pace to likely wrest control of the U.S. House, even as Democrats picked up a few more victories in close races late Wednesday and into the day Thursday. As of about 5 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, The Associated Press had called 209 races for Republicans. That put …
Read More »Democrats Went All-In On Abortion. For Many, It Worked.
Shefali Luthra, Grace Panetta Originally published by The 19th Abortion rights advocates had a strong showing in Tuesday’s midterm elections, holding several key governorships and beating back Republican gains in state legislatures. And though several abortion-related ballot measures have not yet been called, most states with abortion on the ballot …
Read More »Misinformation About Voting Crops Up Around The U.S. As Midterm Elections Near
Ariana Figueroa, Missouri Independent In Colorado, an error in early October involving voter registration postcards that were mailed to non-citizens in the state morphed into a conspiracy theory about voter fraud. In Iowa, voters in late September received phone calls spreading misinformation about how they could vote, with Iowans falsely told they could cast …
Read More »Temporary Restraining Order Issued In Arizona Drop Box Intimidation Case
Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, Arizona Mirror A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against a group that has been monitoring drop boxes in Arizona, saying they can’t spread misinformation about voting, among other limitations. The judge, who is overseeing one of two cases brought against drop box monitoring groups, said …
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