American Democracy Minute A 90 second radio news report & podcast on U.S. democracy issues %

Court Battles Rage Over Trump USPS Mail-In Ballot Order As First Midterm Absentee Ballots are Sent Out in NC

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026

Lawyers labored over Labor Day weekend to submit responses to the U.S. Supreme Court, after a Federal district judge blocked two more parts of President Donald Trump’s USPS mail-in voting order. Briefs for an appeal to the high court are due September 8th.

Tarrant County, TX Commissioners Close 92 Polling Places; Convicted CO County Clerk Tina Peters Withdraws from Shasta County, CA Job Offer

September 3, 2026September 3, 2026

Just eight weeks from the midterm election, Tarrant County, Texas commissioners voted to close one third of the growing county’s polling places. And in California, after Shasta County announced it hired felony-convicted Mesa County Colorado Clerk Tina Peters to help run its elections, Peters now says she didn’t accept the job.

USPS Whistleblower Warns Portal to Verify Citizenship of Mail-In Voters Risks ‘Catastrophic Failure’ and Could ‘Derail the Midterms’

September 2, 2026September 2, 2026

A U.S. Postal Service whistleblower is warning that the new portal to be used to verify citizenship for mail-in voters, risks “catastrophic failure” and could “derail the midterms.” The accusations were brought forward August 31st by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Tarrant County, TX Proposes Eliminating 93 Polling Places Just Before the 2026 Election for Financial Reasons. Voters Aren’t Buying It.

September 1, 2026September 1, 2026

The Tarrant County, Texas Commissioners meet September 1st to vote on reducing polling places for the Nov. 3rd election by 93 locations. In the last two years, the county serving Dallas and Fort Worth has been accused of racially gerrymandering its voting districts, and trying to suppress student voters.

Trump USPS Mail-In Ballot Order Now Faces 2nd Appeal, Now That ‘State Citizenship List Rules’ are Finalized. The Clock is Ticking.

August 31, 2026August 31, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court lifted an injunction August 24th, blocking the U.S. Postal Service from checking citizenship of mail-in voters, because the rules had not yet been finalized, and states were not yet hurt. Now the rules are final, and the League of Women Voters filed another appeal in the First Circuit.