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

President Trump Now Says the Government Won’t Pay for His Vanity Ads, His SuperPAC Will. Coordinating Spending with His PAC is Illegal, Too.

October 7, 2026October 7, 2026

After defending the multi-million dollar vanity television advertising touting his conservative accomplishments, President Donald Trump now says his super PAC, not the U.S. Government, will pay for the ads. That’s illegal, too, because coordinating with a super PAC violates campaign finance rules.

Election Day Voter Registration is Good and Helps People Vote. But for Most Voters, Registering Before the Election is Better.

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026

Procrastinators, take note. If you haven’t yet registered to vote, registering earlier, rather than later, has advantages. Election day registration is a critical last resort, but also makes registration problems harder to fix.

In-Person Voter Registration Deadlines Are Imminent for 16 States. Local Election Offices are Your Best Source for Options & Information.

October 5, 2026October 5, 2026

Voter registration deadlines are imminent in several states the weeks of Oct. 5th and Oct. 12th. While election day registration is available in 19 states, rule changes in some states only allow use of a provisional ballot for same day registrations.

‘Paid for by the US Government’: Is President Trump’s Propaganda Advertising Illegal Under Federal Law? Yes, Say Government Watchdogs.

October 4, 2026October 4, 2026

The Trump administration began airing paid television advertising Sept. 23rd designed to tout President Trump’s conservative accomplishments right before the midterms - and carrying the disclosure “Paid for by the U.S. Government”. Multiple good government groups say it violates several federal statutes.

What Happened to the 16,000 Nevada Noncitizen Voters Announced by Trump’s DHS Secretary in July? Turns Out There Weren’t Any.

October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

President Donald Trump claimed in his July 16th speech that the Department of Homeland Security found 278,000 noncitizens on U.S. voter rolls, almost 16,000 of them in Nevada. How many of those Nevada residents were actually illegal voters? Zero.