The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision in Allen vs. Milligan in 2023, finding Alabama must provide an additional majority-Black Congressional District. Defiant, the legislature created new maps - again with only one real majority-minority district. That action could return Alabama to “preclearance” status by the federal government.
The post Fallout Continues from 2023 SCOTUS ‘Milligan’ Decision, as the Alabama Legislature Faces Possible Return of Preclearance Requirements appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 12, 2025
Special Note from the Host: You may notice some slurring of my speech during this and upcoming reports. May 9th, I suffered an attack of Bell’s Palsy which has affected the right side of my face and impacts my speech. This is being treated, and recovery is expected with 2-3 weeks of steroid treatments. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision in Allen vs. Milligan in 2023, finding Alabama must provide an additional majority-Black Congressional District. Defiant, the legislature created new maps – again with only one real majority-minority district. That action could return Alabama to “preclearance” status by the federal government.
A federal appeals court promptly threw out the revised maps, and used maps from a special master instead. Alabama challenged the court’s maps, which resulted in May 8th’s 531-page opinion.
A three-judge U.S. District Court panel found that the legislature’s failure to follow the court’s directive was an intentional effort to discriminate against Black Alabamians. It rejected the State’s assertions that a new district created with only 40% Black representation was done to avoid a conflict with communities of interest, when evidence suggested otherwise.
The court’s opinion noted, QUOTE, “Remedial proceedings lie ahead, both as to the map(s) Alabama will use for the rest of this census cycle and the Milligan Plaintiffs’ request for bail-in through 2032.” UNQUOTE. ‘Bail-in” refers to a preclearance of Alabama’s voting districts by the U.S. Justice Department – rules which have not been enforced since the 2013 Shelby vs. Holder decision.
Whether the Trump DOJ would actually enforce a future VRA Section 2 order it is yet to be seen.
We’ve linked to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
History of Allen v. Milligan:
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Bombshell SCOTUS Decision in Alabama Case Reaffirms VRA Section 2 and May Impact 2024 Elections
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Federal Appeals Court Slams Alabama Legislature for Defying U.S. Supreme Court’s Milligan Ruling and Strikes Down Revised Maps
American Redistricting Project – Allen v. Milligan
Current Decision in Alabama’s Appeal in Allen v. Milligan
U.S. District Court – INJUNCTION AND ORDER FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
Alabama Reflector – Federal court: Alabama Legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters in redistricting
Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #Alabama #AllenvMilligan #RacialDiscrimination #VotingRightsAct #FairMaps
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]]>The November 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race contested by the Republican candidate Judge Jefferson Griffin has finally been settled in federal district court. Associate Justice Allison Riggs was declared the winner on May 5th.
The post Federal Court Settles North Carolina Supreme Court Race, Heading Off a Dangerous Precedent of Retroactively Questioning Election Rules appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 8, 2025
Breaking: The AP reported after we had posted our story that Judge Griffin conceded May 7th, ending any prospect of appeal.
The November 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race contested by the Republican candidate Judge Jefferson Griffin has finally been settled in federal district court. Associate Justice Allison Riggs was declared the winner on May 5th.
It took 180 days, likely hundreds of thousands in legal fees, and multiple state and federal courtrooms to adjudicate Riggs’ 734-vote win, the last unsettled major 2024 race in the country. Jefferson initially argued that 65,000 voters were ineligible due to voter ID and other registration issues, some of them for years before the election. Lower courts ordered an examination of 5,000 military and overseas voters, of which a thousand were deficient of ID information, and a handful identified as never having domiciled in North Carolina. Pro-voter groups argued that those voters followed state rules at the time they registered, and shouldn’t be penalized.
Trump-appointed U.S. District Court Chief Judge Richard Meyers II said in his finding, “ . . . effectuation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court’s orders would violate the equal protection and substantive due process rights of overseas military and civilian voters. The court further finds that discarding the votes of Never Residents without any process for those who may have been misclassified as ineligible violates procedural due process and represents an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote.”
We’ve linked to the full decision at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Partisan Saga of North Carolina’s 2024 Supreme Court Race Now Returns to Federal Court. 5,000 Military & Overseas Ballots at Risk of Invalidation
Courthouse News Service – Judge loses bid for seat on North Carolina Supreme Court bench
U.S. District Court for Eastern NC (via Courthouse News) – Opinion in Griffin v. North Carolina Board of Elections
NC Newsline – Federal judge rules for Riggs in Supreme Court voter case
Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters, Protect Democracy, VoteVets , Democracy North Carolina
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
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Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#Democracy #DemocracyNews #NorthCarolina #NCSupremeCourt #VoterSuppression #FederalCourt
The post Federal Court Settles North Carolina Supreme Court Race, Heading Off a Dangerous Precedent of Retroactively Questioning Election Rules appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Justice reportedly reassigned top managers of the Voting Section, and instructed remaining attorneys to drop pending cases. This includes voting rights and redistricting cases under the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The post US DOJ Removes Senior Managers from Voting Section, Abandons Current Cases, in Further Erosion of Voting Rights Protections appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 30, 2025
The Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Justice reportedly reassigned top managers of the Voting Section, and instructed remaining attorneys to drop pending cases. This includes voting rights and redistricting cases under the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
April 28th, the Guardian reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has stopped working on voting rights cases, and has transferred Tamar Hagler, the head of the DOJ’s Voting section, five other managers and one staff attorney to another department.
In March, Attorney General Pam Bondi withdrew a Biden DOJ brief supporting a second majority minority Congressional district in Louisiana. It asked for a dismissal of a Texas redistricting case where the votes of Black and Hispanic voters were gerrymandered to dilute their power. Then March 31st, Bondi directed DOJ to drop its voting rights case against Georgia’s restrictive SB 202, targeting Black voter turnout. As of April 28th, all remaining DOJ voting rights cases have been dropped or suspended.
With a conservative Supreme Court skeptical of protections for minority voters, recent erosion of the Voting Rights Act, diminishing checks on partisan and racial gerrymandering, no campaign finance enforcement by the FEC, and now no enforcement by DOJ, Americans’ right to vote in a free and fair election may be in jeopardy.
We’ve linked to more reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice – Voting Section
Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice – Voting Section Litigation
NBC News – Pam Bondi reshapes the DOJ around Trump’s priorities
The Guardian – Trump’s justice department appointees remove leadership of voting unit
NPR – Under Trump, the Justice Department is stepping away from some voting rights cases
Democracy Docket – Trump’s DOJ Drops Lawsuit Against Georgia’s Voter Suppression Bill
Groups Taking Action:
Legal Defense Fund, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, ACLU
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
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Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#Democracy #DemocracyNews #DOJ #VotingRights #VotingRightsAct #TrumpDOJ
The post US DOJ Removes Senior Managers from Voting Section, Abandons Current Cases, in Further Erosion of Voting Rights Protections appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>As voters turn to ballot initiatives to bypass extreme legislatures, legislatures are manipulating initiative rules to protect their partisan power. Expect more such attacks on direct democracy in 2025.
The post Citizen Ballot Initiatives Help Voters Bypass Extreme Legislatures. But Expect More Attempts to Block Those Initiatives in 2025 appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 15, 2025
Brian is traveling today, so we’re rebroadcasting a piece from last December. As predicted, the Utah legislature has introduced two bills to make it harder to pass citizen ballot initiatives.
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
As voters turn to ballot initiatives to bypass extreme legislatures, legislatures are manipulating initiative rules to protect their partisan power. Expect more such attacks on direct democracy in 2025.
In 2024 alone, 10 reproductive rights measures qualified for the ballot, with only two failing, in Nebraska, and Florida. Another passed in Ohio in 2023.
Not willing to let extreme agendas get overridden by those pesky voters, legislatures are trying to de-fang direct democracy by trying to raise constitutional amendment thresholds to 60% or higher, and requiring minimum numbers of qualifying signatures from each county, rather than a statewide percentage. To keep Ohio voters from passing abortion protections in 2023, the legislature proposed a 60% threshold, using a low-turnout August special election it had deemed too expensive to run. It lost, and abortion rights prevailed four months later. In 2024, the Ohio Secretary of State helped derail a citizen-led redistricting measure by rewriting its ballot description to mislead voters.
The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center reports there were three 2024 measures attacking direct democracy. Arizonans voted down a measure requiring minimum signatures from every county, and another allowing a pre-election litigation on measures. North Dakota would have raised the signatures required, and winning both a primary AND a general election. It, too, failed.
Expect more such attacks on direct democracy in 2025. Find more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Utah Dispatch – Utah lawmakers move to set higher bar for ballot initiatives — but voters will have a say in 2026
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Ohio Legislature Forcing Through Restoration of Aug. 8th Election to Pass Hurdles for Citizen Ballot Initiatives & Block Potential Abortion Rights Measure
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Ohio Voters Defeat Republican Effort to Raise Citizen Ballot Initiative Passage to 60% in Pro-Voter Victory
Route 50 – States look to rein in ballot initiatives with more ballot initiatives
The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center – 2024 Election Results
KFF – Outcome of Abortion-Related State Constitutional Amendment Measures in the 2024 Election
Reuters – Florida, two other states defy trend and vote down abortion rights
State Court Report – Direct Democracy Under Attack
Groups Taking Action:
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, League of Women Voters US, Common Cause US
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
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Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#Democracy #DemocracyNews #DirectDemocracy #FreedomtoVote #WethePeople
The post Citizen Ballot Initiatives Help Voters Bypass Extreme Legislatures. But Expect More Attempts to Block Those Initiatives in 2025 appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The SAVE Act, which we’ve been following since January, passed the U.S. House April 10th. The restrictive voting bill, like President Trump’s recent executive order, requires proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and would end online voter registration. It’s not likely to pass the Senate.
The post Bill Which Could Disenfranchise Millions, the SAVE Act, Passes the U.S. House; Unlikely to Pass the Senate appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
]]>The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 14, 2025
The SAVE Act, which we’ve been following since January, passed the U.S. House April 10th. The restrictive voting bill, like President Trump’s recent executive order, requires proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and would end online voter registration. It’s not likely to pass the Senate.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act, attempts to keep noncitizens from voting, which is already illegal and there is no evidence of widespread voting by noncitizens in any state. But its requirements that citizenship documents be submitted in-person at registration or to make a simple address change, could upend the U.S. election system. The Center for American Progress points out it would end online and mail-in voter registration in 42 states.
As we recently noted, one in nine Americans may not have ready access to a birth certificate, and an estimated 69 million women with a married name may not have a birth certificate that matches. U.S. Passports are an option for some, but an estimated 49% do not have a valid passport, according to the U.S. State Department. The logistics and impact of such legislation are staggering.
It passed 220 to 208 in the House, but needs 60 votes in the Senate to overcome the filibuster, so it’s unlikely to pass.
We’ve linked to analysis of the SAVE Act at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Rep. Chip Roy (R) TX – Rep. Roy reintroduces bill to protect the integrity and sanctity of American elections
U.S. Congress – Text of the SAVE Act
National Conference of State Legislatures – 9 Things to Know About the Proposed SAVE Act
NPR – The House has passed the Trump-backed SAVE Act. Here are 8 things to know
Center for American Progress – The SAVE Act: Overview and Facts
Newsweek – Republicans Reject SAVE Act Amendments Aimed at Protecting Women’s Votes
Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy, The Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights, US Vote Foundation, Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO)
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
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Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#Democracy #DemocracyNews #SAVEAct #USHouse #Disenfranchised @WomenVote
The post Bill Which Could Disenfranchise Millions, the SAVE Act, Passes the U.S. House; Unlikely to Pass the Senate appeared first on American Democracy Minute.
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