The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 24, 2025

Voting proof of citizenship efforts are afoot in Michigan while voters await the outcome of the federal SAVE Act and a Trump executive order requiring similar restrictions. This, despite no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting in Michigan, or anywhere else in the U.S.

In Michigan, a constitutional amendment which failed to achieve a two-thirds majority in the legislature, just received the go-ahead to collect signatures for a citizen ballot initiative instead.  If organizers meet the signature requirements, it could appear on the 2026 ballot.

The Michigan proposal require any new registering voters to show QUOTE “a birth certificate, passport and/or other documents,”  and would eliminate the use of sworn affidavits for voters without approved IDs.  Voters without citizenship documents could cast a provisional ballot, but must return with the documents within six days for it to count.  

While that may keep the 20 -that “2-0”- alleged Michigan noncitizens from voting,  

one in nine Americans don’t have ready access to citizenship documents, and over 5.8 million Michigan citizens don’t own a U.S. Passport, according to the Center for American Progress.    

On national proof of citizenship front, a federal circuit court ruling on President Donald Trump’s March 25th order is expected by April 24th, and the SAVE Act is in the U.S, Senate but unlikely to overcome the filibuster.

We have links to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – New Trump Executive Order Attempts to Bypass Congress & States to Require Proof of Citizenship Documents & Mandate Election Deadlines
Michigan Advance/Votebeat – Michigan House GOP proposes proof-of-citizenship requirement for all voters
Michigan Advance – Board of State Canvassers greenlights petition seeking to block noncitizens from voting in Michigan
Center for American Progress – U.S. Passport ownership by state
Michigan Live – See how Michigan’s U.S. House members voted on bill (SAVE Act) requiring voters’ proof of citizenship

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause MI, League of Women Voters MI, Promote the Vote MI

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

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #PromotetheVote #HJR B  #Michigan #ProofofCitizenship

The post Michigan Considers Proof of Citizenship Requirements While Awaiting Outcome of the SAVE Act Vote and Challenge to Trump’s Exec. Order appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 18, 2025

While corrosive democracy news from Washington continued this week, state news ranged from good in Delaware and Mississippi, mixed in North Carolina & Pennsylvania, to downright ugly in New Hampshire.

Voting Rights Lab reports the Delaware Senate advanced SB 2 and SB 3, constitutional amendments allowing 10 days of early voting and no-excuse absentee voting.  Legislative versions of both bills passed last year, but the Delaware Supreme Court found that the state constitution didn’t enable them.  The General Assembly must pass them again next year for them to be adopted.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Mississippi to redraw state senate districts for DeSoto County, which it found still violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act by diluting a majority Black section of the county, according to Mississippi Today.

State officials in North Carolina found fewer issues among the 5,000 military and overseas voters than state supreme court candidate Jefferson Griffin claimed, but the highly questionable post-election review of voter eligibility continues.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday appealed a federal court ruling directing county election officials to count otherwise eligible mail-in ballots without a date. 

The New Hampshire Senate advanced SB 213, which would require voters applying by mail for an absentee ballot to enclose a copy of their birth certificate, U.S. passport or naturalization papers, almost certainly disenfranchising otherwise eligible voters. 

We’ve linked to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Delaware Assembly – SB 2  Constitutional Amendment instituting 10 days of early voting
Delaware Assembly – SB 3  Constitutional Amendment allowing no-excuse absentee votingMississippi Today – Court again orders Mississippi to redraw DeSoto County legislative districts with special elections looming

U.S. District Court (via Democracy Docket) – MOTION TO INTERVENE BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
WCNC – Undecided NC Supreme Court race hinges on only 1,675 ballots. Here’s who must act to have their vote count.
NH General Court – SB 213, a bill which requires the presentation of proof of identity, citizenship, age, and domicile when applying for an absentee ballot.

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause DE,  NAACP MS, ACLU PA, Democracy NC, Open Democracy Action

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

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NHNews  #NorthCarolina #Delaware #Pennsylvania #Mississippi

The post The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:  Democracy Headlines from Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 16, 2025

A North Carolina Supreme Court candidate who lost by 734 votes and refused to concede got help from the state appeals and supreme courts in his partisan battle to invalidate as many as 65,000 voters. His case is now back in federal court.

April 4th, the North Carolina Appeals Court, on which Judge Jefferson Griffin currently sits, supported Griffin’s position that 60,000 voters were never properly registered, and that as many as 5,000 military and overseas voters didn’t supply ID when they registered to receive their special mail-in UOCAVA ballots.

April 11th, the North Carolina Supreme Court allowed the 60,000 voters to stand, but gave the approximately 5,000 military and overseas voters only 30 days to provide missing information or be disqualified, and a federal judge ordered that the race not be certified.  April 12th, the League of Women voters filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of those military and overseas voters.  Griffin’s opponent, State Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs appealed in Federal District Court April 14th.  

In a blistering dissent in the state supreme court decision, Justice Anita Earls wrote, “Some would call it stealing the election, others might call it a bloodless coup, but by whatever name, no amount of smoke and mirrors makes it legitimate.”

We’ve linked to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – After losing two recounts in State Supreme Court Race, North Carolina GOP Candidate Is Still Challenging the Eligibility of 60,000 Voters
NC Newsline – Appeals court rules in favor of GOP Supreme Court candidate Griffin’s election challenge
WRAL – NC Supreme Court votes to throw out some, but not all, ballots contested in 2024 race for seat on court       
NC Supreme Court  – Order in Griffin v. NC Board of Elections
U.S. District Court (via Democracy Docket) – League of Women Voters NC class action lawsuit on behalf of 5,000 UOCAVA mail-in ballot military and overseas voters. 

NC Newsline – NC Supreme Court update: Riggs rallies supporters, overseas voters file new lawsuit

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters NC, Protect Democracy, VoteVets 

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

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NorthCaroliona #NCSupremeCourtRace

The post Partisan Saga of North Carolina’s 2024 Supreme Court Race Now Returns to Federal Court.  5,000 Military & Overseas Ballots at Risk of Invalidation 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

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

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.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 11, 2025

Nineteen states and several pro-voter groups filed suit against a March 25th executive order by President Donald Trump.  The order appears to override Congressional and state jurisdiction granted by the U.S. Constitution, and its noncitizen voting restrictions could actually disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans.

To be clear, there is NO evidence of widespread noncitizen voting in any state.  But the March 25th order requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, which in practice would require it for state elections, too.  States who don’t follow the Trump directive could lose federal funding.  

Problem is, one in nine Americans don’t have ready access to their citizenship papers.  An estimated 69 million married women use a name different from their birth certificate, and only half of Americans have a valid U.S. Passport.

The order also requires states to comb their voter rolls for possible noncitizens, gives states access to federal databases, and mandates states report voting infractions to the U.S. Justice Department.  It requires that mail ballots be received by election day, eliminating grace periods.

The U.S. Constitution assigns administration of elections to the states and Congress, which is the basis of states’ challenge.  The Campaign Legal Center and four other pro-democracy groups also challenged the ruling on similar grounds.

We’ve linked to Trump’s order and the legal challenges at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The White House – Executive Order:  PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
NPR – 19 states sue over Trump’s voting executive order, arguing it’s unconstitutional
PBS – Election watchdog groups sue Trump administration over executive order, calling it unconstitutional
Campaign Legal Center – CLC Sues to Block Trump Administration’s Illegal Election Overreach
Campaign Legal Center  – Complaint in U.S. District Court for DC Against Trump Executive Order
U.S. District Court for MA, via State of NY – Complaint by 19 States Against Trump Executive Order

Groups Taking Action:

Campaign Legal Center, State Democracy Defenders Fund, LULAC, Arizona Students’ Association, Secure Families Initiative

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

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #DonaldTrump #ExecutiveOrders #Unconstitutional #Disenfranchisement

The post Pro-Voter Groups and 19 States Challenge Trump Executive Order on Voting Rules as Unconstitutional and Likely to Disenfranchise Millions appeared first on American Democracy Minute.