The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 6, 2025

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed two election bills May 2nd, one of which includes provisions for poll workers to challenge the citizenship of voters in the polling place, a ban on ranked choice voting, and a higher bar for third parties. 

Among several new provisions, House File 954 authorizes state election officials to access to federal agency databases and gives local election officials authority to challenge citizenship of a registered voter at the polls.  A recent presidential executive order now allows personal information sharing from federal agencies to state election officials. 

If a voter is not able to provide documentation at the polls, they would be forced to use a provisional ballot.   Only days before the 2024 election, the Secretary of State’s office challenged the eligibility of over 2,100 registered voters.  Most were naturalized citizens or data errors, while 277 were registered noncitizens. Of those, only 35 voted, out of over 1.7 million cast.  Pro-voter groups argue such mass challenges intimidates legitimate naturalized citizens from voting. 

Two provisions in 954 attempt to protect major party power.  It bans ranked choice voting for any election in Iowa, and raises the bar for third parties to field candidates.  Third parties now need to garner 2% of the vote in three consecutive elections to qualify for the ballot. 

We have more on HF 954 at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Iowa Secretary of State – Iowa Secretary of State’s audit of voter registration lists finds 277 confirmed noncitizens registered to voteIowa Capital Dispatch – Iowa secretary of state says 277 noncitizens confirmed to be on Iowa’s voter rolls
Des Moines Register – After flagging 2,000+ ballots, Iowa secretary of state says 35 noncitizens voted in 2024Iowa Legislature – House File 954

The Gazette – Iowa poll workers can question voters about their citizenship under new law
Iowa Capital Dispatch – Gov. Kim Reynolds signs bills on election recounts, voter citizenship verification
Brennan Center for Justice – Citizenship & Voting

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU Iowa, LULAC

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NoncitizenVoting #Iowa #VoterSuppression #VoterChallenges 

The post Iowa Gov. Signs Bill Banning Ranked Choice Voting, and Allowing Poll Workers to Challenge Citizenship Status of Voters  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for May 22, 2025

The New Hampshire Senate killed a bill requiring absentee voters to include copies of citizenship documents when requesting and returning absentee ballots.   In a separate court case in April, voters challenged the state’s proof of citizenship law for in-person registration.

For decades, a prospective New Hampshire voter could provide documents to prove domicile and U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, or, when those documents weren’t available, use a sworn affidavit under penalty of fines or imprisonment.  Under that system, there has never been any evidence of widespread illegal or noncitizen voting in New Hampshire. 

Then in 2024, New Hampshire became one of the first states to further restrict its proof of citizenship rules.  It ended use of affidavits entirely, requiring voters to provide a documentary birth certificate, U.S. Passport, naturalization papers or other documents proving citizenship to register.  No documents, no voting.   

HB 217 went even further, requiring absentee ballot users, including nursing home and homebound voters, to provide those documents with their absentee requests and ballots. Fortunately for Grandma, and the 1 in 9 Americans who don’t have access to those documents, the bill was killed May 15th. 

April 23rd, arguments by pro-voter groups and voters were heard in federal district court in an effort to strike down the 2024 proof of citizenship law, after dozens were turned away in local elections earlier this year.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

NH Secretary of State – REGISTERING TO VOTE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
NHPR – Federal judge hears arguments over NH’s proof of citizenship voting law
Associated Press – New Hampshire town elections offer a preview of citizenship voting rules being considered nationwide
NH Legislature via LegiScan – Text of HB 217, killed by the NH Senate
New Hampshire Bulletin – Senate advances anti-sanctuary city bills, but stops short on other House priorities

Groups Taking Action:

Coalition for Open Democracy, League of Women Voters NH, ACLU NH

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers

The post NH Senate Kills Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship with Absentee Ballots; Challenge to 2024 NH Proof of Citizenship Law Heard in Federal Court 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 American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 28, 2025

A partial victory for pro-voter groups April 24th, as a federal judge blocked the proof of citizenship portion of President Donald Trump’s executive order  changing federal elections.  The judge did not address other sections, which she suggested were best challenged by states, rather than voters.

In a three page ruling and a 120-page opinion, DC Circuit Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly writes,  “no statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.” 

The judge pointed out that Congress is currently considering the SAVE Act, which includes some of the same proof of citizenship requirements, and is within its jurisdiction to do so.  As we’ve reported, the SAVE Act is not likely to pass the Senate.

But she took pains to parse out the separations of powers in Trump’s March 25th order, and allowed the directive opening federal databases to states to identify noncitizen voters.  

She also concluded that the voter-groups in THIS case did not have standing to challenge the portions affecting states with the withholding of federal funding for noncompliance, and mandating all mail ballots be received by election day. Nineteen state attorneys general have filed a separate challenge to the same executive order.  

We have the judge’s opinion at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The White House – PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
Brennan Center for Justice – The President’s Executive Order on Elections

American Democracy Minute – Pro-Voter Groups and 19 States Challenge Trump Executive Order on Voting Rules as Unconstitutional and Likely to Disenfranchise Millions
US District Court for DC – LULAC & League of Women Voters v. Donald Trump Opinion
US District Court for DC – LULAC & League of Women Voters v. Donald Trump Order
Reuters – Judge partly blocks Trump order that claimed greater control over US elections
NPR – Judge pauses parts of Trump’s sweeping executive order on voting

Groups Taking Action:
LULAC, League of Women Voters, NAACP, Asian Pacific American Advocates

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 #DonaldTrump #ExecutiveOrders #ProofofCitizenship

The post Federal Judge Blocks Proof of Citizenship Provisions in Trump Executive Order on Elections appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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.