The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 8, 2026

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — In a unanimous vote, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled September 3rd that a ballot measure rolling back a gerrymandered 2025 congressional district map must be placed on the Nov. ballot.  It directed that the 2022 maps be used in November, which the state has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

We’ve reported extensively on Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ slow-walked decision on the eligibility of the citizen ballot initiative to overturn the map requested by President Trump.  People Not Politicians Missouri submitted over 300,000 signatures to qualify in December 2025, but Hoskins waited until August, 4th, 2026 before declaring that the state constitution did not allow for ballot measures changing redistricting.  

The Missouri Supreme Court voted unanimously that the state constitution did NOT prohibit a redistricting ballot measure.  It wrote, “Because the plain language of article III, section 49 of the Missouri Constitution authorizes a referendum as to “any act of the general assembly” and no exception applies, the referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely,” UNQUOTE. 

Late on Friday, September 4th, the state asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the return to the 2022 maps, claiming it was too close to the election to change.  It did not reference the Hoskins’ delay.   

We have the state court’s decision, and the U.S. Supreme Court appeal at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Missouri Supreme Court – Decision in Richard von Glahn v. Denny Hoskins, in His Official Capacity,
Missouri Independent – Missouri Supreme Court blocks gerrymandered congressional map, orders referendum vote
U.S. Supreme Court – Emergency Stay Request in  Denny Hoskins v. Richard von Glahn
Missouri Independent – Looming ballot deadline complicates GOP appeal of Missouri redistricting decision 

Related ADM Reports:

American Democracy Minute – Missouri SOS Still Apparently Scheming to Derail November Ballot Initiative to Overturn New Gerrymandered Congressional Map Splitting Kansas City

American Democracy Minute – Does the Missouri Constitution Allow Ballot Initiatives to Change Voting Districts? Updates on Epic Battle Over Racially Gerrymandered KC Map

Groups Taking Action:

People Not Politicians MO, Campaign Legal Center, ACLU MO

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Missouri #DennyHoskins #MOSupremeCourt #USSupremeCourt

The post Missouri Supreme Court Rules Pro-Voter Redistricting Ballot Measure Must Be Added to the Ballot;  Secretary of State Appeals to U.S. Supreme Court appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 7, 2026

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

The Massachusetts federal district judge who originally blocked the U.S. Postal Service rules for verifying citizenship of mail-in voters, issued another preliminary injunction August 27th, blocking states from using the new USPS state citizenship list portal and complying with new ballot envelope mandates until September 10th.

September 4th, the judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the DOJ from enforcing the USPS rules, writing QUOTE, “ . . . immediate implementation of the Final Rule issued less than seventy days before the November 2026 election threatens disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail, ” UNQUOTE.

Just the day before, September 3rd, the Trump Justice Department appealed the judge’s earlier ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which set Tuesday, Sept. 8 to submit briefs. Time limitations aside, the U.S. Constitution empowers the states and Congress to administer elections, not the President or the executive branch. But with the Supreme Court’s conservative majority apparently bent on expanding presidential powers, we could see a high court ruling shortly.

We’ve linked to the district court’s latest ruling at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. District Court for Massachusetts – LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MA, et al. v. DONALD J. TRUMP
SCOTUSBlog – Trump administration asks Supreme Court to clear the way for it to implement new mail-in voting rule

Related ADM Reports:

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

American Democracy Minute – Trump USPS Mail-In Ballot Order Now Faces 2nd Appeal, Now That ‘State Citizenship List Rules’ are Finalized.  The Clock is Ticking.
NPR – What to know about the mail-in voting fight at the Supreme Court

Newsweek – What the Supreme Court Justices Have Said About Mail-In Voting 

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters, Association of Americans Resident Overseas, US Vote Foundation, OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Subscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #TrumpExecutiveOrder #MailInVoting #USPS #USSupremeCourt 

The post Court Battles Rage Over Trump USPS Mail-In Ballot Order As First Midterm Absentee Ballots are Sent Out in NC appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 4, 2026

TARRANT COUNTY, TX –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.

We reported earlier this week that Tarrant County commissioners were considering cutting 93 polling places for financial reasons, but the county has a pattern of partisan voter suppression. In the face of blistering criticism from voters and pro-democracy groups, the commission voted 3 to 2 to close 92 locations, one third of the 2022 number, leaving 224 locations open.

August 16th, Shasta County, California Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis announced he would be hiring convicted Mesa County, Colorado clerk Tina Peters as his assistant. Peters served only 19 months of a nine-year sentence for giving unauthorized access to the county’s Dominion ballot tabulators to outside election deniers. Her sentence was commuted by Colorado’s governor in May, causing a furor among election officials.

Calling the job offer “a disgrace,” California Governor Gavin Newsom called on the State of Colorado not to transfer Peters’ parole supervision out of Colorado to block her hiring. Sept. 1st, the Shasta Scout reported that in a statement, Peters said she has not accepted the position.

We’ve linked to the local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Texas Tribune – Tarrant County removes 92 polling sites ahead of November election
Tarrant County Commissioner Court – Video of Sept. 1 meeting

KNVN – Shasta County ROV says he wants to hire Tina Peters next month
Gov. Gavin Newsom –  Post on ‘X’ regarding Tina Peters
Shasta Scout – Shasta elections official says Tina Peters won’t be working in Shasta

Related ADM Reports:

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

American Democracy Minute – (2024) Colorado Election Official Who Allowed 2020 Conspiracy Theory Activists Access to County Voting Machine Data Found Guilty
American Democracy Minute – Five Years After the 2020 Election, More Election Denier Turmoil in Shasta County, CA

Groups Taking Action:

Texas Civil Rights Project, Legal Defense Fund, League of Women Voters Tarant County

Common Cause California,  League of Women Voters Redding, Common Cause CO, States United Democracy Center, Issue One

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Subscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #TarrantCounty #Texas #ShastaCounty #California #TinaPeters #ElectionDeniers #VoterSuppression

The post Tarrant County, TX Commissioners Close 92 Polling Places; Convicted CO County Clerk Tina Peters Withdraws from Shasta County, CA Job Offer appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 3, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC — 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.

In a six-page letter to Postmaster General David Steiner, which also included the USPS employee’s revelations to good government group Whistleblower Aid, Blumenthal said the new system, QUOTE”, “Will likely lead to chaos, confusion, and the inability of many Americans to have their vote counted,” UNQUOTE. He demanded details about development of the portal, its testing, whether outside contractors were used, and a precise timeline. The timeline is critical, since it appears that development continued after a federal court ordered an injunction, suspending work on two parts of Trump’s executive order.

According to the employee’s disclosure, the portal for states to upload their batches of mail-in voters, rushed in its development, may cause delays in delivery of ballots to eligible voters. QUOTE, “As presently designed, if
even one bar code on one single ballot in a bulk-mailing of 10,000 ballots fails to
properly scan during the verification process, the entire batch is rejected and sent
back to the state – effectively stopping the ballots from being mailed to voters,” UNQUOTE.

We’ve linked to Blumanthal’s letter with the disclosure at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal – Whistleblower Disclosure & Letter to Postmaster General
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal – Following New Whistleblower Disclosure, Blumenthal Demands USPS Provide Documents, Answers About “Shit Show” Process to Screen Ballots & Potentially Catastrophic Impact on Mail-In Voting
U.S. Postal Service – USPS Statement on Development of U.S. Federal Ballot Mail Portal 

Related ADM Reports:

American Democracy Minute – (June 29)  Federal Court Blocks Trump Administration from Implementing Key Parts of Executive Order on Elections as Unconstitutional Overreach 
American Democracy Minute – (Aug. 26) In 6 to 3 Decision, Supreme Court Majority Stops Lower Court’s Ruling Blocking U.S. Postal Service Plans for Mail-In Voter Citizenship Verification   

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters US, Democracy Defenders Fund, Common Cause

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Subscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #USPSWhistleblower #USPostalService #SenBlumenthal #TrumpExecutiveOrder #MailInBallots

The post USPS Whistleblower Warns Portal to Verify Citizenship of Mail-In Voters Risks ‘Catastrophic Failure’ and Could ‘Derail the Midterms’ appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 2, 2026

TARRANT COUNTY, TX – 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. 

In August, the commission considered an even more aggressive plan, reducing polling places from 2022’s 316 to 176.  According to the Texas Tribune, hundreds turned out at the August 4th commission meeting,  arguing such cuts created confusion and made it more difficult to vote.  The plan on which commissioners will vote Sept. 1st leaves 224 polling locations, which the commission says prioritizes locations near public transportation stops.  

The distrust by voters and pro-democracy groups isn’t without foundation. In June 2025 a coalition of minority voters filed a Voting Rights Act violation case pointing to dilution of Black and Hispanic voting districts to engineer a 4-1 GOP majority on the commission.  Later that summer, the commission proposed cutting polling places to 216, among them targeted liberal-leaning college locations, seen as a voter suppression tactic.  That effort failed.

Pro-voter and civil rights groups are again mobilizing for the Sept. 1 meeting, and we’ll update you on the outcome.

We’ve linked the local reporting and our past reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

PBS NewsHour/AP – Plan to cut polling sites in major Texas county draws protests as Senate battle looms
Texas Tribune/Votebeat – (Aug. 6, 2026) Fracas over Tarrant County voting sites highlights public distrust over how elections are run
Spectrum News –  Tarrant County to vote on whether to close 140 Election Day polling locations
KDFW Fox 4 News – (2025)  SMU researcher says proposed Tarrant County redistricting ‘diminishes’ voting power 

Related ADM Reports:

American Democracy Minute – (June 2025)  Apparent Racial Gerrymandering in Tarrant County, TX Draws Condemnation and a VRA Lawsuit.  The County’s Reply?  It’s OK. It was for Political Reasons.

American Democracy Minute – Tarrant County, TX, Already Embroiled in VRA Racial Gerrymandering Litigation, Cuts Election Day and Early Voting Precincts

Groups Taking Action:

Texas Civil Rights Project, Legal Defense Fund, League of Women Voters Tarant County

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Subscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VoterSuppression #TarrantCounty #Texas 

The post Tarrant County, TX Proposes Eliminating 93 Polling Places Just Before the 2026 Election for Financial Reasons.  Voters Aren’t Buying It. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.