American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

After Raising the Bar to Prove Racial Gerrymandering in South Carolina Case, the U.S. Supreme Court Reopens a 2022 Arkansas Redistricting Case

June 4, 2024July 22, 2024

Is the U.S. Supreme Court aiming to take yet another chop at the 1965 Voting Rights Act? An Arkansas redistricting case has been sent back to a lower court after last week’s new rules making it harder to prove racial gerrymandering.

Kansas Supreme Court Rules There is No Natural Right to Vote for Kansas Citizens, Only a Political Right Subject to the Legislature’s Restrictions

June 3, 2024June 3, 2024

The Kansas Supreme Court issued a contentious narrow decision Friday, determining that Kansas citizens do not have a “natural right” to vote. Instead, the majority ruled that citizens have a “political right,” subject to qualification by its legislature.

Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court’s South Carolina Gerrymandering Decision Finds Disturbing Guidance for Lower Courts

June 2, 2024June 2, 2024

We reported last week on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion in a South Carolina case, finding no racial gerrymandering when 30,000 Black voters were moved to dilute Black voting power in the state’s 1st Congressional district. Scholars found even more voting rights damage in the fine print.

Galveston County, TX Racial Gerrymandering Case Could Weaken Voting Rights Act Protections for Mixed Minority Communities

May 30, 2024May 31, 2024

The U.S. Federal Court’s Fifth Circuit, known for its conservative and sometimes fringe rulings, recently reheard a case from Galveston County, Texas over whether a community of African Americans and Latinx Americans qualifies for protections under the Voting Rights Act. The court’s opinion could further weaken the VRA.

Gallup Poll Finds Americans Think a Major Third Party is Needed

May 29, 2024May 29, 2024

A poll by Gallup finds majority support for a major third party option among almost every segment of voters, ticking up to 63% last fall. This includes increases among Republicans and independents.