American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

Federal Panel Allows California’s Gerrymandered Counterpunch to Five More GOP Congressional Seats in Texas. Will a Politicized SCOTUS Block It?

January 15, 2026January 15, 2026

January 14th, a 9th Circuit federal court panel rejected a GOP claim that California’s new congressional districts were racially gerrymandered. The court said the Proposition 50 maps, created as a counterpunch to gerrymandering in Texas, were manipulated for partisan, not racial reasons.

New Hampshire Legislators Make Yet Another Attempt at Keeping Students from Voting, Further Tightening Voter ID Regulations

January 14, 2026January 14, 2026

New Hampshire legislators are making another attempt to end the use of student IDs as voter identification, claiming such IDs were prone to fraud and advancing a bill to further narrow acceptable options. Such fraud is almost non-existent, and pro-voter groups say it’s partisan voter suppression.

Voters Identifying as ‘Independent’ Reaches Record High Led by Younger Americans, Says New Gallup Poll

January 13, 2026January 13, 2026

The number of Americans identifying as independents reached a new high, at the expense of both major parties. An updated Gallup tracking poll found 45% of respondents called themselves political independents, led by younger Americans.

Trump’s Executive Order on Elections Handed Another Defeat, as Federal Court Upholds a State’s Right to Set Ballot Deadlines, Choose Methods

January 12, 2026January 12, 2026

President Donald Trump’s executive order on elections took yet another hit January 9th, as a federal judge blocked portions of the order trying to dictate election and ballot deadlines, what voting systems can be used, and blocking federal funding for non-compliant states.

Missouri Secretary of State Tactics Attempt to Derail Citizen Repeal of Gerrymandered Congressional Map

January 11, 2026January 11, 2026

January 6th, the Missouri Secretary of State disqualified one third of the qualifying signatures for a ballot initiative repealing a gerrymandered mid-decade congressional map. January 9th, his lawyer admitted in court that the state’s language for the ballot initiative was “likely to create prejudice.” It’s all part of an all-out effort to derail the pro-voter ballot measure.