The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Aug. 27, 2025

We have updates on two stories we brought you last year, as President Donald Trump attempts to get convicted Colorado county clerk Tina Peters released, and Elon Musk faces a class action suit over alleged empty promises made to swing state petition signers.

Former clerk Tina Peters was found guilty on four felony charges and additional misdemeanors by 12 Mesa County jurors for giving unauthorized access to the county’s Dominion Voting Systems tabulators to two conspiracy theory activists in 2020.  Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison last year.  

Trump wrote August 20th on Truth Social, “Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election. She is an old woman, and very sick. If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!” UNQUOTE.   Peters was convicted by a jury under Colorado state law, and there is little Trump can do to free her.  

A Texas judge refused to dismiss a class-action lawsuit by swing state voters who signed Elon Musk’s America PAC petition, thinking they were entered into a daily random drawing for $1 million dollars.  They claim they were defrauded because the money was instead given to others based on their suitability as “spokespersons.”   

Trial is scheduled in early 2027.

We have the links to our past stories and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – CO Election Official Tina Peters Got 9 Years for Tampering with Election Machines to Prove the Big Lie.  Trump is Trying to Set Her Free.
American Democracy Minute – Wisconsin AG Appeals to State Supreme Court to Block Elon Musk’s Million Dollar Lottery for WI GOP Voters – Oops – Make that ‘Spokesmen’
Colorado Newsline – (2024) Tina Peters, former Mesa County clerk, sentenced to 9 years in prison over voting systems breach
Colorado Newsline – Trump threatens ‘harsh measures’ in another call for Tina Peters’ release

Huffington Post – Elon Musk Must Face Lawsuit For Duping Trump Supporters In $1 Million Giveaways
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas – Ruling in McAferty  v. Musk

Groups Taking Action:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Common Cause,  Public Citizen, States United Democracy Center, Issue One

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Colorado #ElonMusk #AmericaPAC #TinaPeters #DonaldTrump 

The post President Trump Agitates for Release of Convicted Colorado Election Clerk Tina Peters; Federal Judge Won’t Dismiss Class Action Suit Against Elon Musk appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Aug. 1, 2025

Americans really like voting by mail and in-person early voting.  That according to 2024 statistics from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

According to EAC, 158, 211,780 citizens voted, out of 211,144,275 active registered voters, a 74.8% turnout, 3 points lower than 2020.

Among the 158 million voters, 52.8 million voted in person on election day. But far more Americans voted early, with 46.8 million voting early by mail, and almost 48.9 million voting early in person.  

Mail-in voting accounted for 30.3% of votes cast, with some states offering universal mail balloting or permanent mail or absentee lists.  Over 15 million ballots returned via drop boxes in 36 states, up 10% since 2022.

The percentage of in person election day voters dropped in 2024 to only 37.4%, while in person early voting jumped to 35.2%.  The combination of mail and early in person totaled 65.5%.  It’s clear that early voting is here to stay.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Election Administration and Voting Survey 2024 Comprehensive Report
MIT Election Data & Science Lab – (2022 – Updated Feb. 2024) Voting by mail and absentee voting
National Vote at Home Institute – State by State Mail-In Voting Options

Center for Election Innovation & Research – Data Dive: The Growth of Early In-Person and Mail Voting

Groups Taking Action:
National Vote From Home Institute, Common Cause, AARP

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotebyMail #VoteatHome #EarlyInPerson #USEAC

The post Americans Like Voting Early, and Other Lessons from the 2024 Election U.S. Election Assistance Commission Follow Up Report appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 17, 2025

May 12th, the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly requested ALL the State of Colorado’s records relating to the 2024 federal election, and the preservation of records related to the 2020 election.  The request may relate to President Trump’s effort to free a convicted Colorado election official. 

The records request is massive.  In Nov. 2024, there were 4.65 million registered Colorado voters, 3.3 million of whom cast ballots in the presidential election.  Then consider the records from every electronic ballot tabulator, precinct reports, county reports, machine testing readouts, voter registration and verification documents for each voter, and other documents.  Colorado’s Secretary of State Jena Griswold told NPR, “What they’re going to do with all this data, I don’t know. But I’m sure they will use it to push their ridiculous disinformation and lies to the American public,” she said.

There is speculation that it may be related to convicted Mesa County elections official Tina Peters, sentenced to 9 years for giving voting machine access to conspiracy theorists tied to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.   The week before the Colorado records request, DOJ was directed by President Trump to, QUOTE “take all necessary action to help secure the release” of Peters. 

To date, Colorado has reportedly provided two copies of its master voter files to DOJ, and its 2024 voter history file.  DOJ has not commented on the request.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (2024) Colorado Supreme Court Rules Trump was a “Officer of the United States” Participating in Insurrection, and Bars Him from the State’s Ballot.  A SCOTUS Challenge is Likely.
American Democracy Minute – (2024) CO Election Official Tina Peters Got 9 Years for Tampering with Election Machines to Prove the Big Lie.  Trump is Trying to Set Her Free.
NPR – Trump’s DOJ makes its most sweeping demand for election data yet
Colorado Public Radio – Colorado election officials react to federal request for voter data, eye political motives
9 News Denver – DOJ demands Colorado election data

Colorado Sun – Federal request for Colorado voter data seems motivated by politics, election officials say

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause CO, States United Democracy Center, Issue One 

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionDeniers #TinaPeters #USDOJ #Colorado

The post U.S. DOJ Demands State of Colorado Turn Over Massive Number of 2024 Election Records. It Could be an Attempt to Prove Conspiracy Theories. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 7, 2025

In a brief to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, a bipartisan group of former county election directors urged the court to reject a claim that as many as 65,000 voters were ineligible last November.  And a former state supreme court justice is arguing in another appeals case that gerrymandering by the state legislature is akin to ‘stuffing the ballot box.” 

We’ve followed the claims from state supreme court candidate Jefferson Griffin that as many as 65,000 registered, eligible voters had incomplete registrations in a race he lost by 734 votes to incumbent justice Allison Riggs.  The race is the only unresolved election in the country.   

In late February, a bipartisan group of 42 former county election directors filed a brief outlining why the voters should be considered valid, and concluding:  “The citizens of North Carolina who obeyed the laws and the direction of the elections administrators should not have their votes discarded.” 

In another North Carolina case, former state supreme court justice Bob Orr is arguing in state appeals court that the legislature’s gerrymandered voting districts manipulate election outcomes.  By ‘packing’ voters by party into a district, he argues, it violates the state constitution’s guarantee of free elections with a fair count.  Orr told the Charlotte News & Observer, “If they can’t stuff the ballot box, how can they stuff the voter pool?”

We have more on both cases at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – Appeals Continue in 2024 NC Supreme Court Race Challenge
NC Newsline – NC Supreme Court rejects requests to have GOP Judge Griffin’s case skip appeals court
NC Newsline – (Commentary) Documenting the damage of Judge Jefferson Griffin’s Supreme Court election challenge
North Carolina Court of Appeals – Brief by Bipartisan Group of 42 Former County Election Directors

News & Observer – Bob Orr pushes NC courts to answer an essential question: Do we have a right to fair elections? | Opinion

Groups Taking Action:

Democracy North Carolina, ACLU NC, League of Women Voters NC

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 #NorthCarolina #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering

The post North Carolina: Former Election Directors Weigh In On Unresolved Supreme Court Race; Former Justice Argues Partisan Gerrymandering Akin to ‘Stuffing the Ballot Box’ appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 5, 2025

We reported last year that the Trump transition team had been funding itself through unknown private donations, and refused to sign a General Services Administration transition support memo which limited private donations to $5,000.  The memo was never signed, and the transition’s private donors still haven’t been disclosed.

Nonprofit news site NOTUS reports that previous transition teams disclose that information by February 19th, including for Biden and Trump’s first transition.   In November, Trump’s chief of staff promised to disclose those donors. 

The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 allows money controlled by the GSA to fund Presidential transition expenses, including office space, personnel, IT, and other support services to aid incoming and outgoing administrations.   The GSA budgeted $21.6 million dollars this cycle, according to the Congressional Research Service.  That funding is contingent on the incoming administration signing a memo of understanding, and the Transition Act limits outside donations of $5,000. 

But while Trump’s team agreed on the terms of the new administration’s move into the White House, it refused to sign GSA’s transition support memo, allowing it to sidestep the limits and disclosure requirements.      

So between November 7th and January 20th, it’s likely millions were received from wealthy donors and corporations, and Americans still don’t know who funded its transfer of power, and the influence it bought.  We’ve linked the NOTUS report and GSA’s transition page at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Oversight – (****2016 – 1st Trump Administration) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND DONALD J. TRUMP
U.S. General Services Administration – Transition Memoranda, Reports, and Key Documents
U.S. General Services Administration – Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team Ethics Plan
American Democracy Minute – (2024) The Presidential Transition Turns Into One Big Dark Money Special Interest Swamp
NPR – (2024)  With clock ticking, Trump transition is so far skipping background checks and briefings
NPR – (2024)  Trump team signs a key transition agreement with Biden White House
NOTUS – (Free w/registration) – Donald Trump Still Hasn’t Disclosed His Secret Transition Funders

Groups Taking Action:

Campaign Legal Center, Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (C.R.E.W), Public Citizen 

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 #TrumpTransition #DarkMoney #Corruption #DonaldTrump 

The post The Deadline was Feb. 19 and the Trump Transition Team Still Hasn’t Disclosed Its Transition Donors appeared first on American Democracy Minute.