CA Archives | American Democracy Minute

The SCOTUS Majority is Bent on Dismantling the Voting Rights Act. Lacking Federal Protection, Pro-Democracy States are Enacting State VRAs

June 26, 2024June 26, 2024

We reported recently on the impact of Shelby County v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court majority’s decision invalidating Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Anticipating even more erosion of the VRA, some states have passed their own state VRAs.

FL Voters Decide Nov. 5th Whether to Keep Their Small Donor Matching Program, or Turn Funding of Campaigns Over to Special Interests

June 12, 2024June 12, 2024

Amendment 6, a repeal of Florida’s public funding of elections option, faces voters on November 5th. Such small donor matching systems help candidates outside the political machine structure to compete, and can help limit special interest influence.

Challenge to Washington Voting Rights Act in the State’s High Court Raises Concern Among Democracy Advocates

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023

We have ANOTHER democracy lawsuit to watch, this time in Washington State. The case challenges the Washington Voting Rights Act, the state’s response to portions of the FEDERAL Voting Rights Act being struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Shasta County, CA Votes to Hand Count Ballots for its 111,000 Voters. Now They Have to Pay for It.

April 12, 2023April 12, 2023

Showing they’d bought into President Trump’s debunked fraud allegations, the majority of Shasta County California’s board of supervisors terminated their contract for Dominion Voting Systems’ electronic ballot tabulation machines. Then supervisors voted to hand count ballots – in a county with over 111,000 registered voters.

Cities & Counties Also Get Gerrymandered; California Citizens are Fighting Back

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023

When we think redistricting, we generally think about our state’s Congressional, house and senate districts. But city and county districts are also reapportioned through redistricting – and also increasingly gerrymandered. Citizens in California are fighting back.