The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 28, 2025

President Donald Trump issued an executive order March 25th implementing portions of the likely doomed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or ‘SAVE’ Act.  Among its restrictive provisions are a documentary proof of citizenship to register and vote, potentially disenfranchising millions.

Trump’s new order, entitled PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS,  withholds federal funding from any state which does not implement the use of the National Voter Registration Form and mandates proof of citizenship documents, including a birth certificate, naturalization papers, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or a U.S. Passport.  A 2024 study found one in nine Americans don’t have ready access to those documents, and when they do, the documents often don’t reflect name and address changes over time.

The order also would force states to end mail-in ballot grace periods, restricting ballot deadlines to election day.  It also demands states report illegal voting to the federal government, and directs the Attorney General to withhold federal grants if they don’t.  Such requirements attempt to circumvent state voting rights expansions, such as Michigan’s 2022 passage of Proposition 2.  It allows states access to any federal agency database, including Homeland Security and Social Security, as a means of verifying voter eligibility.

The order will be challenged.  The U.S. Constitution grants the states the power to determine the “Places and Manner of holding Elections”  not the President.   

Find the text of the order at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The White House – Executive Order:  PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
U.S. Congress – U.S. Constitution ArtI.S4.C1.2 States and Elections Clause
Campaign Legal Center – Voting Is an American Freedom. The President Can’t Change That

Brookings – The SAVE Act: An attempt to restrict voting rights
U.S. Elections Assistance Commission – The National Mail Voter Registration Form
NPR – Legal challenges are expected for President Trump’s voter registration executive order

Groups Taking Action:

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of Women Voters US, National Partnership for New Americans, 

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 #DonaldTrump #ExecutiveOrder #NoncitizenVoting #Disenfranchised

The post New Trump Executive Order Attempts to Bypass Congress & States to Require Proof of Citizenship Documents & Mandate Election Deadlines appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 25, 2025

Prior to the  2024 election, President Donald Trump made baseless allegations of widespread noncitizen voting, spurring election officials in Iowa and other states to identify suspected noncitizens on their voter rolls.  It also generated restrictive proof of citizenship legislation in Iowa and 18 other states.

Two weeks before the election, the Iowa Secretary of State directed county election officials to challenge 2,176 registered voters it suspected were noncitizens, and therefore not eligible to vote by state or federal law. Iowa, like Virginia and Alabama, found most of its alleged illegal voters were actually naturalized citizens.  It’s unclear how many were disenfranchised. 

Of the 277 Iowa noncitizens found to be illegally registered, only 35 voted. Illegal to be sure, but only 0.00209% of the over 1.67 million ballots cast.  Eighteen voted in person, 15 by mail, and 2 cast provisional ballots.  Five others had their ballots rejected, and 22 did not vote.  The 277 have been referred to law enforcement, while Senate Bill 550, requiring citizenship documents at registration, advances in the      legislature.

New Hampshire’s new proof of citizenship law is already in effect.  More on how it negatively impacted eligible Granite State voters in a future report.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Iowa Secretary of State – Iowa Secretary of State’s audit of voter registration lists finds 277 confirmed noncitizens registered to vote
Iowa Capital Dispatch – Iowa secretary of state says 277 noncitizens confirmed to be on Iowa’s voter rolls
Des Moines Register – After flagging 2,000+ ballots, Iowa secretary of state says 35 noncitizens voted in 2024

Iowa Secretary of State – 2024 General Election Turnout Report
Brennan Center for Justice – Why the Myth of Noncitizen Voting Persists
Voting Rights Lab – The Truth about False Claims of Noncitizen Voting

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU, League of United Latin American Citizens

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 #Iowa #NoncitizenVoting #VoterPurge 

The post Iowa’s Secretary of State Challenged 2,176 Suspected Noncitizen Voters in 2024.  Only 35 Noncitizens Actually Voted. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 28, 2025

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

If you’re headed to vote in New Hampshire’s traditional March town meetings and need to register, you’ll need proof of citizenship documents with you, or you won’t be able to vote.  Twenty other states have similar legislation pending.

New Hampshire’s HB 1569 eliminated sworn citizenship affidavits, subject to fines or imprisonment for lying),  as evidence citizenship.  It now accepts only a birth certificate, U.S. Passport or naturalization papers.  There is NO evidence of any widespread noncitizen voting in the state, and the law was immediately challenged in federal district court as unconstitutional and an unreasonable burden.  

President Donald Trump’s recent unfounded claims of widespread noncitizen voting generated a rush to tighten proof of citizenship legislation around the country.  Voting Rights Lab is tracking 35 proof of citizenship bills in 20 states, many based on model legislation pushed by former Trump election lawyer, Cleta Mitchell and her Only Citizens Vote Coalition.    

Just this month, proof of citizenship bills were advanced in Wyoming and Missouri.  Eighteen other states are considering bills adding proof of citizenship requirements, and the pending SAVE Act in Congress would require it for federal elections. 

 A 2024 study by the Brennan Center for Justice found 9% of Americans don’t have ready access to their citizenship documents.  We have links to the Voting Rights Lab tracker and more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

NPR – Concerns about noncitizen voting drive sweeping new restrictions in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Public Radio – NH Youth Movement sues to overturn new voter ID law

U.S. District Court for New Hampshire – Complaint in NH Youth Movement v. Scanlan
Voting Rights Lab – (requires free registration) Proof-of-Citizenship Legislation Tracking

Wyoming Legislature – SB 190 Documentary Citizenship Requirement
Missouri Legislature – SB 62 – Election law revision including documentary citizenship requirement
Democracy Docket – What’s Really Behind Republicans’ Push for Proof of Citizenship?
ALEC/Only Citizens Vote – Model Policy for Citizenship Requirement
U.S. Congress – 2025 SAVE Act

American Democracy Minute – The SAVE Act Could Disenfranchise Millions of Voters. It’s Been Fast Tracked in Congress.
Brennan Center for Justice – Millions of Americans Don’t Have Documents Proving Their Citizenship Readily Available

Groups Taking Action:

Declaration for American Democracy, Coalition for Open Democracy, League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, ACLU NH

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 #ProofofCitizenship #VoterSuppression #NHNews #WyomingNews #MissouriNews #SAVEAct

The post NH’s Voter Registration Proof-of-Citizenship Law Began January 1st; Similar Citizenship Bills are Pending in 20 Other States appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 18, 2025

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

In September 2024, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced an error in state voter rolls involving 97,000 voters, revolving around a state DMV data error.  That number has risen to nearly 200,000, and an easy fix still hasn’t been found. 

In 1996, Arizona began requiring proof of citizenship when obtaining a driver’s license.  Since 2005, election officials have asked registered voters with licenses issued before 1996 for proof of citizenship.  But if a driver’s license issued before 1996 needed to be replaced, it was accidentally given a new date of issue, and election officials never knew to ask for citizenship documents. 

Votebeat Arizona and the Arizona Mirror report that the investigation is ongoing, but the number affected has now ballooned to 200,000 voters registered, but without proof of citizenship on file. 

The Arizona Supreme Court allowed affected voters to vote in November’s election, but now the legislature is considering an emergency measure, House Bill 2038, directing election officials to contact the voters and request citizenship documents.  If not supplied within 35 days, the voter’s status would change to “not registered”, though voters could reactivate their registration by providing documentation right up to election day.  After the 2026 general election, those voters would be dropped.  

The Secretary of State’s office is reviewing the proposed legislation.  

We have the text of the bill and Votebeat’s reporting linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (2024) State Data Mistake Puts Voting in Local & State Elections at Risk for 97,000 Arizonans
Votebeat Arizona/Arizona Mirror – Arizona officials struggle to straighten out voter rolls after proof-of-citizenship mixup
Votebeat Arizona/Arizona Mirror – Arizona voters caught up in state’s citizenship-proof error could see their registrations canceled

Arizona House of Representatives – HB 2038 – Voter registrants; satisfactory proof of citizenship; delayed repeal

Groups Taking Action:

All Voting is Local Action – Arizona,  League of Women Voters AZ

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 #ArizonaNews #ProofofCitizenship #VoterRegistration

The post Arizona’s DMV Error May Force Nearly 200,000 Already Registered Voters to Bring In Citizenship Documents – or Be Dropped appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 3, 2025

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

Last month, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas reintroduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act, mandating proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, and requiring only certain types of ID be used. Millions of eligible voters may not have the documents it requires – AND it’s been fast tracked in Congress.

With federal law already prohibiting noncitizen voting, and no evidence of widespread voting by noncitizens, the SAVE Act will likely do more harm than good.   A 2024 Brennan Center for Justice study found that 21 million Americans – 9% –  don’t have ready access to citizenship documents. 

Under the SAVE Act, only a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, Military ID, U.S. Passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers could be used to register and vote in federal elections, including mail-in voting.

CAL Fire estimates wildfires destroyed over 16,000 California homes, many containing residents’ birth certificates.  Elsewhere, the poor, young voters and college students, the elderly, and the disabled, may not have ready access to their documents.

The SAFE Act’s ID requirement also creates a financial barrier for some voters. New Hampshire, charges $60 for a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, and its $10.00 non-driver IDs are not compliant.  A first- time U.S. passport application costs $130.00. 

Votebeat reports that the SAVE Act’s inclusion in a House rules package makes it harder to amend or defeat.

We’ve linked the text and analysis at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Congress – H.R.8281 – SAVE Act
Democracy Docket – House Republicans to Prioritize Controversial SAVE Act in New Session
Center for American Progress – The SAVE Act Would Disenfranchise Millions of Citizens

Brennan Center for Justice – The SAVE Act would be one of the worst voting laws in congressional history.
State of New Hampshire – What you need to know regarding REAL ID
CAL Fire – The LA County fires devastated homes in the wildland urban interface. Here’s what that is
Voting Rights Lab – There Are Ways to Modernize Our Elections. The SAVE Act Isn’t One of Them.

Groups Taking Action:

America’s Voice, Campaign Legal Center, League of Women Voters, The Civics Center

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 #VotingRights #SAVEAct #VoterSuppression #USCongress

The post The SAVE Act Could Disenfranchise Millions of Voters.  It’s Been Fast Tracked in Congress. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.