The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Jan. 5, 2026

We have state updates today, both with significant implications for voters.  Ohio replaced its independent election commission with an “election integrity” commission under the control of the Secretary of State.  A Utah judge will allow the legislature to appeal the state’s court-mandated congressional district map, which replaced the legislature’s unconstitutional map last year. 

The Ohio Capital Journal reports that a new commission overseeing elections took control January 1st from the Ohio Elections Commission, after legislators complained it was slow and ineffective.  It was historically bipartisan and independent from the executive branch.  But new may not mean better for voters.   

The just-formed Ohio Election Integrity Commission now reports to Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who in 2024 orchestrated a deceptive rewriting of a ballot initiative to ensure its defeat.   While the previous commission was chosen by a bipartisan panel, the new commission will be chosen by House and Senate leadership, and the chair appointed by the Secretary of State. 

The Utah News Dispatch reports that the state judge who struck down the legislature’s attempts to sidestep constitutional fair redistricting rules has allowed the legislature to appeal replacement fair maps to the Utah Supreme Court.  The state’s high court previously struck down attempts to neutralize the state’s independent redistricting commission.  The case will likely be expedited.

We’ve linked the local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:

Ohio Capital Journal – New Ohio Election Integrity Commission begins to take shape
Ohio Legislative Service Commission – Ohio Election Integrity Commission

American Democracy Minute – (2024) Polling Shows Ohio Voters Lean Toward Passing Citizen-Led Redistricting Commission Ballot Measure, Despite Disinformation from State Officials
American Democracy Minute – Utah Judge Rejects Legislature’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map, Choosing a Map Which Follows the State Constitution Instead
Utah News Dispatch – Utah redistricting: Judge allows Legislature to appeal one of her rulings to Utah Supreme Court 

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause OH,  League of Women Voters UT, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, Campaign Legal Center

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #Ohio #Utah #FrankLaRose #FairMaps #Gerrymandering #OHSecretaryofState

The post Ohio Election Oversight Becomes More Partisan on Jan. 1; Utah Judge Allows Legislature to Appeal Replacement Fair Congressional Map appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Nov. 7, 2025

Maine voters soundly defeated Question 1 November 4th, which would have made the state’s voter ID rules the most restrictive in the country, and tightened rules for voting by mail. It was pitched as an “election integrity” measure, despite almost non-existent voter fraud in Maine.

Had it passed, Question 1 would have narrowed Maine’s voter ID options, eliminating student IDs, tribal IDs and other currently acceptable documents, despite no evidence of abuse.  It would have also restricted how the state, which has the oldest median age in the country, voted by mail.  

About half of Maine’s voters used a mail-in ballot in 2024, and over 16,000 subscribe to an ongoing absentee voter list.  Question 1 would have eliminated the absentee list, and prohibited requesting an absentee application by phone.  It would also have prohibited third parties from delivering absentee ballot applications, including family members, and limited drop box locations to one per town. 

October polling showed 48% support, 49% opposing  and 3% undecided.  In the end, it wasn’t close, with only 36.3% voting yes, and 63.7% no.  

Governor Janet Mills said in a statement, “Maine has long had one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the nation, in good part due to safe absentee voting — and Maine people tonight have said they want to keep it that way.”

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (Sept) Restrictions for Mail-In Voting and Voter ID on the Ballot in Maine Nov. 4th Even Though Voter Fraud in Maine is Almost Nonexistent
Maine Secretary of State – Maine Citizen’s Guide to the Referendum Election
Maine Morning Star – Question 1 Changes to Maine election laws
League of Women Voters ME – Voter Suppression Referendum
Maine Morning Star – Mainers reject voter ID proposal, maintaining state voting laws
WGME – High voter turnout attributed to hot local races and key referendum questions

Groups Taking Action:

No on 1, Save Maine Absentee Voting, League of Women Voters ME, AFL-CIO, Disability Rights ME

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

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX 

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Maine #Question1 #VoterSuppression

The post Maine Voters Defeat Initiative to Further Limit Voter ID Options and Restrict Voting by Mail appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 22, 2025

In 2023, under pressure from election conspiracy activists, Texas and nine other red states left the multi-state cooperative called ERIC. which helped keep state voter rolls clean.  Two years later, local election officials are asking Texas state election officials for immediate fixes to its reportedly erratic home-grown voter registration system, called TEAM. 

Governor Greg Abbott signed SB1070 in June 2023, authorizing state officials to create a state-run “interstate voter registration crosscheck” system, which was integrated in an overhaul of a system used by election officials to collect and verify a voter’s registration information.   

Over two years later and on the eve of the TEAM system’s rollout, Votebeat Texas reports that four organizations representing Texas elections officials cited cited inconsistent system behavior, only intermittent and under-resourced support, and statewide training gaps. 

Just last month, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced agreements with nine states to share and compare voter registration data, in an effort to replace the Electronic Registration Information Center’s sophisticated data processing capability to identify voters who moved, died, or registered in more than one state.  

The Texas election officials said in their letter, “The current state of the TEAM rollout creates undue risk to voters and the integrity of election officials,” and urged action before November 4th.

We’ve linked to local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – States Are Leaving the ERIC Voter Registration Cross Referencing System.  Why?  Conspiracy Theories.  
American Democracy Minute – Texas Withdraws from ERIC, But the State Has Yet to Implement an Alternative to Keep Its Voter Lists Clean
Texas Tribune – Texas begins withdrawal from multistate partnership to clean voter rolls
LegisScan – Texas Senate Bill 1070
Texas Secretary of State – Texas signs agreements with nine states to strengthen election integrity

Votebeat Texas – Texas election officials ask state to halt rollout of updated TEAM voter registration system

Letter from Texas Election Officials – Collective Association TEAM Concerns

Groups Taking Action:

Campaign Legal Center, Brennan Center for Justice, League of Women Voters

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

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 #Texas #ElectionIntegrity #ConspiracyTheories #ElectionWorkers

The post Election Officials Urge Immediate Fixes to New Texas Voter Registration System, Part of the State’s Effort to Replace ERIC appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 9, 2025

We reported recently on a Maine ballot initiative pushing restrictions on voter ID and mail-in voting.  Then mysteriously on September 30th, 250 unmarked absentee ballots from Elsworth, Maine showed up in an Amazon package 40 miles away.  The plot thickens.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced at a press conference October 6th that both Maine authorities and the FBI were engaged in an investigation.  

Elsworth’s town clerk received two boxes of mail ballots September 30th, and notified the Secretary of State Elections Division that one box was missing 250 unmarked mail-in ballots, and that the box’s security tape had been altered.  Forty miles away, a Newburgh, Maine resident reported receiving an Amazon package which included her order and the missing 250 ballots.  The resident brought the ballots to the Newburgh town clerk, who notified the Elections Division at 8 AM, Oct. 1st.  The checks & balances in Maine’s election policies worked.

But that day, pictures of the resident’s beat up and retaped Amazon box surfaced on social media, with messages decrying Maine’s election integrity. The conservative Maine Wire news blog quoted the resident as saying, “I am greatly concerned for our state and its voting requirements.”  GOP legislators seized on the missing ballots as proof that Question 1 should be passed. 

Secretary of State Bellows remarked, “To any bad actor involved, you will be caught, and you will be punished.”  We’ve linked to the local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (Sept. 26) Restrictions for Mail-In Voting and Voter ID on the Ballot in Maine Nov. 4th Even Though Voter Fraud in Maine is Almost Nonexistent
Maine Public – 250 Ellsworth ballots reported missing the same day as alleged delivery to Newburgh woman
The Maine Wire – Maine Woman Discovers Hundreds of Election Ballots in Amazon Package as State Considers Voter ID
Maine Morning Star – Amid ongoing investigation into found ballots, Sec. Bellows underscores Maine election security
Snopes – Unpacking claim Maine resident found hundreds of ballots in Amazon package
CBS 13 – Sec. Bellows holds press conference to discuss security of absentee voting process 

Groups Taking Action:

No on 1, Save Maine Absentee Voting, League of Women Voters ME, AFL-CIO, Disability Rights ME

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

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 #Maine #Question1 #VoterID #250Ballots #ShennaBellows #VotebyMail

The post The Plot Thickens in Maine After 250 Missing Unmarked Mail Ballots Show Up on a Doorstep appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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
Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#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.