The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Nov. 13, 2025

In October, the Utah legislature proposed yet another gerrymandered Congressional map which violated state constitutional rules for redistricting.   Nov. 10th, the judge overseeing the case rejected the legislature’s map, choosing a constitutionally-compliant one instead.

Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson gave the legislature an opportunity to create a compliant map in September.  In October, the legislature and the Utah GOP proposed their Option C, which failed to follow criteria set out in Better Boundaries Proposition 4, a 2018 constitutional amendment approved by Utah voters.  

Proposition 4 established a citizen-led independent redistricting commission and set fair redistricting criteria.  After the citizen-led commission passed fair maps, the legislature passed legislation to neutralize the independent commission and passed its own gerrymandered maps, which the Utah Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 2024, sending it back to district court to remediate. 

Nov. 10th, Judge Gibson rejected Option C as not constitutionally compliant.  She also rejected the legislature’s SB 1011 attempting to override the Proposition 4 rules, writing that it, “violates the people’s fundamental right to alter or reform their government under the Utah Constitution.”  Gibson chose a congressional map drawn using the Proposition 4 criteria, submitted by the League of Women Voters Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government.  Barring further challenges, it will be in place for the 2026 midterm.
We have the decision linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (2024) Utah Voters Fought Back After Their Fair Voting Districts Constitutional Amendment was Gutted by an Anti-Voter Legislature.  They Won.
American Democracy Minute – After Losing in Court and at the Polls, Utah Legislature Approves Nov. Ballot Measure to Veto or Alter Citizen Ballot Measures to Protect Its Power
American Democracy Minute – Judge Orders Utah to Immediately Draw New Congressional Map, After the Legislature Circumvented the Voters – and the State Constitution
Utah News Dispatch – Redistricting ruling: Utah judge picks plaintiffs’ congressional map, blocks Legislature’s  

Groups Taking Action: 

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

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 #Utah #BetterBoundariesUT #Proposition4 #Utah #LWVUT  #FairMaps

The post Utah Judge Rejects Legislature’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map, Choosing a Map Which Follows the State Constitution Instead appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 23, 2025

The League of Women Voters reports that for decades, over 100 local League affiliates assisted new citizens with registering to vote immediately following their naturalization ceremony.   U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services just prohibited the League and other pro-voter groups from providing this service to new Americans.

In a policy advisory August 29th, USCIS says it will allow only governmental agencies to provide voter registration at naturalization ceremonies, which often occur on weekends or outside of business hours.   It discontinued the service because of the, QUOTE, “. . . administrative burden on USCIS to ensure that those nongovernmental organizations who provide voter registration services are nonpartisan.”

In a 2016 toolkit for running voter registration events, the League of Women Voters writes, “Many Leagues have worked for years to offer voter registration at naturalization ceremonies, with some Leagues reporting tens of thousands of new citizens registered as a result of their volunteers’ diligent work.” 

In a statement September 2nd, the League said, QUOTE “By shutting out the League and other civic partners, USCIS is making it harder for new citizens to register to vote, which is yet another intimidation tactic and attack on the immigrant community. Our democracy is stronger with the voices of new citizens.”

We’ve linked  the policy document, the League’s toolkit and more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

League of Women Voters – Naturalization Ceremony Voter Registration Toolkit
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – Policy Alert:  Voter Registration at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – New U.S. Citizens 
League of Women Voters – League of Women Voters Statement on USCIS Policy Restricting Voter Registration at Naturalization Ceremonies
New Jersey Monitor – Feds curtail push to register new citizens to vote, spurring voter suppression fears  

Groups Taking Action:,League of Women Voters US,  OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, Voto Latino 

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 #NewAmericans #NewCitizens #VoterSuppression #USCIS 

The post New Federal Policy Bans League of Women Voters and Other Pro-Voter Groups from Registering New Americans at Naturalization Ceremonies appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

In June, we told you about a South Carolina state supreme court case challenging the state constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering. The court ruled September 17th that manipulating voting districts for partisan power does NOT violate the state’s constitution. 

At the heart of the case is this constitutional provision:

“All elections shall be free and open, and every inhabitant of this State possessing the qualifications provided for in this Constitution shall have an equal right to elect officers and be elected to fill public office.” 

In a U.S. Supreme Court case over the same voting districts. Alexander vs. South Carolina NAACP, state legislators repeatedly said they gerrymandered for partisan, not racial, reasons when they moved 30,000 mostly Black voters into Congressional District 2, leaving adjacent districts more White and conservative. The League of Women Voters and ACLU sued in state court, trying to turn those admissions of partisan gerrymandering against the legislature. 

Not only did the state’s high court unanimously find that the gerrymandering of Congressional District 2 wasn’t a violation of the state constitution, it slammed the door on future partisan gerrymandering cases.  The majority wrote, “Therefore, we hold partisan gerrymandering claims present a nonjusticiable political question in South Carolina.”   

The League of Women Voters said the state judiciary had “failed to protect the foundations of representative democracy.” 

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – Is Partisan Gerrymandering Unconstitutional Under South Carolina’s Constitution?  A Pro-Voter Challenge Takes the Legislature to Task.
South Carolina Supreme Court – Opinion in League of Women Voters v. Alexander
South Carolina Daily Gazette – SC Supreme Court upholds voting map, throws out partisan gerrymandering claim
League of Women Voters – South Carolina Supreme Court Green-lights Partisan Gerrymandered Maps 
Independent Voters News – South Carolina Justices Say Politicians Can Keep Picking Their Voters

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters SC, ACLU SC

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 #SouthCarolina #RacialGerrymandering #PartisanGerrymandering #FairMaps 

The post South Carolina Supreme Court Decides ‘All elections shall be free and open’ Doesn’t Mean Partisan Gerrymandering is Unconstitutional appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

We reported September 9th that a Utah state district court ordered a new Congressional district map be drawn by September 25th.  Shortly after, the GOP-dominated Utah legislature asked for an emergency stay, which was denied by the Utah Supreme Court on September 15th.  The new fair map should be in place for the 2026 midterm.

In 2018, Utah voters approved Better Boundaries Proposition 4, establishing a commission independent from the legislature charged with creating fair, communities of interest-based maps for Congress, state legislature, and school districts.  Fair maps were drawn, but the legislature passed SB 200 to neutralize the commission and the legislature drew new gerrymandered maps, actions later ruled unconstitutional. 

In asking for the stay, the state legislature argued 3rd District Court Judge Dianna Gibson had abused the court’s discretion in striking down the 2021 Congressional map for not complying with Proposition 4, but then ordering a new map which only partially met Prop 4’s guidelines.   The Utah Supreme Court, however, found Judge Gibson has not abused her authority due to the timeline, and denied the stay.  

For now, the timeline for fair Utah Congressional maps will likely remain in place for the 2026 midterm election.  A full appeal by the legislature to the state supreme court will likely be heard in the coming months. 

We have the opinion and more at AmericanDemocracyminute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – Judge Orders Utah to Immediately Draw New Congressional Map, After the Legislature Circumvented the Voters – and the State Constitution
Utah News Dispatch – Anti-gerrymandering plaintiffs cite ‘irony’ in Utah lawmakers’ appeal to Utah Supreme Court
Utah Legislature – Emergency Petition for Extraordinary Relief in League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature
Utah Supreme Court – Emergency Stay Ruling in League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature
Utah News Dispatch – Utah Supreme Court denies Legislature’s petition to block ruling tossing out congressional map 

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters UT, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, Campaign Legal Center, Better Boundaries UT 

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 #Utah #FairMaps #LeagueofWomenVoters #UtahSupremeCourt

The post Effort by UT Legislature to Stop Court-Ordered Fair Congressional Map Before the 2026 Midterm Fails, as State Supreme Court Denies Stay appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

The U.S. Supreme Court said in 2019 that partisan gerrymandering was fundamentally a political issue, and left it to legislatures and state courts to decide.  In South Carolina, a state supreme court case heard June 24th challenges the state constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering.

At the heart of the case is this provision in the South Carolina state constitution:

“All elections shall be free and open, and every inhabitant of this State possessing the qualifications provided for in this Constitution shall have an equal right to elect officers and be elected to fill public office.” 

In another SCOTUS case, 2024’s Alexander vs. South Carolina NAACP, evidence showed state legislators repeatedly said they gerrymandered for partisan, not racial, reasons when they moved 30,000 mostly Black voters into Congressional District 2, leaving adjacent districts more White and conservative. Their admission of partisan gerrymandering is now being used against them.

The League of Women Voters and ACLU argue that the admitted partisan gerrymandering, QUOTE, “violated voters’ constitutional rights to ‘free and open’ elections that are protected “from all undue influence” and where voters exercise ‘equal influence’ over elections.” 

The groups asked that the map be in compliance with the state constitution. We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (2024) U.S. Supreme Court Finds South Carolina Gerrymandering Case ‘Bleaching’ Congressional District Not Racially Motivated
American Democracy Minute – (2024) The End of One South Carolina Gerrymandering Lawsuit and the Beginning of Another, as the Fight for Fair Maps Continues
League of Women Voters SC – Partisan Gerrymandering Case Reaches South Carolina Supreme Court
ACLU SC – S.C. lawmakers admit they drew Congressional maps for partisan gain. We say that violates the State Constitution. 
WCIV – ACLU gerrymandering case headed for oral arguments with SC Supreme Court Tuesday
The State – Republicans admit gerrymandering. SC Supreme Court weighs if that’s allowed 

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters SC, ACLU SC

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 #SouthCarolina #LWV #ACLU #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering

The post Is Partisan Gerrymandering Unconstitutional Under South Carolina’s Constitution?  A Pro-Voter Challenge Takes the Legislature to Task. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.