The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Aug. 26, 2025

Recent estimates put Mississippi’s Black population at around 37%.  Of Mississippi’s former and current 104 state supreme court justices, only four have been African American, including only one of nine sitting justices.  An August 19th ruling from a federal 5th Circuit district court may change that.  

Mississippi has three state supreme court voting districts and nine justices, with three justices elected from each district.  Of the Black justices who served, all were appointed by governors first, before being later re-elected.  In two of those districts, no African American justice has ever been elected or re-elected. 

Senior U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock considered the demographics, including the Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) and Black Voting Age Population (BVAP), and past supreme court race outcomes, and determined the current maps diluted Black voting power. She ruled the districts violated the Voting Rights Act Section 2 by splitting the state’s Delta region in two, a historically heavy concentration of Black voters. 

The legislature must now draw new districts, at least one with a chance for Black voters to elect the candidate of their choice.   In May, the legislature submitted new House and Senate districts after a 5th Circuit appeals panel found earlier maps, too, were violations.  As a result, special elections for 15 legislative seats are scheduled for November 4th. 

We have the Aug. 19th decision and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Mississippi Free Press – Court Approves Lawmakers’ Redrawn Mississippi Senate District Map
State of Mississippi Judiciary – Mississippi Supreme Court 
Mississippi Today – Federal judge rules Mississippi Supreme Court districts dilute Black vote, must be redrawn
North American Community Hub –  U.S. Census – Racial Make-Up of Mississippi
5th Circuit District Court via FindLaw – Decision in White v. Board of Elections
ACLU –  Federal Court Orders Mississippi Supreme Court District Lines Be Redrawn

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU MS, Southern Poverty Law Center

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RacialGerrymandering #FairMaps #Mississippi #VRA

The post Federal 5th District Court Rules Mississippi Must Redraw State Supreme Court Districts to Allow Black Voters to Elect a Candidate of Their Choice 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.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 13, 2024

Today’s Script

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

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We have updates on stories we’ve been following, including North Carolina’s  Supreme Court race & a power grab by its legislature, ranked choice voting in Alaska, and more charges in Wisconsin for Donald Trump’s fake elector scheme advisors.

We reported December 11th that a GOP state Supreme Court candidate who lost by 734 votes and failed in two recounts, asked the North Carolina Election Board to invalidate as many as 60,000 voters.  North Carolina Newsline reports that in a 3-2 vote Wednesday, the board rejected that request, though a court appeal is likely.

Also December 11th, the North Carolina legislature overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill designed to strip power from the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general.  In an attempt to retain GOP power before it loses its supermajority, the authority to appoint election board members was shifted to the state auditor, a Republican.  The attorney general was also stripped of any ability to bring suit against legislation proposed by the North Carolina legislature.

In Alaska, a recount of the attempted repeal of ranked choice voting and open primaries is complete.  The repeal failed by 743 votes – one-quarter of one percent.

In Wisconsin, 10 additional felony forgery charges were brought against Trump campaign advisors, attorney Jim Troupis, attorney Kenneth Chesebro, and election day director Mike Roman.

We have links to more on all these stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – After losing two recounts in State Supreme Court Race, North Carolina GOP Candidate Is Still Challenging the Eligibility of 60,000 Voters
NC Newsline – NC Board of Elections rejects GOP Supreme Court candidate’s efforts to throw out thousands of votes
Carolina Public Press – Holdout NC House reps get in line with GOP, override veto
American Democracy Minute – Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting and ‘Top 4’ Open Primaries Survive Repeal Referendum – By a Whisker
Alaska Public Media – The recount is over. Alaska will keep ranked choice voting.

PBS Newshour/AP – Trump lawyers and aide face additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors

Groups Taking Action
Democracy North Carolina, Alaskans for Better Elections, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (C.R.E.W.)

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 #Wisconsin #Alaska #North Carolina

The post Updates for State Stories We’ve Been Following in North Carolina, Alaska, and Wisconsin appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 25, 2023

Today’s Script

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

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Citing over 50 violations of the Wisconsin constitution, the newly-configured Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled December 22nd that the state’s legislative maps must be replaced before the 2024 election.

The state constitution stipulates that a voting district must be “contiguous” – not fragmented.  In its 4-3 ruling the court found at least 50 of 99 state assembly districts, and at least 20 of 33 state senate districts violated this mandate.  Portions of some districts were detached by one or more separate districts. The court directed the state legislature to draw new constitutional maps, and said it would hire consultants to draw the maps if the legislature did not comply.  

Wisconsin’s voting districts are considered by national redistricting experts to be some of the most partisan gerrymandered in the country, largely the work of former Governor Scott Walker, later rewarded with a post to the National Republican Redistricting Trust.  The extreme gerrymandering resulted in a 64 to 35 majority in the Wisconsin Assembly, and a 22 to 11 majority in the Senate, despite an evenly divided liberal and conservative electorate. 

New maps are not likely to change the majority in the assembly or senate due to the rural geography of much of the state.  It IS likely, however, to mitigate the threat of the artificial supermajority created by two decades of partisan map manipulation.  

Read the decision at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org, and happy holidays.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Wisconsin Supreme Court – Decision in Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
Wisconsin Examiner – Wisconsin Supreme Court rules state voting maps unconstitutional
Reuters – Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns Republican-drawn legislative maps
PBS Wisconsin – Zac Schultz on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordering new maps
American Redistricting Project – Wisconsin

Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Common Cause Wisconsin,  Represent.Us WI, Fair Elections Project 

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #WisconsinPolitics

The post Wisconsin Supreme Court Puts State Legislature’s Maps on Naughty List, Orders Legislature to Draw Constitutional Voting Districts appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for December 29, 2022

Listen!

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Democracy Docket – Looking Back at Voting Rights Litigation in 2022

Brennan Center for Justice – Voting Rights Litigation Tracker

All About Redistricting – Redistricting Cases
Voting Rights Lab – The State of State Election Law Since 2020

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

This week, we’re recapping 2022 democracy legislation around the U.S.  But also critical this year was action in the state and federal courts.

The most important case heard in 2022 won’t have an opinion until 2023: the  Moore v. Harper redistricting case.   This fringe interpretation of the U.S. Constitution would allow state legislatures ultimate power over elections, including access to the ballot, redistricting, and election rules.  A decision is expected in the summer of 2023.

State supreme courts in Ohio, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Kansas, Florida and elsewhere heard cases on gerrymandered voting districts, including racial gerrymanders.  In Ohio & North Carolina, where state constitutions require fair voting districts, the high courts consistently defended the constitution and struck down gerrymandering.   In Kansas, Arkansas & Florida, state courts affirmed gerrymandered maps designed to dilute black voting power.  

In Pennsylvania, court arguments continue over a partisan effort to keep undated mail-in ballots, which met all other criteria, from being counted.  For the 2022 midterms, tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians were disenfranchised as a result.  Implementation of mail-in ballots was ruled unconstitutional in Rhode Island.

In Arizona, South Dakota and Montana, the courts struck down attempts to limit Native American voting power.  In Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin, attempts to limit help for voters needing language, writing or other assistance were struck down under the Voting Rights Act. 

There’s always more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   For the American Democracy Minute.   I’m Brian Beihl.

The post <strong>Critical Democracy Court Cases in 2022</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.