The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 16, 2025

In April, a DC federal district court ruled President Donald Trump does not have constitutional authority to require proof of citizenship for federal elections.  June 13th, another federal court found Trump’s March 25th executive order would burden the states with implementing new systems, and would likely disenfranchise voters.

Read President Trump’s March 25th Executive Order on Elections

Nineteen state attorneys general filed suit in April in a Massachusetts federal court, arguing Trump’s executive order was unconstitutional because the Constitution grants power over elections to Congress and the states.  They also argued that the citizenship and other requirements created chaos, unreasonable deadlines and burdensome requirements, would keep their citizens from voting by mail, and illegally withheld federal election funding for noncompliance.    

Judge Denise Casper agreed, issuing a partial injunction, finding that states and Congress were responsible for elections, not the president, and that Congress had considered and rejected proof of citizenship for requesting the federal-only voter registration form, or UOCAVA overseas ballots.  Casper said the states proved it would be a burden for the states to implement, and could disenfranchise voters. For 13 of the 19 states which don’t currently offer ballot receipts, her order keeps the Trump administration from enforcement actions and withholding federal election funding. 

More cases challenging Trump’s executive  order are pending in other federal courts. 

We have the court opinions from both the April and June decisions at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The White House – PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
Brennan Center for Justice – The President’s Executive Order on Elections
US District Court in DC – (April Case) MEMORANDUM OPINION
American Democracy Minute – (April Case) Federal Judge Blocks Proof of Citizenship Provisions in Trump Executive Order on Elections
US District Court – (June Case) Complaint from 19 State Attorneys General
US District Court –  (June Case) ORDER OF PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
NPR – A 2nd judge halts more of Trump’s voting executive order

Groups Taking Action:

LULAC, League of Women Voters, NAACP, Asian Pacific American Advocates

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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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 #TrumpExecutiveOrders #FreedomtoVote #ProofofCitizenship

The post Second Federal Court Invalidates More of Trump’s Executive Order on Elections as Unconstitutional, Burdensome, and Likely to Disenfranchise appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

While corrosive democracy news from Washington continued this week, state news ranged from good in Delaware and Mississippi, mixed in North Carolina & Pennsylvania, to downright ugly in New Hampshire.

Voting Rights Lab reports the Delaware Senate advanced SB 2 and SB 3, constitutional amendments allowing 10 days of early voting and no-excuse absentee voting.  Legislative versions of both bills passed last year, but the Delaware Supreme Court found that the state constitution didn’t enable them.  The General Assembly must pass them again next year for them to be adopted.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Mississippi to redraw state senate districts for DeSoto County, which it found still violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act by diluting a majority Black section of the county, according to Mississippi Today.

State officials in North Carolina found fewer issues among the 5,000 military and overseas voters than state supreme court candidate Jefferson Griffin claimed, but the highly questionable post-election review of voter eligibility continues.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday appealed a federal court ruling directing county election officials to count otherwise eligible mail-in ballots without a date. 

The New Hampshire Senate advanced SB 213, which would require voters applying by mail for an absentee ballot to enclose a copy of their birth certificate, U.S. passport or naturalization papers, almost certainly disenfranchising otherwise eligible voters. 

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Delaware Assembly – SB 2  Constitutional Amendment instituting 10 days of early voting
Delaware Assembly – SB 3  Constitutional Amendment allowing no-excuse absentee votingMississippi Today – Court again orders Mississippi to redraw DeSoto County legislative districts with special elections looming

U.S. District Court (via Democracy Docket) – MOTION TO INTERVENE BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
WCNC – Undecided NC Supreme Court race hinges on only 1,675 ballots. Here’s who must act to have their vote count.
NH General Court – SB 213, a bill which requires the presentation of proof of identity, citizenship, age, and domicile when applying for an absentee ballot.

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause DE,  NAACP MS, ACLU PA, Democracy NC, Open Democracy Action

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

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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NHNews  #NorthCarolina #Delaware #Pennsylvania #Mississippi

The post The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:  Democracy Headlines from Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 16, 2025

A North Carolina Supreme Court candidate who lost by 734 votes and refused to concede got help from the state appeals and supreme courts in his partisan battle to invalidate as many as 65,000 voters. His case is now back in federal court.

April 4th, the North Carolina Appeals Court, on which Judge Jefferson Griffin currently sits, supported Griffin’s position that 60,000 voters were never properly registered, and that as many as 5,000 military and overseas voters didn’t supply ID when they registered to receive their special mail-in UOCAVA ballots.

April 11th, the North Carolina Supreme Court allowed the 60,000 voters to stand, but gave the approximately 5,000 military and overseas voters only 30 days to provide missing information or be disqualified, and a federal judge ordered that the race not be certified.  April 12th, the League of Women voters filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of those military and overseas voters.  Griffin’s opponent, State Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs appealed in Federal District Court April 14th.  

In a blistering dissent in the state supreme court decision, Justice Anita Earls wrote, “Some would call it stealing the election, others might call it a bloodless coup, but by whatever name, no amount of smoke and mirrors makes it legitimate.”

We’ve linked to more 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 – Appeals court rules in favor of GOP Supreme Court candidate Griffin’s election challenge
WRAL – NC Supreme Court votes to throw out some, but not all, ballots contested in 2024 race for seat on court       
NC Supreme Court  – Order in Griffin v. NC Board of Elections
U.S. District Court (via Democracy Docket) – League of Women Voters NC class action lawsuit on behalf of 5,000 UOCAVA mail-in ballot military and overseas voters. 

NC Newsline – NC Supreme Court update: Riggs rallies supporters, overseas voters file new lawsuit

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters NC, Protect Democracy, VoteVets 

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

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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NorthCaroliona #NCSupremeCourtRace

The post Partisan Saga of North Carolina’s 2024 Supreme Court Race Now Returns to Federal Court.  5,000 Military & Overseas Ballots at Risk of Invalidation appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

Today’s Script

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

We recently reported on presidential orders, including executive orders, and how they’re used.  Executive orders can also be used to revoke previous orders, and among President Donald Trump’s day-one orders was removing a policy of the federal government to promote access to voting.

Trump’s executive order, entitled “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” terminated 78 of President Joe Biden’s orders, including Order 14019 from March 7, 2021, setting a policy for the federal government to promote access to voting.

Biden’s order, as noted on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website, QUOTE “Directed all federal agencies to ‘consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.”   This included ensuring equal access for voters with disabilities and non English-speaking Americans.  It ensured voting opportunities for active duty military and overseas citizens, and established a federal ballot tracking system to assist those voters.   

It created a federal working group to protect voting access for Native American voters, and it allowed time off for federal employees to vote and to serve as poll workers.   Importantly, it supported modernization of the Vote.gov website.   Although not included in day-one orders, Trump has also pledged to limit voting to election day only.  

We have more on Trump’s day-one executive orders at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
The White House – INITIAL RESCISSIONS OF HARMFUL EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND ACTIONS, Jan. 20, 2025
Federal Register – (2021)  Executive Order 14019 of March 7, 2021

NPR – (2024) Republicans are turning Biden’s voter registration order into a partisan flash point

VOX – The Trump executive orders that threaten democracy
Washington Post – (Paywall likely) Here are the executive actions and orders Trump signed on Day 1

Groups Taking Action:

Native American Rights Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, League of Women Voters US

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

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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ExecutiveOrders #VoterRegistration #NativeVote

The post Executive Orders Can Also Terminate Previous Orders; One of Trump’s Day-1 Orders Ended a Federal Policy to Promote Voting appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 12, 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.

After two recounts, an incumbent North Carolina Supreme Court justice was declared the winner by 734 votes, with 5.5 million ballots cast.  Her GOP challenger now claims 60,000 of those voters were ineligible.

Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs was declared the winner over Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin December 10th, after a machine recount in November didn’t change the margin’s percentage.  Tuesday’s partial hand recount sampling found no evidence to justify Griffin’s request for a full hand recount, according to North Carolina Newsline. 

Griffin has refused to concede the race, and in November appealed to the North Carolina Elections Board to invalidate as many as 60,000 voters.  Newsline reports that his challenge includes voters with felony convictions, despite North Carolina’s voting rights restoration after sentences and probation are completed.  He and the North Carolina GOP are also challenging voters with incomplete registration information, some of whom are even elected officials and have voted for years.  Mail ballots from military and overseas voters have been questioned as well.  

The state election board meets this week to consider the challenges. A spokesperson for the Riggs campaign said in a statement, “ This election has concluded, and the voters have issued a clear verdict in electing Justice Riggs.” 

We have links to even more on this story from local outlets at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Democracy Docket – As Recount Starts, North Carolina Supreme Court GOP Candidate Challenges 60K Ballots
NC Newsline – Supreme Court election protest ensnares voters of all stripes, including some elected officials
WCNC – Even after partial hand recount affirms incumbent Dem Justice Riggs won NC Supreme Court race, Republican challenger still not ready to concede
WRAL – Riggs’ lead grows after 2nd recount in NC Supreme Court race. Elections officials won’t order a third
NC Newsline – No third recount for GOP Judge Griffin as Democrats denounce his effort to throw out ballots

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

Please follow us on Facebook 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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NorthCarolina #SupremeCourt #VotingMatters 

The post After losing two recounts in State Supreme Court Race, North Carolina GOP Candidate Is Still Challenging the Eligibility of 60,000 Voters appeared first on American Democracy Minute.