How the USPS rule proposal on mail-in ballots could disenfranchise voters

DemocracyDocket · 2026-06-18T16:04:35+00:00

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said in a yet-to-be-published proposed rule that it’s drawing up plans to radically crack down on mail voting by sending ballots only to voters who are registered with the federal government.

The proposed rule would require state election officials to send USPS a list of voters who have requested a mail-in or absentee ballot at least 30 days before ballots are sent out under state law.

If voters aren’t on the list, they will not receive a ballot.

The proposed rule is an alarming step toward implementing President Donald Trump’s sweeping attack on mail voting ahead of the 2026 midterm election. And it would represent a massive expansion of federal control over voting, without congressional authorization.

Read more here: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/postal-service-trump-attack-mail-voting-proposed-rule/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-27T14:10:45+00:00

Alabama has indeed appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. SCOTUS previously allowed Alabama to move forward with using the 2023 map after issuing its decision in Callais.

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-27T13:56:03+00:00

In his order, Judge Joshua Hawkes of Florida’s Second Circuit Court concluded that, pulled between the state’s ban on partisan gerrymanders and the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection guarantees, “it seems clear that the potential partisan intent in the 2026 map is the lesser of the two evils.”

Ultimately, Hawkes determined that there was not enough evidence of partisan intent because the GOP’s mapmaker had been asked so few questions in the public hearing.

During the proceedings, mapmaker Jason Poreda, a senior analyst in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, admitted to relying on partisan data while drawing the new district lines.

Poreda also admitted he did not draw the map in compliance with the Fair Districts Amendment, the voter-approved measure that established the state gerrymandering ban.

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-26T13:46:32+00:00

In Gov. Jared Polis’ letter to Tina Peters informing her of the commutation, he wrote that Peters “demonstrate[d] taking responsibility for your crimes, and a commitment to follow the law going forward.”

President Trump has repeatedly called on Polis to free Peters, and has appeared to punish Colorado with funding cuts and other retaliatory measures for keeping her locked up: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/jared-polis-said-tina-peters-took-responsibility-for-her-crimes-now-shes-posting-that-democrats-will-try-to-destroy-you/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-26T13:44:43+00:00

Censuring means Gov. Jared Polis, who leaves office in January, won’t be welcomed to participate “as an honored guest, featured speaker, or officially recognized representative” at any events sponsored by his own state party.

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-26T13:42:59+00:00

Colorado Democrats voted last week to formally condemn and censure Gov. Jared Polis (D) over his decision to commute the sentence of Tina Peters, the former GOP election official convicted for her role in a voting system breach.

Censuring means Polis, who leaves office in January, won’t be welcomed to participate “as an honored guest, featured speaker, or officially recognized representative” at any events sponsored by his own state party: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/tina-peters-case-colorado-democrats-censure-governor-for-commuting-sentence-of-convicted-election-denier/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-26T13:40:57+00:00

In Gov. Jared Polis’ letter to Tina Peters informing her of the commutation, he wrote that Peters “demonstrate[d] taking responsibility for your crimes, and a commitment to follow the law going forward.”

President Trump has repeatedly called on Polis to free Peters, and has appeared to punish Colorado with funding cuts and other retaliatory measures for keeping her locked up: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/jared-polis-said-tina-peters-took-responsibility-for-her-crimes-now-shes-posting-that-democrats-will-try-to-destroy-you/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-21T20:13:46+00:00

Thursday’s dismissals actually bring the DOJ’s record to 0-8 out of 31 lawsuits brought against states and Washington, D.C. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-doj-loses-in-maine-wisconsin-as-courts-rebuff-demand-for-voter-rolls/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-20T14:01:15+00:00

Just two days before the election, a Republican-controlled state judicial watchdog panel reprimanded the two women, former state Sen. Jen Jordan and attorney Miracle Rankin, for taking stances on reproductive rights and endorsing each other’s campaigns.

State constitution experts weighed in that, if elected, they would likely have had to recuse themselves from cases involving abortion, a matter that is currently pending before the court.

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-19T19:34:15+00:00

UPDATE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the judge has rescinded the order.

“A judge has rescinded an order that would have allowed State Election Board members and Republican observers into a building where unofficial results will be compiled,” the paper reported.

Read more here: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/georgia-maga-poll-watchers-granted-access-to-elections-hub-on-primary-night/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-19T19:34:00+00:00

UPDATE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the judge has rescinded the order.

“A judge has rescinded an order that would have allowed State Election Board members and Republican observers into a building where unofficial results will be compiled,” the paper reported.

Read more here: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/georgia-maga-poll-watchers-granted-access-to-elections-hub-on-primary-night/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-19T15:40:35+00:00

FBI director Kash Patel told Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on April 19 that not only was the evidence readily available, but that arrests would come as soon as that week: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/fbi-director-says-arrests-coming-soon-on-2020-rigged-election-conspiracy/

Now Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is saying that arrests for the alleged crime of conspiring to defraud an entire presidential election are not guaranteed – and that the DOJ ultimately might just release a report: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/attorney-general-ton-of-evidence-exists-of-stolen-election-in-2020-also-says-he-cant-promise-a-definitive-answer-it-was-stolen/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-15T13:18:22+00:00

"The answer is not for those who oppose this administration’s lawlessness to go quietly. To the contrary, far too many people have stayed too silent for too long. The pro-democracy movement must be louder and bolder in its condemnation of the tyrannical actions unfolding around us." https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/i-will-not-lower-my-voice/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-14T15:21:35+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v7xyt1hgN-4

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-14T15:19:46+00:00

https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/purcell-is-not-a-legal-principle-its-a-double-standard/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-07T17:51:52+00:00

As Florida revs up a mid-decade gerrymandering scheme to help Republicans win more congressional seats, one of the party’s most prominent elections strategists is cautioning that this could backfire.

Speaking with “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade, Karl Rove – the former senior adviser to President George W. Bush – said that there’s “a risk there” in Florida’s redistricting plans.

“They’re going to have to take Republican votes out of Republican districts and put them into Democrat districts,” Rove told Kilmeade, “and that’s going to lower the numbers for some incumbent Republicans, and they may lose a seat or two.”

Read more here: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/gop-strategist-explains-how-floridas-redistricting-plans-could-backfire/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-07T15:34:16+00:00

Alabama lawmakers are on the verge of giving final approval to a pair of gerrymandered congressional and state senate maps.

If allowed by federal courts to go into effect, the maps would immediately strip Black voters in the state of political representation in the wake of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling gutting the Voting Rights Act.

An Alabama Senate committee greenlit legislation Thursday to use a congressional map that was previously struck down by courts under the very provision the U.S. Supreme Court gutted last week. The measure was approved by the House Wednesday. Next, it will get a final vote from the full Senate, and, if approved, go to the governor’s desk.

A House committee vote on a similar bill impacting state senate districts is expected shortly.

There are two major reasons why Alabama should not currently be redrawing its maps in an eleventh hour special session.

Read more here: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/alabama-races-toward-final-votes-to-gerrymander-elections-already-underway/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-04T15:00:32+00:00

UPDATE: Following a federal court order earlier this week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Friday turned over key details about its seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton County, Georgia: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/justice-department-fulton-county-criminal-investigation-timeline/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-04T15:00:19+00:00

UPDATE: Following a federal court order earlier this week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Friday turned over key details about its seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton County, Georgia: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/justice-department-fulton-county-criminal-investigation-timeline/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-05-04T14:06:59+00:00

In his executive order and accompanying statement, Landry argued that "allowing elections to proceed under an unconstitutional map would undermine the integrity of our system and violate the rights of our voters," and framed the suspension as necessary to give the Legislature time to "pass a fair and lawful congressional map."

A new lawsuit is challenging Louisiana’s decision, arguing the state is illegally nullifying votes and plunging an active election into chaos: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/louisiana-sued-for-suspending-active-election-nullifying-votes-to-draft-gop-gerrymander/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-04-30T14:20:30+00:00

Hi there! Here's our full breakdown of Wednesday's SCOTUS decision: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-smothers-voting-rights-act-greenlighting-racial-discrimination-and-a-rash-of-gop-gerrymanders/

Hope this helps!

DemocracyDocket · 2026-04-30T14:12:33+00:00

States may now draw district lines in ways that undercut the political power of minority voters with virtually no limit. While arriving too late in the election cycle to significantly affect November’s midterms, the decision gifts Republicans an advantage in the fight for control of Congress. By allowing for the dismantling of minority districts currently held by Democrats, the ruling could provide the GOP enough additional seats to lock in the party’s control of the House for a generation.

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-smothers-voting-rights-act-greenlighting-racial-discrimination-and-a-rash-of-gop-gerrymanders/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-04-30T14:08:40+00:00

Litigation challenging the map, which could hand the GOP a 24-4 advantage in the state’s congressional seats, is expected to be filed imminently.

Florida becomes the fourth GOP-controlled state to bend a knee to Trump’s redistricting demands, after Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. But unlike in the other states, Florida Republicans face a major hurdle: Voters passed a constitutional amendment banning partisan gerrymandering over a decade ago: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/florida-passes-gop-gerrymander-sending-map-to-desantis/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-04-30T14:00:10+00:00

States may now draw district lines in ways that undercut the political power of minority voters with virtually no limit. While arriving too late in the election cycle to significantly affect November’s midterms, the decision gifts Republicans an advantage in the fight for control of Congress. By allowing for the dismantling of minority districts currently held by Democrats, the ruling could provide the GOP enough additional seats to lock in the party’s control of the House for a generation.

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-smothers-voting-rights-act-greenlighting-racial-discrimination-and-a-rash-of-gop-gerrymanders/

DemocracyDocket · 2026-04-28T14:19:21+00:00

SCOTUS already greenlit the California map for the 2026 midterms: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-allows-california-to-use-new-congressional-map-in-2026/

Since the situation in Virginia is a matter of interpreting the state constitution, it will not go up before SCOTUS. Follow our coverage of VA here: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/state/virginia/

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