Voting changes by US Republicans spark reaction from Justice Dept
3 years, 6 months ago

Voting changes by US Republicans spark reaction from Justice Dept

Al Jazeera  

Attorney General Merrick Garland promises to defend the ‘cornerstone of our democracy’ against challenges by Republican states. The United States Justice Department will review and challenge a series of new laws being proposed and passed by Republicans that would restrict voting rights in key US states, Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced. The new focus on federal enforcement of voting rights laws by Garland, the Biden administration’s top law enforcement official, comes as Republicans in Georgia, Florida, Arizona and Arkansas have passed new laws since the 2020 presidential election that critics say would make it harder for people to vote. Trump’s false claims are GOP’s catalyst Alleging widespread election fraud without evidence, former President Donald Trump had brought more than 40 lawsuits in key US states seeking to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. My team is currently suing to protect voting rights in 14 states.⚖️ Arizona Arkansas Florida Georgia Iowa Kansas Louisiana Michigan Montana New Hampshire North Carolina Pennsylvania Texas Wisconsin — Marc E. Elias June 8, 2021 Reinstating Trump?

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History of this topic

How the Supreme Court could reshape the 2024 race — again
2 months, 2 weeks ago

How the Supreme Court could reshape the 2024 race — again

Politico  

Heading into the court’s opening session on Monday, the justices have agreed to hear 40 cases this term. The Democratic National Committee and others have sued in state court over the election board’s moves, but legal experts say the issue could wind up at the Supreme Court either before or after the election. “If the election is very close — …

'Anxiety': Supreme Court watchers frantic about ability to 'tip the scales' in 2024 vote
3 months, 3 weeks ago

'Anxiety': Supreme Court watchers frantic about ability to 'tip the scales' in 2024 vote

Raw Story  

The U.S. Supreme Court has made voting rights advocates nervous about November's election with a recent decision changing registration rules in Arizona. The justices neglected to clarify in that ruling when they would take up election and voting cases, and experts fear the court will unevenly apply an ambiguous legal principle, known as Purcell, that's intended to minimize chaos by …

Arizona Republicans sue after Dem governor opens more voting locations
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Arizona Republicans sue after Dem governor opens more voting locations

Raw Story  

In 2023, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed two executive orders ahead of the 2024 election: One that allowed state government facilities to serve as voter registration sites, and the second made those same government facilities locations where individuals could vote in November. But as the 2024 election approaches, the Arizona state Republican Party is suing, the voting rights group Democracy …

'Loss for vote suppressing GOP': Judge dismisses Republican National Committee's lawsuit
5 months ago

'Loss for vote suppressing GOP': Judge dismisses Republican National Committee's lawsuit

Raw Story  

A federal judge in Nevada on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed in May by the Republican National Committee that sought to prevent the state from counting mail ballots received after Election Day. The lawsuit was filed by Trump’s reelection campaign, the Republican National Committee, the Nevada Republican Party and Nevada voter Donald Szymanski. Read also: Trump campaign sues Nevada, alleges …

Lawsuits over voting in multiple states create shadow war for the 2024 election
8 months ago

Lawsuits over voting in multiple states create shadow war for the 2024 election

LA Times  

A ballot is handed to a voter, far right, in Warren, Mich., in February. “He has said that this is something the RNC should do year-round.” Democrats and legal experts are warning about how the lawsuits might overwhelm election officials and undermine voter confidence in the balloting results. She said part of the reason for the flurry of lawsuits was …

A crush of lawsuits over voting in multiple states is creating a shadow war for the 2024 election
8 months ago

A crush of lawsuits over voting in multiple states is creating a shadow war for the 2024 election

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — As President Joe Biden and Donald Trump step up their campaigning in swing states, a quieter battle is taking place in the shadows of their White House rematch. In this election cycle, the RNC’s legal team has been involved in more than 80 lawsuits in 23 states, said Alvarez, the RNC spokesperson. She said part of the reason …

GOP leaders pursue new lawsuits over 2024 election rules – including attacking methods of voting they want supporters to use
8 months, 1 week ago

GOP leaders pursue new lawsuits over 2024 election rules – including attacking methods of voting they want supporters to use

CNN  

CNN — Republican leaders are encouraging their supporters to vote by mail in this year’s consequential presidential election, even as their party pursues lawsuits and legislation that would make it harder for those votes to count. But amid the legislative and legal attacks on early voting, the GOP’s leadership is nonetheless vowing a robust program to convince Republicans to turn …

Democratic lawmakers ask Justice Department to probe Tennessee’s voting rights restoration changes
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Democratic lawmakers ask Justice Department to probe Tennessee’s voting rights restoration changes

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A group of Democratic Tennessee lawmakers is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate how the state has further restricted the process for people with felony records to get their voting rights back. According to the letter, 22 Democratic lawmakers argue Tennessee’s elections office has stepped beyond what state law allows in requiring that people get …

Republican lawsuits challenge mail ballot deadlines. Could they upend voting across the country?
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Republican lawsuits challenge mail ballot deadlines. Could they upend voting across the country?

Associated Press  

Republicans are challenging extended mail ballot deadlines in at least two states in a legal maneuver that could have widespread implications for mail voting before the presidential election in November. “However, some states accept and count ballots days and days after Election Day, and we believe that practice is wrong.” RNC spokesperson Gates McGavick said the group hopes for a …

A federal court declines to revisit a ruling that could weaken the Voting Rights Act
10 months, 3 weeks ago

A federal court declines to revisit a ruling that could weaken the Voting Rights Act

NPR  

A federal court declines to revisit a ruling that could weaken the Voting Rights Act Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images A federal appeals court has denied a request to revisit a ruling that could undermine a key tool for enforcing the Voting Rights Act's protections against racial discrimination in the election process. It's the …

Supreme Court review of Trump ballot ban supported by successful Colorado plaintiffs
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Supreme Court review of Trump ballot ban supported by successful Colorado plaintiffs

Raw Story  

The plaintiffs who persuaded a majority of the Colorado Supreme Court to block former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot under a Civil War-era insurrection clause urged the U.S. Supreme Court to promptly weigh in on the case in a new filing. Attorneys for the plaintiffs, who are backed by the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in …

Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling striking Trump from ballot in full
1 year ago

Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling striking Trump from ballot in full

The Independent  

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Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss
1 year ago

Six Republicans in Nevada charged in fake elector scheme to overturn Trump’s loss

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford announced felony charges on Wednesday, marking another round …

Some Republicans still press for changes to further protect Georgia voting system amid criticism
1 year, 1 month ago

Some Republicans still press for changes to further protect Georgia voting system amid criticism

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Some Republican lawmakers continued to press Wednesday for changes to protect Georgia’s voting system from security weaknesses, but a deputy to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused them of acting in bad faith and promoting lies that Georgia’s 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency last year published an advisory based …

'Ironclad': Legal expert says latest effort to throw Trump off ballot is strongest yet
1 year, 3 months ago

'Ironclad': Legal expert says latest effort to throw Trump off ballot is strongest yet

Raw Story  

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump's candidacy on the 2024 ballot in Colorado using the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. "This is the strongest of the suits filed to compel of state to apply the 14th Amendment’s Disqualification Clause to Trump," Tribe wrote. “Spending 19 years as a state legislator and serving in …

Legal fights over voting districts could play role in control of Congress for 2024
1 year, 3 months ago

Legal fights over voting districts could play role in control of Congress for 2024

Associated Press  

Democrats got a potential boost for the 2024 congressional elections as courts in Alabama and Florida ruled recently that Republican-led legislatures had unfairly diluted the voting power of Black residents. Another trial alleging racial violations in voting districts got underway Tuesday in Georgia, where Democrats also hope to make gains, while voting rights advocates in Ohio decided to drop a …

"Necessary to defend our republic": Republicans sue to keep Trump off ballot in battleground state
1 year, 3 months ago

"Necessary to defend our republic": Republicans sue to keep Trump off ballot in battleground state

Salon  

Washington-based ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of a small group of voters — including former elected Republican officeholders — aiming to keep former President Donald Trump off of Colorado's 2024 ballot. The lawsuit "is necessary to defend our republic both today and in the future," CREW President Noah Bookbinder told ABC News. …

Supreme Court to hear case on state authority over elections
2 years, 5 months ago

Supreme Court to hear case on state authority over elections

Associated Press  

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a case that could dramatically change the way elections for Congress and the presidency are conducted by handing more power to state legislatures and blocking state courts from reviewing challenges to the procedures and results. Taken to its extreme, it would be a radical reworking of our system of running elections.” …

Montana judge temporarily blocks new election laws
2 years, 8 months ago

Montana judge temporarily blocks new election laws

Associated Press  

— A Montana judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked four laws passed by the 2021 Legislature that the state Democratic Party, tribal organizations and youth groups argued were meant to make it more difficult for Native Americans, new voters, the elderly and those with disabilities to vote. District Court Judge Michael Moses ruled the laws that eliminated election day voter registration, …

Judge to toss Arkansas redistricting case unless DOJ joins
2 years, 10 months ago

Judge to toss Arkansas redistricting case unless DOJ joins

Associated Press  

— A federal judge said Thursday he’s dismissing a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ new state House districts as diluting the influence of Black voters, unless the Justice Department joins the case as a plaintiff. U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky said there’s “a strong merits case that at least some of the challenged districts” in the lawsuit by two groups violate the …

Lawsuit says new majority Latino district in WA a ‘facade’
2 years, 11 months ago

Lawsuit says new majority Latino district in WA a ‘facade’

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — A Latino civil rights organization and others filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday that says new political maps in Washington state approved by a bipartisan redistricting panel intentionally dilute Hispanic voters’ influence. But the lawsuit filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and others says the new voting area is a “facade” of a majority-minority district …

The Justice Department is suing Texas over the state's redistricting plans
3 years ago

The Justice Department is suing Texas over the state's redistricting plans

NPR  

The Justice Department is suing Texas over the state's redistricting plans Enlarge this image toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas over the state's redistricting plans for Texas' congressional delegation and the state legislature, alleging that they put minority voters at a disadvantage. The lawsuit filed by the department in the Western …

The Biden administration is suing Texas over its new voting law
3 years, 1 month ago

The Biden administration is suing Texas over its new voting law

NPR  

The Biden administration is suing Texas over its new voting law Enlarge this image toggle caption Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images The Biden administration is suing Texas over the state's restrictive voting law that was signed into law in September and is set to got into effect Dec. 2. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in a …

Lawsuits begin as Texas GOP voting bill fight moves to court
3 years, 3 months ago

Lawsuits begin as Texas GOP voting bill fight moves to court

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Opponents of a sweeping Republican elections overhaul in Texas sued Gov. Two lawsuits, filed in separate federal courts in Texas, are believed to be the first to challenge the far-reaching measure known as Senate Bill 1, which the Legislature approved this week after Democrats ended months of protests over changes that include new limits on voting hours …

Republicans approve attempt to intervene in redistricting
3 years, 4 months ago

Republicans approve attempt to intervene in redistricting

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Republican legislative leaders voted Tuesday to hire attorneys and attempt to intervene in a federal lawsuit brought by Democrats that seeks to throw out the state’s current congressional and legislative district boundaries and not have them be the basis for drawing new maps. The Legislature’s GOP-controlled Joint Committee on Legislative Organization voted 6-4, with all Republicans in …

Conservative high court upholds state voting restrictions
3 years, 5 months ago

Conservative high court upholds state voting restrictions

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Flexing its new strength, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Thursday cut back on a landmark voting rights law in a decision likely to help Republican states fight challenges to voting restrictions they’ve put in place following last year’s elections. It was the high court’s second major decision in eight years that civil rights groups and liberal dissenting …

Voting rights ruling increases pressure on Democrats to act
3 years, 5 months ago

Voting rights ruling increases pressure on Democrats to act

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats are facing renewed pressure to pass legislation that would protect voting rights after a Supreme Court ruling Thursday made it harder to challenge Republican efforts to limit ballot access in many states. A separate bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore sections of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court previously …

Justice Department suing Georgia over state’s new voting law
3 years, 5 months ago

Justice Department suing Georgia over state’s new voting law

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is suing Georgia over the state’s new election law, alleging Republican state lawmakers rushed through a sweeping overhaul with an intent to deny Black voters equal access to the ballot. The Biden administration’s move comes two weeks after Garland said his department would scrutinize new laws in Republican-controlled states that tighten voting rules. NAACP President …

In Suing Georgia, Justice Department Says State's New Voting Law Targets Black Voters
3 years, 5 months ago

In Suing Georgia, Justice Department Says State's New Voting Law Targets Black Voters

NPR  

In Suing Georgia, Justice Department Says State's New Voting Law Targets Black Voters Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday that the U.S. Justice Department is suing the state of Georgia over its new voting law, saying that the controversial measure is intended to restrict ballot …

US Justice Dept sues Georgia over restrictive state voting law
3 years, 5 months ago

US Justice Dept sues Georgia over restrictive state voting law

Al Jazeera  

Republicans in Arizona, Florida and Iowa have also adopted new voting restrictions; Pennsylvania and Texas may follow. The United States Justice Department is filing a lawsuit challenging a new restrictive election law in the US state of Georgia on civil rights grounds, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday. The US lawsuit against Georgia is being handled by the Justice …

Justice Department will review restrictive GOP voting laws
3 years, 6 months ago

Justice Department will review restrictive GOP voting laws

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will scrutinize a wave of new laws in Republican-controlled states that tighten voting rules, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, vowing to take action on any violations of federal law. He announced plans to double staffing within the department’s civil rights division and said the department would send guidance to states about election-related activity, including …

Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland vows to fight new GOP-led state voting laws
3 years, 6 months ago

Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland vows to fight new GOP-led state voting laws

LA Times  

Gen. Merrick Garland on Friday vowed that the Justice Department would fight voting restrictions and controversial audits pushed by Republican state legislatures in response to former President Trump’s falsehood-filled campaign challenging the results of the 2020 election. In response to legislative action and election audits, Garland said he was doubling the size of an office in the department’s Civil Rights …

Lawsuit challenges new Arkansas voting restrictions
3 years, 7 months ago

Lawsuit challenges new Arkansas voting restrictions

Associated Press  

— Two groups are asking an Arkansas judge to strike down several voting restrictions enacted this year that they say are unconstitutional and will disenfranchise the state’s voters. The League of Women Voters of Arkansas and Arkansas United filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the four election measures approved by the Republican Legislature and governor. An historic number of voting restrictions …

Groups file second lawsuit challenging new Georgia voting law
3 years, 8 months ago

Groups file second lawsuit challenging new Georgia voting law

CNN  

CNN — Several civil rights and voting rights groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the Georgia’s new voting law, which was signed last week by Republican Gov. The suit – filed by the Georgia NAACP, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, League of Women Voters of Georgia, GALEO Latino Community Development Fund, Common Cause and the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe …

Supreme Court likely to uphold Arizona voting restrictions
3 years, 9 months ago

Supreme Court likely to uphold Arizona voting restrictions

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to uphold voting restrictions in Arizona in a key case that could make it harder to challenge a raft of other voting measures Republicans have proposed following last year’s elections. Kavanaugh said the recommendation seemed to be the sort of “circumstance that puts a thumb on the scale in favor of the …

US Supreme Court justices finish arguments in voting rights case
3 years, 9 months ago

US Supreme Court justices finish arguments in voting rights case

Al Jazeera  

In the wake of Trump’s 2020 election loss, Republican officials are proposing new measures to restrict voting access. US Supreme Court justices on Tuesday asked tough questions of lawyers arguing over the legality of two Republican-backed voting restrictions in Arizona in a case that could further weaken the Voting Rights Act, a landmark 1965 federal law that bars racial discrimination …

The battle over voting restrictions is playing out nationwide. Arizona Republicans are leading the way
3 years, 9 months ago

The battle over voting restrictions is playing out nationwide. Arizona Republicans are leading the way

LA Times  

Trump supporters demand a recount outside the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office in Phoenix on Nov. 7. “They all add up to changing our election system in substantial ways to basically respond to the ‘Big Lie’” — that last year’s presidential election was stolen from former President Trump. “There are legitimate concerns,” said GOP state Rep. John Kavanagh, chair of the …

‘A new movement': Trump’s false claims take hold in states
4 years ago

‘A new movement': Trump’s false claims take hold in states

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — President Donald Trump’s campaign to subvert the will of voters and reverse his reelection loss to Democrat Joe Biden is taking hold among state and local Republicans even as it marches toward imminent failure — a demonstration of Trump’s power to bend the GOP to his will even as he leaves office. Dozens of state lawmakers, elected officials …

The Supreme Court’s Ultraconservatives Are Preparing a Radical Assault on American Democracy
54 years, 11 months ago

The Supreme Court’s Ultraconservatives Are Preparing a Radical Assault on American Democracy

Slate  

series is made possible by the support of Slate Plus members and readers like you. By a 4–4 vote, with Roberts joining the remaining liberals, the court refused to block a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that compelled the state to count mail-in ballots received by Nov. 6. A Pennsylvania statute requires mail-in ballots to be returned by 8 …

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