American Democracy Minute A 90 second radio news report & podcast on U.S. democracy issues %

DOJ Now Asks Washington State to ‘Segregate’ Ballots from Over 400 Alleged Noncitizens; SOS Says Timing is to ‘Cast Unfounded Suspicion’

October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

With Washington State’s ballots already in the mail, the U.S. Department of Justice is asking the state to “segregate” mail-in ballots from 405 registered voters that DOJ says have voted illegally. Unlike California, there’s no threat of a lawsuit – yet.

Ninth Circuit Panel Dismisses Demand for California to Set Aside Ballots for Flagged Voters on DOJ’s Purported Noncitizen Voter List

October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

A federal appeals court dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice demand October 26th that the State of California must set aside mail-in ballots for registered voters on a list of 20,000 purported noncitizens. The court cited multiple mistakes in DOJ’s case.

Voting Early Can Offer Flexibility, More Certainty, and Avoiding the Possible Intimidating Presence of Federal Agents and Poll Watchers on Election Day

October 26, 2026October 26, 2026

Availability of early voting has expanded since 2000, with 97% of the U.S. population now having access to early in-person voting or mail-in ballots. What are the advantages of voting early?

U.S. Supreme Court Reverses Lower Courts, Citing Proximity to the Election, to Allow NH to Ban Use of Student IDs for Voting

October 23, 2026October 25, 2026

In an unsigned order, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned two lower courts which had blocked enforcement of New Hampshire’s new law removing student IDs for voting. The decision cited the Purcell Principle, as changing rules too close to the election.

In a Dystopian Moment, U.S. Senators Call on U.S. DOJ to ‘Forgo any actions that would interfere with the lawful administration of the 2026 elections’

October 22, 2026October 22, 2026

In a dystopian moment, three U.S. senators have sent a letter to the U.S. attorney general asking for the Department of Justice to “reaffirm its election non-interference policy,” and, “forgo any actions that would interfere with the lawful administration of the 2026 elections.”