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

Unsigned SCOTUS Alabama Order May Make Intentional Discrimination Even Harder to Prove and Easier for States to Ignore the Purcell Principle

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026

We recently reported that the U.S. Supreme Court’s majority greenlighted Alabama’s return to its 2003 congressional district map, twice struck down by a lower court as intentionally discriminatory. One election law expert calls it a “significant and very bad” decision.

U.S. Supreme Court Majority Greenlights Alabama’s 2023 Congressional Map, After a Lower Court Panel Said -Again- It Intentionally Discriminated

June 3, 2026June 3, 2026

May 26th, a federal district court ruled for the second time that the State of Alabama’s 2023 congressional district map was intentionally discriminatory. It said “Our re-examination in light of Callais yields the same conclusion.” June 2nd, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that decision.

Louisiana Legislature Eliminates One of Two Majority Black Congressional Districts, Flipping One to the GOP, After SCOTUS Callais Decision

June 2, 2026June 2, 2026

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a new congressional district map May 29th, eliminating one of two Black majority districts by adding nearby conservative White majority voters. It’s the latest Black majority district to fall after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Callais decision.

New Hampshire’s Proof of Citizenship Law Violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment as Undue Burden, Rules Federal District Judge

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

A federal judge ruled May 28th that New Hampshire’s 2024 proof of citizenship law intended to stop a microscopic noncitizen voting and voter fraud threat created a significant burden to eligible voters and violated the U.S. Constitution. It’s the first such law to be tested.

Federal Court Allows Trump Order Federalizing Mail-In Voting Rules to Proceed Because Voters Haven’t Been Harmed – Yet

May 31, 2026May 31, 2026

Because no voters had yet been harmed, a federal district court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order federalizing mail-in voting rules. The order is widely seen as unconstitutional.