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

In Quest to Find Noncitizen Voters, DOJ Allegedly Violated State Privacy Laws Thousands of Times Using State Voter Portals, Says Whistleblower

September 21, 2026September 21, 2026

In its Holy Grail quest to find noncitizen voters, the U.S. Department of Justice allegedly violated state privacy laws by looking up voter information on state voter registration portals. A whistleblower report says thousands of voter records may have already been accessed.

With USPS Blocked from Mail-In Voter Verification, Pro-Democracy Groups Go to Court to Keep Armed Federal Agents Out of Polling Places

September 20, 2026September 20, 2026

After the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the U.S. Postal Service from conducting mail-in ballot citizenship verification, pro-voter groups have shifted their attention to keeping federal agents away from polling places. Trump administration officials have refused to rule out a presence, creating a potential voter suppression threat.

Texas Updates: State Supreme Court Blocks Galveston County Voting Map; 1.2 M Voter Registrations ‘Suspended’; 7 Noncitizen Voters Charged

September 17, 2026September 17, 2026

We have three updates from Texas today. The state supreme court blocked a Galveston County voting district map, created after the primary; 1.2 million unresponsive Texas voters had their registrations suspended; and seven noncitizens have been charged for illegally voting.

After a Bipartisan SCOTUS Majority Blocked the USPS Mail-In Voting Rules, What Do the Concurrence and Dissent Tell Us About What’s Next?

September 16, 2026September 16, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily block U.S. Postal Service rules governing mail-in voting for the midterms cited the government’s weak case, and the lack of time to implement the rules. It didn’t address its constitutionality. What do the concurrence and dissents tell us about what’s next?

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Block on Trump’s USPS Mail-In Ballot Rules for the Midterms, But Three Justices Leave Door Open for Future Litigation

September 15, 2026September 15, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7 to 2 September 14th to uphold a lower court, and stop implementation of restrictive new U.S. Postal Service mail-in ballot rules. But three justices signaled a reconsideration in the coming months.