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

VA Supreme Court Invalidates Redistricting Referendum for Not Following the Rules for Amendments. It Could Tilt Control of Congress.

May 10, 2026May 10, 2026

In a stunning decision May 8th, the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated the April redistricting referendum authorizing new congressional district maps. The court pointed to the state constitution’s requirement that amendments be approved twice over two terms of the legislature, not one, then by the voters.

Federal Judge Acknowledges ‘Problematic’ and ‘Troublesome’ Evidence for Warrant, But Still Denies Fulton County Return of Its Seized 2020 Ballots

May 7, 2026May 7, 2026

A federal district judge ruled May 6th that the FBI did not have to return Fulton County, Georgia’s 2020 ballots and election records. The ruling came after revelations that the search warrant used to seize the records was based on conspiracy theories and other misinformation.

Maryland Passed Its State Voting Rights Act 24 Hours Before the SCOTUS Callais Decision. Will State VRAs Replace the Federal Protections?

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026

Maryland became the 10th state to pass a state voting rights act on April 28th, just 24 hours before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down use of race-concious redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Will state VRA’s offer the same protections to minority voters that the high court’s conservative majority took away?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Redistricting Bill with Four More GOP Seats; Illinois and New York Contemplate a Response

May 5, 2026May 6, 2026

The gerrymandering arms race escalated further May 4th, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed congressional maps adding as many as four additional GOP seats. With the U.S. Supreme Court adding fuel to the fire with its Louisiana v. Callais decision, Illinois and New York may be contemplating a response.

Louisiana v. Callais Didn’t Just Affect VRA Section 2 Protections for Black Americans; Hispanic, Native, and Asian-American Districts are Impacted, Too.

May 4, 2026May 5, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court’s seismic April 29th decision that the Equal Protection Clause prohibits using race in redistricting decisions didn’t just affect African American communities in the South. It also eroded the chance for Hispanic, Native, Asian and other majority-minority communities to elect the candidate of their choice, too.