June 2024 | American Democracy Minute

What Are ‘Open’, ‘Brokered’, and ‘Contested’ Party Conventions, and Could We See One This Summer?

June 30, 2024June 30, 2024

President Joe Biden’s poor performance at the first debate with Donald Trump precipitated conversations about nominating another candidate at the convention. Can that happen? And what’s the difference between an ‘open’, ‘brokered’ or ‘contested’ party nominating convention?

Federal 5th Circuit Refuses Challenge to ‘Private Right of Action’ – For Now. It’s the New Battleground to Dismantle the 1965 Voting Rights Act

June 27, 2024June 27, 2024

A 2023 decision in an Arkansas redistricting case found individual voters did not have a “private right of action” to challenge the maps. The State of Louisiana tried the same tactic in its chaotic gerrymandering case, but was refused on June 24th. It appears to be the latest legal strategy to dismantle the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The SCOTUS Majority is Bent on Dismantling the Voting Rights Act. Lacking Federal Protection, Pro-Democracy States are Enacting State VRAs

June 26, 2024June 26, 2024

We reported recently on the impact of Shelby County v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court majority’s decision invalidating Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Anticipating even more erosion of the VRA, some states have passed their own state VRAs.

Eleven Years After Shelby County v. Holder, Unfettered Anti-Voter Legislatures are Stripping Voting Rights at an Alarming Rate

June 25, 2024June 26, 2024

June 25th is the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s infamous Shelby County v. Holder decision. It stripped federal oversight of states with a history of discrimination from the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Since then, over 100 restrictive voting bills have been passed by state legislatures.

Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel ‘Free Speech’ Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting

June 24, 2024June 24, 2024

Last year we reported on accusations of a pastor using his Alaskan church to funnel money to an anti-ranked choice voting group. Most fines levied by the State of Alaska for not fully disclosing the donation were upheld last week, and a separate case challenging the repeal initiative it supported will be heard this week.