The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 5, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

If you ever need proof that your vote matters, consider a Minnesota House race decided by only 15 votes. Or was it?  Twenty-one absentee ballots are missing, and hanging in the balance are not only who wins the district, but who wins control of the Minnesota State House.

House District 54a serves greater Shakopee, a Minneapolis suburb in Scott County.   Minnesota Public Radio reports that after a recount November 21st, the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party’s Brad Tabke gained one vote and led by 15 votes over Republican challenger Aaron Paul.  Tabke was declared the winner. 

During the recount, however, secrecy envelopes for 21 absentee ballots which had been logged as received by election workers in October were unaccounted for.  County officials are still investigating, but don’t think the ballots from those envelopes were counted, and suspect they were accidentally bailed and later shredded sometime before election day.  

Partisan control of the Minnesota House is tied 67 to 67, and the outcome of the Tabke-Paul race has huge consequences for both sides.  November 29th, Paul contested the race in Scott County District Court, claiming county election officials violated Minnesota’s election law, and because of the irregularities, a new election should be conducted.

We have the court challenge and links to detailed local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.  We’re now posting on Bluesky Social @DemocracyMinute.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Minnesota Public Radio – Tabke wins Shakopee-area legislative race after recount, House control still unknown

CBS News Minnesota – Republicans file court challenge in close state House race after officials say 21 ballots likely thrown away
Minnesota Reformer – Commentary – The missing Shakopee ballots: What happened, what should have happened and what should happen now?
Minnesota Reformer – Republican Aaron Paul contests Shakopee House election result, requests special election
Scott County District Court via Election Law Blog – NOTICE OF ELECTION CONTEST UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTE§ 209.021 

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #MyVoteCounts #Minnesota #YourVoteCounts

The post Control of the Minnesota House May Come Down to a Race Decided by 15 votes – and 21 Missing Absentee Ballots  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 7, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

October 26th, a federal circuit court judge ordered Georgia’s redistricting maps to be redrawn to include majority-minority “opportunity districts” for Congress, state senate and state house.  Legislators appear to be manipulating the new maps, too.

Judge Steven Jones ordered one additional Congressional district be added to allow a realistic chance of minority voters electing the candidates of their choice under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Section 2.  He also required two additional opportunity state Senate districts and five additional state House districts.  

The new maps include those districts, but while it included a new majority-minority Congressional district, the legislature dismembered another majority Black district served by Black Congresswoman Lucy McBath.   A letter from the Georgia ACLU and other plaintiffs said:  “In sum: the Committee Plan operates a shell game, in which Black voters in the vote dilution area identified by the Court gain no new opportunities, and districts that the Court specifically struck down remain intact.”  

Democracy Docket reports that December 4th, the Georgia Senate approved the still-gerrymandered maps.  The new maps must be adopted by the legislature, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, and submitted to the courts for review by December 8th.  Whether Black Georgians get a fair shake is still up in the air.

We have more on Georgia’s gerrymandered maps and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Princeton Gerrymandering Project – Pre-Court Order Maps
Georgia Recorder – Federal judge strikes down Georgia’s political maps, sending lawmakers back to the drawing board
Associated Press – As Georgia looks to court-ordered redistricting, not only Republicans are in peril
Democracy Docket – Georgia Legislature Releases New, Still Gerrymandered Maps

ACLU/ACLU Georgia – Plaintiffs in Georgia Redistricting Lawsuit Offer Remedial State Legislative Maps
ACLU/ACLU Georgia – Letter to Legislators, RE:  Remedial State Legislative Map Proposals
Democracy Docket – Gerrymandered Maps Move Through Georgia Legislature

Groups Taking Action:
Alpha Phi Alpha , ACLU Georgia, Fair Districts Georgia

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMapsGeorgia #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering

The post After a Federal Court Mandate, Georgia Lawmakers Add Majority-Minority Districts – But Still Gerrymander the Maps appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 25, 2023

In Landmark Ruling, Alaska Supreme Court Rules that Gerrymandering is Unconstitutional
***Today’s Links now located below the script***

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Friday, April 21st that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, invalidating the 2022 maps drawn from a redistricting commission which had strayed from its constitutional intent to be nonpartisan. 

Alaska voters approved the 1998 constitutional amendment ballot measure creating a redistricting board by a 52% to 48% margin.  The new board was to be staffed by two members appointed by the governor, and one each by the House speaker, Senate president, and chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

After two previous cases striking down gerrymandered state house & senate voting districts and forcing court-ordered interim maps for the 2022 midterms, for this case, the state justices delved into the history and the intentions of the original law.  In the 144-page ruling, they concluded,  “We expressly recognize that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional under the Alaska Constitution.”  

The Anchorage Daily News quotes Scott Kendall, attorney and chief of staff to former Gov. Bill Walker, as saying, “This is an incredibly important case.  For the first time the Alaska Supreme Court has interpreted the equal protection doctrine to prohibit gerrymandering for partisan purposes. This decision will put vital sideboards on the redistricting process to prevent political abuse of the process in the future.”

The redistricting board was given 90 days to explain why the fairer court-ordered maps should not be used in 2032.

We have links to articles, the court’s decision, and groups taking action  at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Anchorage Daily News – Alaska Supreme Court, in landmark ruling, says partisan gerrymandering violates state constitution
Alaska Redistricting Board – 2022 May Interim Proclamation Regional and by-District Maps

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ALASKA – Decision in the matter of the 2021 Redistricting Cases
BallotPedia – Redistricting in Alaska
BallotPedia – Alaska Reapportionment Board, Measure 3 (1998)

Groups Taking Action:

Alaska Center, Native American Rights Fund, League of Women Voters AK, Alaska PIRG

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews

The post In Landmark Ruling, Alaska Supreme Court Rules that Gerrymandering is Unconstitutional appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 22, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – It’s primary election day in Wisconsin. What to know about the 2023 Supreme Court race and the expected voter turnout.
Wisconsin PBS – Wisconsin’s 2023 Supreme Court candidates and Brian Hagedorn
Wisconsin PBS – Wisconsin’s Assembly maps are more skewed than ever — what happens in 2023?
Wisconsin Public Radio – Wisconsin Supreme Court chooses maps drawn by Republicans in new redistricting decision
WKOW – GOP WEC commissioner says he won’t resign after boasting about lower voter turnout
– Retiring Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Roggensack endorses Waukesha Judge Jennifer Dorow

MyVoteWI – Election Day Voting Guidelines

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Wisconsin has been in the news a lot lately:  Gerrymandering, a misguided $2 million dollar review of  2020 election results, and admissions of racial voter suppression efforts in Milwaukee.  But no story is more important than its state supreme election with huge state and national implications.

February 21st, voters go to the polls for a statewide primary to replace a retiring conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.  The state’s high court currently has a 4-3 conservative majority, and two conservatives and two liberals are vying for the seat.  The top two winners in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, go forward to the April 4th general election.  

In addition to the state’s abortion laws and other hot-button issues, gerrymandering is also on the ballot.  While Democratic Governor Tony Evers won re-election in November by a 51%-48% margin, two thirds of all legislative seats went to Republicans due to extreme manipulations by the legislature of House & Senate voting districts.   The current state’s conservative high court endorsed those gerrymandered maps last April.   

The election could impact national politics as well.  Should a more liberal court order fair Congressional maps in Wisconsin, it could shift 2024 control of the U.S. House of Representatives, currently a razor-thin margin.  

We have links, and information on voting in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.  

The post Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Has Huge State & National Implications appeared first on American Democracy Minute.