Here Are the Leading Reforms to the Federal Judiciary

Here are some recent updates.

• The U.S. Supreme Court kept Miami's city commission districts — which a federal court ruled were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders — in place for the upcoming November 2023 elections. Litigation over the maps will continue.

• A federal judge declined to block parts of Georgia voter suppression law Senate Bill 202 that make it a felony for some individuals to help a voter return their absentee ballot and severely limit drop boxes. The provisions remain in place as litigation continues.

• Following an earlier court victory, an Iowa court confirmed counties can provide election materials — including registration forms, ballots and more — in languages other than English, saying that the state's "English-only" law does not apply to elections.

• A U.S. Election Assistance Commission report revealed that a total of 549,824 ballots — or 1.5% of all mail-in ballots cast — were rejected in the 2022 midterm elections. Delaware had the highest rejection rate of 13.2%, a jump from its 1.3% rejection rate in 2020.

• A lawsuit was filed in the Arizona Supreme Court seeking to decertify the 2022 Arizona general election. The plaintiffs allege that Maricopa County’s signature verification protocol resulted in the “inclusion of illegal votes in Maricopa County” and therefore “diluted” the strength of the plaintiffs’ votes.

• A judge signed off on a $100,000 consent bond agreement for John Eastman in Fulton County, Georgia setting the pretrial release conditions that he must meet. Eastman has until Friday to voluntarily surrender.

• Former President Donald Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond in Georgia and other pretrial release conditions that he must meet, including not intimidating witnesses. Trump has until Friday to voluntarily surrender at the Fulton County Jail.

• All amicus briefs have been submitted in a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding South Carolina's congressional map, which a federal district court previously struck down for being racially gerrymandered.

Here’s what to expect coming up.

• With the GOP primary debates kicking off tomorrow, we will be releasing our detailed guide on the candidates stances on democracy and voting rights tomorrow morning. Stay tuned tomorrow!