Thursday, September 12

Interested in reaching over 200,000 Democracy Docket readers? We offer sponsorships in this newsletter as well as our weekly, On The Docket. Email [email protected] or learn more here to get started.

Trump campaign and RNC sue the DNC over noncitizen voting

• The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee (RNC) sued the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Nevada, accusing the state of not removing alleged noncitizens from voter rolls, despite no definitive evidence. This lawsuit is part of a broader narrative the GOP is pushing to sow doubt in the election.

RNC also files anti-voting lawsuits in Michigan and North Carolina

• The RNC and Michigan Republican Party sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) over what they allege is “incomplete” guidance from her office on how election clerks should verify absentee ballots. This is the RNC's 5th election lawsuit this cycle in Michigan.

  
  

• The RNC sued to block students and employees at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from using state-approved digital ID cards for voter identification.

New Hampshire governor signs voter suppression law

• New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed a bill requiring first-time voters to provide photo ID and citizenship documents — such as a birth certificate or passport — when registering. The law will not take effect until after the election.

THE SCOREBOARD

Since Jan. 1, 2023

Speaker Johnson cancels vote on spending bill which includes SAVE Act

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) canceled a vote on a temporary spending bill that included legislation to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, even though noncitizen voting is already a federal crime. President Joe Biden said he would have vetoed the bill.

Utah judge eliminates anti-voting November ballot initiative

• In a win for voters, a Utah judge voided a proposed state constitutional amendment allowing the GOP-controlled Legislature to repeal or alter voter-approved ballot measures — targeting anti-gerrymandering reforms voters passed in 2018.

Federal court delivers loss for Arkansas voters

• A federal court dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Arkansas' congressional districts harm Black voters after the U.S. Supreme Court heightened the standard for challenging racially discriminatory maps. The current map will remain in place.

Voting rights group seeks to defend Fulton County, Georgia voters

• The New Georgia Project Action Fund filed a motion to intervene in a right-wing lawsuit trying to examine the eligibility of every single voter in Fulton County, Georgia and remove "tens, if not hundreds of thousands of ineligible voters" before the election.

The latest on right-wing lawsuits in Arizona

• The Arizona Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state Republican Party chair that challenged Gov. Katie Hobbs' (D) executive orders expanding voter registration and ballot drop off locations in the battleground state.

  
  

• An Arizona Court held a hearing today in a lawsuit filed by right-wing group America First Policy Institute challenging the state's election procedures manual. The group claims that some provisions violate the 14th Amendment.

Florida’s highest court hears challenge to DeSantis’ congressional map

• The Florida Supreme Court heard oral argument in a lawsuit led by Black Voters Matter arguing that the state’s congressional map, drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), unconstitutionally diminishes Black voters’ power.

RFK Jr.’s ballot dispute could delay voting in multiple swing states

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. risked major ballot delays in swing states across the country in his attempts to remove his name from the ballot following his failed presidential campaign. In a new YouTube video, Marc explains how this will impact voters in Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin.