Friday, December 6

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JUDICIARY

Over 200 federal judges confirmed under Biden administration

President Joe Biden, with the help of Senate Democrats, installed several new federal judges in his remaining weeks as president, bringing the total number of judicial nominees confirmed under Biden to 223 judges. The outgoing president is roughly a dozen nominees away from surpassing President-elect Donald Trump’s record of 234 judges nominated during his first term.

Federal judgeships are lifetime appointments, and wield significant power in interpreting and determining the constitutionality of federal laws. Some civil rights advocates see Biden’s confirmations as an attempt to protect fundamental rights during the upcoming Trump administration.

Federal courts can also have a significant impact on voting and election-related policies. Over the past few years, Biden-appointed judges have primarily delivered wins for voting rights, while Trump appointees have mostly handed out losses for democracy. Read more on how federal courts have ruled in democracy-related cases.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hand recount underway in North Carolina Supreme Court race

In North Carolina’s ongoing Supreme Court race, incumbent Justice Allison Riggs (D) narrowly cinched a victory against GOP opponent Jefferson Griffin — but the race still isn’t quite over. 

Riggs’s win came after Griffin requested a machine recount, which statewide candidates are allowed to do if there are 10,000 votes or less between the first- and second-place candidates. At the time, Riggs led Griffin by 623 votes.

On Tuesday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) released the final numbers from the state’s 100 counties. The new total put Riggs ahead by 734 votes. 

While Riggs declared victory before the recount was finished, she released a statement Tuesday reiterating her success. “North Carolinian voters have spoken,” Riggs said, “and their votes have been counted and recounted.” With Riggs holding onto her seat, the court will maintain its 5-2 conservative majority.

Meanwhile, a hand recount is underway in certain counties due to a request from Griffin. The NCSBE said Tuesday that it would randomly select precincts to conduct hand counts, and if the results differ significantly enough from the machine recount results, then the board will order a statewide hand count. Read more about the recount here.

NEW LAWSUIT

Iowa sues Biden administration over ‘election integrity data’

The GOP-driven campaign against noncitizen voting seemed to die down after the general election. But a new lawsuit indicates some Republicans still plan to press the issue in court.

Iowa state officials sued the Biden administration Tuesday, alleging the federal government refused to provide them the citizenship status information of over 2,000 registered voters on the state’s voter rolls. The Republican state attorney general and secretary of state said they had sought “election integrity data” to confirm if there are noncitizens registered to vote in the state.

Iowa law requires anyone seeking a driver’s license or ID to provide proof of citizenship. The lawsuit alleges state officials identified more than 65,000 Iowans who registered to vote without a driver’s license or ID — thus making their citizenship status unverified. 

“The Biden-Harris Administration knows who the hundreds of noncitizens are on our voter rolls and has repeatedly refused to tell us who they are,” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement. “But the law is clear: voters must be American citizens. Together, with the Secretary of State, we will fight to maintain safe and secure elections that Iowans can count on.” Read more about the lawsuit and similar complaints brought this year by GOP-led states.

OPINION

Building the Opposition

When Biden took office after defeating Trump in 2020, “Republicans used that time fruitfully,” Marc Elias writes. “They built new ideological organizations, new campaign structures, new media outlets and new leaders.” Now, as we head towards January and an incoming Trump administration, Elias says “it is our turn to use this period productively.” Read more here.

NEW EPISODE

Alabama’s New Map Nets Second Democratic Congressman: Meet Rep. Shomari Figures

Representative-elect Shomari Figures is Alabama’s new congressman after litigation led to the creation of a second majority-Black district. Figures sits down with Marc Elias to discuss the ongoing fight for voting rights in Alabama, the people of his district and his plans for Congress. Watch on YouTube here.

What We’re Doing

Democracy Docket Staff Writer Crystal Hill is cracking open a new book on North Carolina, a battleground state with a fascinating and complex political history. Given the state’s significance, it’s imperative for people who write about the Tar Heel State to go deeper than the headlines. Christopher Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, does just that with his book released this year, “Anatomy of a Purple State”, a primer on North Carolina politics. Hill looks forward to sharing her takeaways.