As the GOP continues its gerrymandering and voter suppression crusade, Democrats are fighting back. Democratic legislators in Texas are bravely standing up for democracy. Several governors are working to counter Republicans by creating new maps of their own. Democratic Secretaries of State are protecting our voting data.
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August 12, 2025
As the GOP continues its gerrymandering and voter suppression crusade, Democrats are fighting back. Democratic legislators in Texas are bravely standing up for democracy. Several governors are working to counter Republicans by creating new maps of their own. Democratic Secretaries of State are protecting our voting data.
There’s a lot happening right now, and it’s hard to keep up and understand every attack on our democracy. That’s why I created Democracy Docket in 2020 and why each week, I answer your questions about what’s happening across the nation.
It is a scary time but staying informed and up-to-date is critical to protecting our democracy. So, please continue to engage with Democracy Dockets content in its newsletters, on its website or via its social media and YouTube channel.
Now let’s get into it.
Every Tuesday, Democracy Docket founder and top voting rights attorney Marc Elias answers members’ questions in a written Q&A — giving you insight into what the news really means.
Upgrade now for $10/month to get Marc’s full analysis, straight from your questions. ([link removed] )
Q: I think many people do not understand the threat of gerrymandering. Can you give a simple explanation?
— Sandra
A: When done fairly, the process of redistricting creates congressional districts that reflect the population and values of a community. When voters go to the polls on the first Tuesday in November, they are electing someone who represents the interests of the district.
Gerrymandering, however, flips this on its head and allows politicians to choose their voters. It drains competition from elections and breeds cynicism among the electorate. For example, under Texas’ proposed map, five seats currently held by Democrats are targeted to be redrawn to favor Republicans — the voters be damned. The map is so crazy that the parking lot of the state’s capitol building would literally be split into two different districts.
Sadly, these gerrymandered maps often accomplish their partisan goals at the expense of minority communities. That’s exactly what Republicans are doing in Texas, and we can’t let them get away with it.
Q: When you say voter data, what data do you mean exactly? Can you be as specific as possible?
— Bridgette
A: This is an important question. As you may have read, I have recently been sounding the alarm over the fact that the Department of Justice is demanding that states turn over our sensitive voter data.
When you register to vote, your application requires personal information, from your date of birth to your address to your social security number. Our voter files hold this information, along with which elections we voted in, our political affiliation if we registered with a specific party and in some states, even our race.
The question we must ask is why the Trump administration wants this information. Elections in this country are the responsibility of state and local officials, not the Department of Justice. With this voter data, the DOJ would have a long list of registered Democrats and their personal records. They could use this information to purge election rolls, create reasons to prevent eligible citizens from voting and potentially cast doubt on the results of elections.
There is no limit to what they can do with our voter data — and that is why brave secretaries of state must continue to protect this information, and why we must continue to speak out about these unconstitutional demands.
Q: Are there any legitimate legal actions that the Texas AG can take against the Democrats who left the state?
— Mary
A: After Texas Democrats in the state legislature left the state to prevent a vote on their rigged congressional map, Attorney General Ken Paxton called for the removal of 13 Democrats from office. As with Gov. Abbott’s similar lawsuit, Paxton can’t kick the Texas Democrats out of office by himself. So, he is asking the Texas Supreme Court to do his bidding.
Paxton has also filed lawsuits in Illinois and California, trying to enlist those states’ courts into his effort to arrest these brave legislators. While all these legal efforts should fail, Paxton is clearly choosing courts that he thinks are friendly to his arguments.
Q: What the F is going on w/ Raffensperger in Georgia and what effect could his turning have on their elections?
— Melissa
A: After the 2020 election, the legacy media was quick to call Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger a hero simply for refusing to commit crimes for Donald Trump. I never fell for his charms. In fact, several years ago, I wrote a piece entitled: Brad Raffensperger Is Just Another Republican Vote Suppressor.
Raffensperger has been a consistent opponent of expanding voting rights and an apologist for efforts to limit the franchise. He has prioritized voter purges, made legal arguments to make voting harder and undermined the Voting Rights Act.
His latest — and largest — voter purge in Georgia will certainly have an effect on the state’s elections. It will delay and inconvenience eligible voters who were kicked off the rolls — preventing some of them from voting at all.
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