😃 Good: The SWIFT Act and POLL Act have been introduced to Congress as part of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — two bills designed to tackle one of the biggest barriers to voting — long lines. The SWIFT Act would give states funding to modernize voting technology, track and share real-time wait times, and train poll workers to keep lines moving. The POLL Act sets a clear national standard: no voter should wait more than 30 minutes to cast a ballot. This bill holds states accountable when they fail to meet it, compensating voters for long wait times and requiring states to devote necessary staff and resources to polling places. Together, these bills make voting faster, fairer, and more accessible.
😠 Bad: The Supreme Court has just scheduled oral arguments in a case that may strike Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits states from racial gerrymandering. Plaintiffs in Louisiana v. Callais, who refer to themselves as "non-African American voters," argue that Section 2 violates the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. The case is one of two that the Court may consider this year, which would effectively eliminate what remains of the Voting Rights Act. If the court sides with the plaintiffs, we could see more racist electoral maps that dilute the power of voters across the country.
😡 Ugly: In Texas, lawmakers are moving forward with a rare mid-decade redistricting effort. A special legislative session has been called in 2025 to redraw the state’s 38 U.S. House districts — outside of the usual once-a-decade cycle that follows the U.S. Census. The proposed map is expected to create up to five additional Republican-leaning districts, despite Democrats receiving roughly 45% of the statewide vote in recent elections.
This redistricting effort comes at a time when Texas is experiencing significant demographic shifts. The state's population growth has been largely driven by nonwhite communities, making it one of the most diverse states in the country. It can be argued that the proposed map does not adequately reflect these changes and would dilute the representation and voting power of growing communities of color.
