Tuesday, August 26

Judge dismisses sweeping DOJ lawsuit against Maryland judges

A court dismissed a DOJ lawsuit against every federal district judge in Maryland. The judge, a Trump appointee, called the administration’s efforts to “smear and impugn” the judiciary, “unprecedented.” The lawsuit sought to overturn a court order blocking the government from immediately deporting certain people. The Trump administration appealed the ruling.

Pennsylvania must count undated mail-in ballots

In a huge win for voters, the 3rd Circuit upheld a lower court ruling that requires Pennsylvania to count undated or wrongly dated mail-in ballots, finding that a law rejecting these ballots was unconstitutional.

There were real wins for democracy this week — from Pennsylvania to Maryland to Utah.

Our newsroom tracks these victories and the fights still ahead with unapologetically pro-democracy reporting. Join the movement and fuel our work today.

In another big win, a Utah judge last night struck down the GOP’s gerrymandered congressional map. Utah voters demanded fairer maps and politicians must now deliver. It could lead Democrats to gain a seat in the U.S. House.

President Donald Trump has attempted to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — the first time in U.S. history a president has removed a sitting Federal Reserve board member. This unprecedented power grab shatters long-standing protections meant to keep the Fed independent from partisan politics.

Trump renewed his threat to send troops into Chicago, escalating his war on Democratic-led cities. Illinois leaders emphasized crime is down sharply this year and vowed to fight Trump every step of the way.
Gov. JD Pritzker (D) warned that Trump is “searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities, and end elections.”

A federal judge ruled that a Wisconsin judge must face criminal charges accusing her of interfering with U.S. immigration authorities during a courthouse arrest, rejecting her claim of immunity.

As Republicans work to rig the 2026 election, Democratic governors are key to winning the redistricting fight. With veto power over maps and the ability to appoint judges who impact their implementation, electing governors has never been more crucial, writes Democracy Docket guest author Meghan Meehan-Draper of the Democratic Governors Association.

At SCOTUS, the supplemental briefs are due for Louisiana and Black voters as requested by the Court. The briefs will focus on whether Louisiana's creation of a second majority Black district violates the Constitution. This important case could determine the fate of the Voting Rights Act. Oral argument is scheduled for October 15.
In Texas, a federal court will consider pro-voting advocates' request to schedule a preliminary injunction hearing as they prepare to challenge the state's new gerrymander. They are urging the court to move forward with a ruling on the existing state House and Senate maps since those maps are not impacted by mid-decade redistricting.
A hearing is scheduled over a motion by Fulton Co., Georgia Republicans to hold Democratic commissioners in contempt for refusing to appoint two election deniers to the board of elections. The GOPers are seeking fines up to $1,000 a day and up to 20 days of imprisonment.