Trump’s DOJ is ordering states across the country to hand over an enormous amount of private voter data. To stop states from complying, voters and advocates are fighting back in court.
Maine, Nebraska voters fight to block release of registration data to DOJ
Texas officially walks back justification for redistricting in new filing
Arizona’s GOP-backed voter suppression laws will stay blocked
VOTER DATA
Maine, Nebraska voters fight to block release of registration data to DOJ
Voters and advocates are fighting back this week in Maine and Nebraska to block states from releasing confidential voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), part of a larger effort to push back on the DOJ’s demands for voter data across the country.
Common Cause and a Nebraska voter sued Monday to prevent the state from complying with the DOJ’s demand to turn over records, including every voter’s full name, date of birth, address, driver’s license and Social Security number.
In Maine, two voters filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by DOJ against the state over the issue, calling DOJ’s move a “radical” overreach into their personal privacy*.
Most state officials – Democrats and Republicans alike – are refusing to hand over their full voter rolls.
Texas officially walks back justification for redistricting in new filing
Texas Republicans this week officially renounced the rationale they used to justify their mid-decade redistricting effort – and at the same time, threw the DOJ under the bus in their latest court filing.
In July, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called a special session with redistricting on the agenda just two days after receiving a letter from Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon. In the letter, Dhillon urged the state to dismantle four majority-minority congressional districts that she claimed had been impermissibly created using race. Abbott cited the letter as the reason for the redraw.
But now, attempting to defend their map against a charge of racial gerrymandering, lawyers for Texas are telling the court* the DOJ letter was a “mistake”. They now claim Abbott was merely using the letter as “political cover” to conduct a redistricting driven by partisan, not racial, motives.
In other words, Texas has told the public one thing, and the court another.
We asked DOJ how they felt about Texas’ attempt to hang the department out to dry. They didn’t seem eager to talk about it. Read more about the Texas lawsuit here.
*Some of the Texas voters challenging the map are represented by the Elias Law Group, whose chair, Marc Elias, is the founder of Democracy Docket.
VOTING LAWS
Arizona’s GOP-backed voter suppression laws will stay blocked
Two Arizona voter suppression laws remain blocked* after a federal appeals court Monday decided not to rehear the case. A panel previously ruled the measures were unlawful.
One of the laws in question would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship (even if they registered using the federal registration form, which doesn’t require that proof). The other would require county election officials to cancel a voter’s registration if they have “reason to believe” the person isn’t a U.S. citizen.
*Plaintiffs are represented by the Elias Law Group, whose chair, Marc Elias, is the founder of Democracy Docket.
OPINION
Legacy Media Bows to Trump, But I Never Will
If you watched with growing horror as ABC fumbled its latest ethics test – with far more than just the future of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at stake – here’s some good news: Democracy Docket is a media organization you can trust.
“While this is a scary moment for our country, it’s also a call to action to stay in this fight and I’m a veteran soldier in the battle against Donald Trump,” Marc wrote, explaining that he’s met Trump on the (legal) battlefield and won, and he won’t hesitate to do it again.
Legacy media companies are bending a knee, but you can count on Democracy Docket to stand firm. Read more here.
NEW EPISODE
This Is Trump's Latest Attack On Free Speech
Marc explains why Trump is escalating his authoritarian crackdown on thought, dissent, media and organizations. Watch on YouTube here.
What We’re Doing
“The Sound of Music” (which turns 60 this year) is one of the greatest movies of all time, and unfortunately the story of a family escaping an authoritarian regime remains frighteningly relevant today. Democracy Docket opinion editor/producer Sabrina Jacobs recommends a rewatch if you haven’t seen it in awhile. Sabrina watched it as a kid, but this time it hit close to home, she said. The movie is far more than just a sing-a-long classic. It’s also a much-needed reminder of what resistance looks like. And it tells you exactly what to do if you see a Nazi flag.
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