Friday, January 23

THIS WEEK

In many states, 2026 congressional maps are still up in the air
Minnesota rejects DOJ voter data demand that targets same-day registration
U.S. attorney pretender Lindsey Halligan leaves office after federal judges force her out

REDISTRICTING

In many states, 2026 congressional maps are still up in the air

We are barreling towards the 2026 election (or are even already “on the eve” of the election, if the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority is to be believed) but voters in a remarkable number of states are still facing uncertainty about which congressional district maps will be used.

After Missouri’s legislature passed a pro-GOP gerrymander at President Donald Trump’s behest, voters have fought to put the new congressional map to a statewide “veto referendum” — and they’re facing an all-out onslaught of obstacles from Republicans. We recently learned that the GOP spent nearly $2.9 million – an “astronomical” sum, according to a leading gerrymander opponent — just trying to stop voters from gathering signatures to hold the referendum. (It didn’t stop them.) Meanwhile, voters in Kansas City still have no idea which congressional map will be in place this year.

This month, federal judges rejected a GOP effort* to block California’s voter-approved redistricting plan for 2026, but the matter isn’t resolved yet. Republicans have appealed their loss to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In Virginia, Democrats are still working to pass new maps in response to mid-decade redistricting in other states – and they’re facing a very tight timeline to pull off their plan.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) is hoping his state will also join the fray and redistrict in response to pro-GOP gerrymanders elsewhere, but some key Democrats still aren’t on board.

In New York this week, a state court ordered* a redraw of Staten Island’s congressional district – a decision that will impact New York’s congressional maps for 2026. The court found that the current map dilutes the voting power of Black and Latino residents. It ordered the independent redistricting commission to redraw the district by Feb. 6.

And of course, we’re keeping a close eye on how congressional maps could change in Florida, Louisiana and Alabama later this year, when the Supreme Court is expected to kneecap the Voting Rights Act. That would make it harder for minority voters to challenge racially discriminatory maps. Read more about it here.

*An intervenor defendant in the California case, as well as voter plaintiffs in the New York case, are represented by the Elias Law Group (ELG). ELG firm chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket.

VOTER DATA

Minnesota rejects DOJ voter data demand that targets same-day registration

Minnesota election officials are pushing back on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s demand that they hand over unredacted records related to election-day voter registration and residency verification.

The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office refused the request, saying the DOJ failed to identify any legal authority allowing it to obtain the data – or evidence that Minnesota’s election policies are violating federal law.

It’s yet another front the federal government appears to be opening in its multi-pronged attack on Minnesota. Read more about the Minnesota demand here.

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FEDERAL COURTS

U.S. attorney pretender Lindsey Halligan gets the boot

This week, we bid farewell to Lindsey Halligan, who has ended her stint pretending to be interim U.S. attorney in eastern Virginia. Federal courts shoved the Trump appointee out the door after dismissing the political vengeance cases she had been unlawfully prosecuting and telling her to quit identifying as U.S. attorney.

A job listing for her old position was recently posted. You might assume anyone can apply, since Halligan was wholly unqualified. But this time, federal judges — not Trump — say they will choose the next U.S. attorney. DOJ leadership feels differently and has implied Trump will fire the judges’ appointee and select his own. Read more about Halligan’s departure here.

OPINION

Trump adds Walz and Frey to DOJ hit list

You may have caught Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on TV defending a federal investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, telling viewers that both officials have unlawfully pushed “criminals to go out on the street and impede ICE.”

But, as Marc wrote this week, Walz and Frey haven’t violated the law in their criticisms of ICE.

“Regardless of whether one agrees with the governor or mayor or approves of their language, such statements fall squarely within speech protected by the First Amendment,” Marc wrote. Read more here.

NEW EPISODE

The secret alliance fueling Trump

One year into Donald Trump’s second term, Marc exposes the collapse of democratic guardrails as big law firms, legacy media, corporate elites, and government institutions capitulate, collaborate, or stay silent while voting rights, elections, and the rule of law come under sustained attack. He explains how voter data lawsuits, political prosecutions, media capture, and institutional failure threaten free and fair elections — and why democracy’s survival now depends on grassroots activism, independent media, nonprofit legal organizations, state and local leaders, and a growing pro-democracy opposition movement. Watch on YouTube here.

What we’re doing

Tuesday, Jan. 27 is Help America Vote Day, officially designated by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission as an opportunity to encourage folks to sign up to be poll workers. I can’t think of anyone better suited to be poll workers than Democracy Docket readers – so please let this be your reminder to look up how to become a poll worker in your area. Elections don’t happen unless thousands of ordinary people across the country step up to help run the polls. And there’s no better way to cope with the stress of relentless election attacks than by getting involved in protecting elections in your own community. (If you sign up to be a poll worker, keep me posted on how it’s going! You can email me at [email protected].)