A federal court dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit seeking access to Georgia’s unredacted voter registration data, because it filed the suit in the wrong district. The ruling marks the department's third loss in its unprecedented legal fight to obtain states’ voter rolls.
Friday, January 23
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Utah reviewed its voter rolls for noncitizens. It found one. Who never voted
- In a revelation that undercuts ([link removed] ) the GOP narrative of widespread noncitizen voting in elections, a Utah audit of over 2 million voter registrations found only one apparent noncitizen on the rolls — and they never even voted.
- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )
Court dismisses DOJ’s Georgia voter roll lawsuit … because it filed in the wrong district
- A federal court dismissed ([link removed] ) the DOJ’s lawsuit seeking access to Georgia’s unredacted voter registration data, because it filed the suit in the wrong district. The ruling marks the department's third straight loss in its unprecedented legal fight to obtain states’ voter rolls.
- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )
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Maryland Democrats introduce redistricting legislation to counter Trump gerrymanders
- Maryland Democrats are moving swiftly toward redrawing ([link removed] ) the state’s congressional map to counter GOP gerrymanders. The latest? House representatives just introduced a measure outlining a plan for new maps, and a committee is slated to hear the redistricting bill next Monday.
- Read more here >>> ([link removed] )
Houston, Texas voters face most confusing election of 2026
- Houstonians are facing ([link removed] ) a confusing situation: voting to fill a vacant congressional seat, only to return to the polls two weeks later to re-fill the same seat. And thanks to the GOP's new congressional gerrymander, the district will also have new boundaries and different voters.
- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )
Democrats, advocates probe DOGE coordination with election deniers as outrage grows
- Democrats and watchdogs are demanding ([link removed] ) answers after filings revealed DOGE worked with a group seeking to overturn election results. The group most loudly urging DOGE to use federal data on voter rolls — True the Vote — still won’t deny involvement.
- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )
Trump adds to the DOJ hit list
- President Donald Trump has added two more names to his hit list: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The Department of Justice is investigating the two leaders for conspiring to impede federal ICE agents. Since then, we have learned little about the details of the alleged conspiracy — no doubt, in part, because there wasn’t one, Marc writes ([link removed] ) .
- At this point, it is clear that Trump has contempt for the rule of law and little understanding of the Constitution. When he attacks the civil and constitutional rights of his opponents, he is acting out of malice born of ignorance.
- Read the latest from Marc >>> ([link removed] )
Coming up Monday
- Trial begins in a federal lawsuit ([link removed] ) challenging DeSoto County, Mississippi's electoral map. The plaintiffs allege the redistricting plan splits the Black community across different districts, diluting their voting power in a Section 2 violation of the Voting Rights Act. Candidates preferred by the Black community have rarely been elected to county office, and no Black candidate has been elected in at least 20 years.
- Learn more about the Mississippi case >>> ([link removed] )
AND NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S GOOD NEWS
New York orders redraw of GOP-held House seat
- A New York state court ordered ([link removed] ) an immediate redraw of the state’s 11th Congressional District after finding the current map illegally diluted the political power of Black and Latino voters — a ruling that could hand Democrats another House seat.
- The court barred the state from using the current district lines, after concluding that racially polarized voting and segregation on Staten Island left minority voters with “no fair opportunity” to influence elections. Importantly, the court grounded its decision in the New York State Constitution, reaffirming stronger, state-level protections against racial gerrymandering.
Trump-picked prosecutor forced out after courts intervene
- Lindsey Halligan, the Trump loyalist tapped to pursue his political enemies, stepped down ([link removed] ) as acting U.S. attorney for eastern Virginia after federal judges repeatedly ruled her appointment unlawful. Halligan — a former personal lawyer to Trump — brought high-profile cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James before judges concluded she was illegally installed in violation of vacancy laws, voiding the indictments.
Federal court severely limits Virginia’s felon disenfranchisement law
- A federal judge ruled ([link removed] ) that Virginia’s lifetime voting ban for people with certain felony convictions violates federal law, a landmark decision that could restore voting rights to hundreds of thousands of Virginians — especially Black residents.
Minnesota rejects DOJ bid to undermine same-day voter registration
- Minnesota election officials flatly denied ([link removed] ) a new DOJ demand for sensitive voter data tied to the state’s same-day registration and residency “vouching” system, calling it an unlawful federal intrusion into state election authority. The Secretary of State’s office refused to provide unredacted records, saying the DOJ — led in this effort by Harmeet Dhillon — failed to cite any legal basis or evidence that Minnesota’s long-standing practices violate federal law.
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