‘All-out assault on democracy’: What to know about Bondi’s ‘blackmail’ letter

• Hours after federal immigration officers killed a man in Minneapolis, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota, saying the state could “restore the rule of law” if it handed over its voter rolls to the federal government, among other steps. 
  
  
• State election officials and Democrats have condemned the demand as “blackmail and extortion.” One expert said it’s “laying the groundwork to try to interfere with the election.”
  
  
• Meanwhile, lawyers for Minnesota brought up the letter in a hearing for their lawsuit challenging the aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action in the state. They argued that Bondi’s “ransom note” undercuts the administration’s stated reasons for the ICE action. 

Lies, violence and the American state

• “The lies are no longer about shadowy figures wielding great power and influence. They are now targeting everyday citizens — people standing in their own communities, in front of their homes, protecting their neighbors,” Marc writes.

Trump announces plot to steal 2026 election 

• President Donald Trump is telling us exactly what he plans to do in the 2026 midterms — and almost no one is paying attention. Marc breaks down Trump’s most alarming recent statements: his regret over not seizing ballot boxes in 2020, his suggestion that we “shouldn’t even have elections,” and his public vow to prosecute political opponents. These are not jokes. They are warnings.

A win for Houston voters

• A Texas court added two additional days of early voting for the TX-18 special election runoff to fill the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s (D) seat after severe winter weather forced the closure of polls. Polls will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Thursday from 12-7 p.m.

Slower USPS pickups and postmarks could delay voter registrations, mail ballot applications, and actual votes

• What’s predicted to be the biggest challenge facing American voters? Mail voting. Local election officials across the country are already warning voters about the new USPS rule change that could put their votes at risk of going uncounted.

Republican legislators plan to pack yet another court that stands in their way

• Utah Republicans are battling the state Supreme Court over a gerrymandering ban, and their solution is to pack the courts with conservatives who’ll back them. While it’s an age-old strategy used by the right, Democrats should follow suit if they want to put up a fight, contributor Billy Corriher writes.

Coming up tomorrow

• A Kansas court will hear a lawsuit seeking to reverse the state’s recent elimination of its three-day grace period for accepting mailed ballots. (The motion is brought by Elias Law Group, of which Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias is the chair).

DEMOCRACY FOOTNOTES