John,

Here are some democracy updates from the last few days you may have missed.

Sen. Warnock Calls on Senate to Reform Filibuster to Pass Voting Rights
Yesterday, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) took to the Senate floor and called on the Senate to take immediate action on voting rights legislation. While he acknowledged filibuster rules pose an obstacle, he noted the Senate made an exception just last week to raise the debt ceiling — could voting rights be next? We outline the options for reform in our piece, “Voting Rights vs. The Filibuster: The Options.” [link removed]

War on Drop Boxes in Georgia
Among the many onerous provisions included in the voter suppression bill Georgia passed on March 25 were restrictions on the use of absentee ballot drop boxes. During the 2020 election, drop boxes were used more frequently in Democratic-leaning parts of the state, like metro Atlanta. The bill, S.B. 202, will reduce the number of drop boxes in the core Atlanta counties from 111 to 23. [link removed]

As it turns out, Georgia Republicans aren’t content to merely restrict ballot boxes. Yesterday, President Pro Tempore Butch Miller (R) introduced a bill to ban the use of absentee ballot drop boxes entirely. While Miller argues that banning drop boxes will restore trust in the electoral process, experts note that drop boxes are a secure way for voters to submit ballots. Read the full alert here. [link removed]

Meanwhile, former senator David Perdue (R) filed a lawsuit in Georgia state court raising repeatedly debunked claims about absentee ballot fraud during the 2020 election. The lawsuit coincides with Perdue’s announcement that he will challenge incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in the Republican primary next year. Read more about Perdue’s lawsuit here. [link removed]

New Mexico Finalizes Congressional Districts While Connecticut Asks for More Time
Over the weekend, the New Mexico Legislature sent a redistricting plan for the state’s three congressional districts to the desk of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D). The proposal significantly overhauls the southern 2nd District represented by Rep. Yvette Herrell (R), boosting the Latino voting population substantially. The Legislature will continue to work on new state House and Senate maps in its special session this week. [link removed]

Over in New England, the Connecticut Supreme Court approved a request for more time from the Connecticut Reapportionment Commission. The Commission will now have until Dec. 21 to finalize a new map for the state’s five congressional districts. If it doesn’t manage to pass a plan in time, the Supreme Court will take over. [link removed]

Yet Another Redistricting Lawsuit in Texas
Yesterday, Texas House Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D) filed yet another lawsuit against the state’s new congressional map in federal court, the eighth case so far. The suit comes on the heels of a similar lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice last week. The complaint alleges that the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by reducing the Latino population in the 35th District. Read more about the case here and keep an eye on our cases page for more updates on Texas litigation. [link removed]

Can’t get enough news? You can always find more details about these updates on our Alerts page. [link removed]

Thanks for staying in the fight,
Team Democracy Docket




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