American Democracy Minute

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for April 2, 2026 Trump Issues Executive Order Attempting to Federalize Mail-In Voting Rules and Establish ‘State Citizenship List’.  It’s Beyond His Authority. President Trump issued an executive order March 31st attempting to impose strict federal mail-in voting rules.  The order ignores multiple recent court rulings making clear he d...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for April 1, 2026 New Jersey Assembly Advances ‘John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act.’ If Passed by the Senate and Signed, It Becomes the 10th State VRA The New Jersey Assembly advanced the “John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act” March 23rd on a 53 to 20 vote.  If passed by the senate and signed as expected, New Jersey would become the 10t...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 31, 2025 Elections Expert Testifies in DOJ Seizure of Fulton County, Georgia Ballots that Evidence Used to Justify the Warrant had ‘No Basis in Reality’   After the FBI seized hundreds of boxes of 2020 election records from  Fulton County, Georgia in January, county officials sued to get back their ballots.  Expert testimony i...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 30, 2026 California Sheriff Obtains Warrant from Judge He Endorsed, Then Seizes More than 650,000 Ballots for ‘Recount’ of 2024 Redistricting Referendum A California county sheriff running for governor obtained a warrant from an elected judge he endorsed, then seized over 1,000 boxes of ballots from last November’s Proposition...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 27, 2026 Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Legislature’s Mid-Decade Redistricting Authority, But a Pending Ballot Measure May Still Invalidate its Map The Missouri Supreme Court ruled March 24th that the state legislature did have the authority to redistrict mid-decade, and not just after the release of the decennial U.S. Census....

American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 26, 2026 President Ties Ending the Partial Government Shutdown to Passage of the SAVE America Act. The Draconian Voting Bill Still Doesn’t Have the Votes. March 22nd, President Donald Trump tied ending the partial government shutdown to passage of the GOP’s draconian voting bill, the Save America Act. It still doesn’t have the vot...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 25, 2026 The U.S. Supreme Court’s Conservative Majority Appears Likely to End to Ballot Grace Periods, Affecting Dozens of State Laws and Millions of Voters During oral arguments in Watson v. Republican National Committee on March 23rd, the U.S. Supreme Court’s majority appeared ready to end grace periods for mail-in ballots. ...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 24, 2026 A North Carolina State Primary Race Separated by 23 Votes is Likely to End Up in Court After a Second Recount A North Carolina state senate primary race separated by only 23 votes and marred by accusations of dirty tricks and dark money, will face a partial second recount.  Like last year’s state supreme court race, t...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 23, 2026 March 23rd, U.S. Supreme Court Hears Mississippi Case Which Could Impact Mail-in Ballots in 14 or More States The U.S. Supreme Court hears Watson v. Republican National Committee Monday, March 23rd. It’s  a Mississippi case determining whether the U.S. Constitution and federal law allow states to offer grace periods f...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 20, 2026 Since 2018, CISA Helped States Harden Elections From Foreign Interference by Iran and Others. In 2025 Its Workforce & Funding was Cut. In March 2025, President Trump’s DOGE team cut the career workforce of the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency, or CISA, by one third, including cyber threat intellige...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 19, 2026 A March 2026 Poll Shows an Erosion of Voter Confidence in Elections by Democrats, Republicans and Independents – But for Different Reasons A March 2026 poll suggests voter confidence that American elections will be conducted fairly and accurately has dropped 10% since October 2024.  But Republicans, Democrats and inde...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 18, 2026 Florida Legislature Passes State Version of the SAVE America Act. Its Proof of Citizenship & Voter ID Rules May Disenfranchise Thousands. The Florida legislature passed HB 991 March 12th, a state version of the federal SAVE America Act, now before the U.S. Senate.  Governor Ron DeSantis is likely to sign the bill,...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 17, 2026 Midterm Madness Week:  Could 2026 Midterm Ballots or Voting Machines be Seized by the Feds?  There are Concerning Signs. When asked in January about his 2020 threat of having the National Guard seize voting machines, President Trump told the New York Times, “Well, I should have.”  There are signs of such authoritarian...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 16 , 2026 Midterm Madness Week:  ICE at Polling Places?  The Administration Sends Mixed Messages; Some States are Advancing Laws to Limit or Prohibit It. In our Midterm Madness series, we’ve reported on federal rules prohibiting deployment of the U.S. military at the polls.  Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon also suggested ICE...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 13, 2026 Midterm Madness Week:  Could President Trump Deploy the U.S. Military or the National Guard at the Polls? In our recent Midterm Madness series, we’re discussing the tactics being proposed by the Trump administration and others to interfere in the 2026 midterm.  Recently, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon suggested the...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 12, 2026 Midterm Madness Week:  One-Third of Americans Used Mail-In Voting in 2024.  So Why is the Trump Administration Trying to End It?  In the 2024 election, mail-in ballots accounted for 30.3% of votes cast, with some states offering universal mail ballots, and others permanent absentee lists or no-excuse absentee.  So why...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 11, 2026 Midterm Madness Week: You May Be in a New Congressional District or Another Voting Precinct for the Midterm Election.  Know Before You Go. In last week’s Texas state primary, hundreds of voters were redirected, or worse, disenfranchised, due to polling location changes caused by party primary rule changes. Others had...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 10, 2026 Midterm Madness Week:  Planning Ahead Can Help Voters Lessen the Impact of the SAVE Act and Similar Voter Suppression Legislation Midterm Madness has started, and sadly, some federal and state officials are threatening tactics to interfere with the outcome of the November 3rd election.  Early preparation can ensure yo...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 9, 2026 Brian is gone today; this is a still timely rebroadcast from December 2025. Younger Voters Showed Up in 2025’s NY, VA & CA Elections, Says Recent Tufts CIRCLE Study Turnout of younger voters surged in last year's New York City mayoral race and the New Jersey and Virginia races for governor, according to a recent st...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 6, 2026 State Updates: VA Supreme Court OKs Ballot Measure - Again; FL & IA Advance Proof of Citizenship; DOJ Sues 5 More States for Voter Data We have state briefs today. Virginia’s Supreme Court stayed a lower court order and allowed a ballot measure authorizing mid-decade redistricting.  Florida and Iowa advanced proof...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 5, 2026 Conspiracy-Driven Change of Polling Place Rules and a Website Crash Causes Anger, Confusion and Disenfranchisement in Some Texas Counties The March 3rd Texas state primary was marred by anger, confusion and disenfranchisement, as voters simply tried to vote.  Changes to party primary rules, an election department websi...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 4, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court Issues Temporary Stay of NY Appeals Court Remedial Map Restoring Black & Latino Voting Power in NYC Congressional District March 2nd, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency temporary stay, blocking a New York appeals court opinion upholding a remedial map for a New York City congressional dis...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 3, 2026 An Activist-Proposed National Emergency Executive Order Would Trump State Election Law. Scholars Say It’s Unconstitutional. We reported yesterday on a recent election denier summit where a proposed presidential executive order declaring a national emergency was pushed.  Its intent is to exert federal control over the m...

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 2, 2026 Meeting of 2020 Trump Election Operatives Considers 2026 Litigation Strategies and Declaring a National Emergency to Interfere with the Midterms Operatives active in the effort to overturn the 2020 election reportedly gathered at a recent summit convened by former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.  Among t...

American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 27, 2026 In the State of the Union Address, President Trump Called for Passage of the ‘Stop Insider Trading Act’.  What Would it Do and is it Enough? During the State of the Union Address, President Trump called for passage of the H.R. 7008, the “Stop Insider Trading Act,” which brought rare bipartisan applause. Good government gro...