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Alaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who checked 'US citizen' box

Alaska drops voter misconduct cases against American Samoans who checked 'US citizen' box

Alaska prosecutors are dropping voter misconduct cases against a group of residents born in American Samoa after a state appeals court threw out felony charges against a woman who checked a box saying she was a U.S. citizen
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South Dakota Voter Notification Letters for Federal-Only Status Under Legal Scrutiny

South Dakota Voter Notification Letters for Federal-Only Status Under Legal Scrutiny

A federal judge is set to rule on whether South Dakota's Secretary of State is violating the U.S. Constitution through allegedly misleading notification letters sent to voters registered as "federal-only." The lawsuit, filed by the League of Women Voters and a Sioux Falls resident, challenges the state's implementation of a law signed by Governor Larry Rhoden in March, which requires proof of citizenship for new voter registrations. Voters who do not provide such documentation are registered as federal-only, meaning they can only vote in federal elections. The core of the dispute revolves around the content of the notification letters, which allegedly fail to accurately explain why a voter has been designated federal-only and how they can remedy their status, citing only mail-forwarding address issues even when citizenship documentation is the cause.
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Texas Supreme Court Blocks Galveston County's Mid-Election Redistricting Maps

Texas Supreme Court Blocks Galveston County's Mid-Election Redistricting Maps

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled to block Galveston County's new redistricting maps from being used in the upcoming November election. The court determined that the county lacked the legal authority to implement such changes mid-election, stating that the general power to redraw precinct lines does not extend to altering them after an election cycle has commenced. This decision means the maps approved by county commissioners in June, which had drawn criticism for potentially impacting minority votes and disrupting communities, cannot be used this year. The court's opinion clarified that while a commissioners court has the constitutional power to redraw precincts 'from time to time,' the Texas Election Code considers a primary and its corresponding general election as effectively 'one election.' Therefore, changing maps between these two phases is not authorized without an overriding state or federal law. This ruling leaves the county free to implement the maps for the next full cycle in 2028, unless a fed...
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South Dakota Secretary of State Faces Lawsuit Over Voter Notification Letters for Federal-Only Registrants

South Dakota Secretary of State Faces Lawsuit Over Voter Notification Letters for Federal-Only Registrants

A federal judge in Sioux Falls is currently reviewing a lawsuit against South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson and the state Board of Elections. The lawsuit, filed by the League of Women Voters and Sioux Falls resident Jaysen Hill, alleges that the state is violating the U.S. Constitution by sending misleading notification letters to voters registered as 'federal-only.' These letters, sent by county auditors under the Secretary of State's guidance, primarily cite mail-forwarding address issues as the reason for federal-only status, even when the actual reason is a failure to provide citizenship documentation. American Civil Liberties Union attorney William Hancock, representing the League, argues that these letters are inaccurate, misleading, and violate the due process rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which requires accurate information and a means to respond. The lawsuit seeks to compel the state to accept photocopies of certain IDs for voter registration, rescind guidance requiring in-per...
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Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District Features Incumbent Clay Higgins Among Six Candidates for November Election

Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District Features Incumbent Clay Higgins Among Six Candidates for November Election

The upcoming November election in Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District will feature six candidates vying for the U.S. Representative seat. Incumbent Republican 'Clay' Higgins is seeking re-election and will face challenges from fellow Republican 'Kate' Cotten, Democrats John Day, Priscilla Gonzalez, and Caleb 'With a C' Walker, as well as Tia LeBrun, who is running with no party affiliation. The district encompasses parts of Acadia, Lafayette, and Vermilion parishes, among others, where voters will also decide on various local races and state constitutional amendments. Key deadlines for voters include October 5 for in-person registration, October 13 for online registration, and early voting from October 20-27. Absentee ballot requests must be submitted by October 30, with ballots due by November 2. Election Day polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in

Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has issued a new order freezing President Donald Trump's attempt to limit mail voting for the midterm elections
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Justice Department Directs States to Preserve 2024 Election Records Amidst Voter Data Disputes

Justice Department Directs States to Preserve 2024 Election Records Amidst Voter Data Disputes

The Trump administration's Justice Department has instructed officials in over two dozen states to preserve records from the 2024 election. This directive is part of an ongoing effort by the administration to compel states to provide detailed voter records, despite facing multiple court losses in these attempts. Letters were sent to 29 states and the District of Columbia, advising election officials against destroying these records. The Justice Department has previously filed lawsuits to gain access to voter registration information, which includes addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. One such letter, obtained by The Associated Press, informed Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson that she was 'under investigation' and subject to ongoing litigation for not providing statewide voter registration lists. Eric Neff, acting chief of the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section, warned that failure to preserve relevant data could lead to 'civil and criminal sanctions' ...
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First Circuit Court Rejects Trump Administration's Attempt to Disrupt Mail Voting

First Circuit Court Rejects Trump Administration's Attempt to Disrupt Mail Voting

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has denied the Trump Administration's request to pause a federal court order that blocked changes to mail voting procedures by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). This decision marks another victory for a coalition of 24 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania, co-led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The blocked changes, mandated by President Trump's second elections-related Executive Order, would have required state and local election officials to redesign and reprint ballot envelopes, enroll millions of voters in a new USPS system, and meet burdensome requirements that could lead to the refusal of mail ballot delivery. A U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts had previously granted a preliminary injunction, which remains in effect through the upcoming November midterm elections. The Trump Administration had appealed this decision, seeking to allow the changes to take effect, but the First Circuit upheld the injunction.
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Did the SAVE Act pass? What voters need to know ahead of 2026 midterms

Did the SAVE Act pass? What voters need to know ahead of 2026 midterms

Congress battles over the SAVE Act as the 2026 midterms draw closer. Here's where the bill stands in the House and Senate and what could happen next.
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Teen Rescued After Days Clinging to Overturned Boat in Bering Sea; Two Others Drowned

Teen Rescued After Days Clinging to Overturned Boat in Bering Sea; Two Others Drowned

A teenage boy was rescued in the Bering Sea after clinging to an overturned fishing vessel for several days. The incident occurred after the 18-foot boat capsized off Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. The teen's older brother and cousin, who were also on board, drowned. The group had departed on Friday and were expected back on Sunday but failed to return, prompting a search by the Coast Guard. An aircrew located the sole survivor on Monday afternoon atop the capsized vessel. Rescuers deployed a raft and survival equipment, coordinating with a nearby good Samaritan vessel, the Northwest Explorer, to bring the teen to safety. He was suffering from symptoms of hypothermia due to prolonged exposure to the icy water. The bodies of the two deceased individuals were later recovered.
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Trump and Musk super PACs unleash millions to boost Republicans in battleground races

Trump and Musk super PACs unleash millions to boost Republicans in battleground races

By Bo Erickson and Dawn Kopecki NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The two biggest Republican money players in the 2026 midterm elections – U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk – have finally turned on the spigot with less than eight weeks to go before Election Day.    
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Analysis-At Dallas convention, some loyalists question Trump-centric midterms strategy

Analysis-At Dallas convention, some loyalists question Trump-centric midterms strategy

By Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne DALLAS, Sept 11 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump used the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention this week to make a risky appeal to voters: treat November's midterm elections as a referendum on him.