Voting

To Protect Democracy in Red States, Look To Underutilized Tools

Many of the states that make it hardest to vote are home to the legislatures that are the least likely to make improvements.

By Shanna Singh Hughey

March 27, 2023

Dark blue background featuring three red states and the blue cities within them from left to right: the Georgia state shape toned in red with a blue sign pointing to Atlanta, a ferris wheel and a card with polling location; the Texas state shape toned in red with a blue sign pointing to Houston, a sign that reads "VOTE AQUI HERE," and two people holding their mail-in envelopes and the Tennessee state shape toned in red with a blue sign pointing to Nashville, someone holding a sign that reads "REGISTER HERE TO VOTE" and others sitting around a table outside a building.

“The Goal Is to Confuse:” How Arizona’s Ballot Collection Ban Harms Voters

In Arizona, ballot collection represents the perfect storm of colliding issues: the Republican Party’s sharp reversal on mail-in voting, propaganda movies about drop boxes and discrimination against the state’s Latino population.

By Caroline Sullivan

March 17, 2023

Red-toned Arizona statehouse and House Bill 2023, blue-toned woman in a VOLUNTEER t-shirt in front of bill text and blue-toned hand dropping mail-in ballots in a drop box.

The Conservative Legal Movement’s Latest Target

To undermine federal voting laws, conservatives argue that private individuals or organizations cannot bring lawsuits under them. If courts embrace this theory, the power of voting protections would be greatly diminished.

By Caroline Sullivan

March 3, 2023

A red tinted elephant lurching the dome of the U.S. Capitol and holding onto a blue toned scale. A blue-toned hand reaches out towards the scale.

Litigation Look Ahead: March

Throughout March, lawsuits seeking to restrict or expand access to voting will carry on in courtrooms across 31 states.

By Ellis Champion

March 1, 2023

A bright blue background with a hand holding a crystal ball revealing unbalanced scales, a Texas voter registration form, the North Carolina flag, an outline of the state of North Carolina with "State of North Carolina Justice Building" overtop, a North Carolina driver's license and a gavel

Republicans Hint at Why They Are Restricting Ballot Measures in These States

In many states, Republicans are restricting ballot measures in response to efforts that have enacted policies — like codifying abortion rights and expanding public benefits — that Republicans don’t support.

By Mac Brower

February 27, 2023

A little boy staring at a large block that says Ballot Measures on one side. The boy is looking at a ruler marked with increasing percentages of the vote, like the height measures to ride a rollarcoaster.

Criminalizing Elections Is on Red States’ Agenda This Year

Democracy Docket has tracked a wave of laws changing how election law is enforced. While supporters claim they’re necessary to increase the security of our elections, in reality they could harm voters.

By Mac Brower

February 21, 2023

A group of police officers standing around a large, light blue ballot box scrutinizing voted ballots.

Mississippi Continues To Deny Black Americans Political Power

The Mississippi House approved a bill that would create a new, unelected court system in the state capital of Jackson. The proposal is just the tip of the iceberg in a state that continues to undermine minority representation.

By Mac Brower

February 15, 2023

A crowd of blue and grey tinted civil rights activists, some from the civil rights movement and others from modern day protests on a red background.

How the Supreme Court Turned a Community Leader into a Criminal

In 2016, the Arizona Legislature passed a ban on ballot collection that was aimed at decreasing electoral participation by minorities, especially among the state’s large Latino community.

By Marc Elias

February 14, 2023

Red background with two people standing in front of a drop box that reads "YUMA COUNTY OFFICIAL BALLOT DROP BOX" and a sign that reads "PROBATION VISITATION COURTS" with arrows pointing in different directions, a sign that reads "Mexico" with a left-pointing arrow and "San Luis" with a right-pointing arrow and a sign that reads "DON'T VOTE HERE"

It’s Time for Our Parents To Take Young Voters Seriously

A national survey conducted by RUN (Represent Us Now) AAPI found that campaigns did not reach 68% of young Asian Americans leading up to the 2022 midterms.

By Linh Nguyen

February 13, 2023

Light blue background with image of blue wave, an American flag and the word "VOTE" laid over a ballot box and someone inserting their ballot into the box, a black and white image of someone speaking into a megaphone, a peach-shaped sticker that reads "I'm a Georgia voter," and signs that read "Together and Stronger," "Protect Our Mothers Fathers Grandmas Grandpas," "We stand with our Asian family until we all win," and "Voice in Unity"

North Carolinians and Legal Experts React to the State Court’s Unprecedented Move

The North Carolina Supreme Court’s new Republican majority agreed to rehear two recent decisions. The move poses direct harms for North Carolinians and could reverberate across the country.

By Mac Brower

February 10, 2023