Black Democrats are accusing Republicans of using redistricting to create “Jim Crow 2.0,” especially as GOP-led states move to redraw congressional maps in ways that could weaken or eliminate districts currently represented by Black Democrats. The immediate flashpoint is South Carolina, where Republicans are discussing a map that could threaten Rep. Jim Clyburn’s seat, the…
When “Protecting Voters” Becomes “Sorting by Race”
Yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court to strike down certain majority-minority congressional districts as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering has landed like a political thunderclap, though not exactly a surprising one. If you’ve been watching the Court’s trajectory on race-conscious policymaking, this feels less like a sudden detour and more like the next logical mile marker. Still,…
Hungary’s Political Earthquake
Let’s not undersell this: Viktor Orbán losing an election to Péter Magyar is the kind of event that makes political analysts do a double take and then check the results again just to be sure. For over a decade, Orbán didn’t just win elections; he dominated them. He built a political brand around inevitability. The…
Photo ID for Voting: Security Upgrade or Solution in Search of a Problem?
At first glance, requiring photo ID to vote sounds almost too obvious to argue about. You show ID for everyday tasks that carry far less civic weight, so why wouldn’t voting—arguably the most important civic act—require the same? That’s exactly the intuition behind Husted’s amendment that was recently rejected by Democrats. But like most things…
Counting Votes After Election Day: Fairness Fix or Trust-Busting Loophole?
When the Supreme Court wades into election law, it’s rarely a quiet splash. The latest dispute over whether mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day should still be counted is no exception. On the surface, it sounds like a dry procedural question. In reality, it’s a proxy battle over something much bigger: what we value…
SAVE America Act: Safeguard or Symbolic Politics?
The SAVE America Act is a proposal that aims to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. On its face, it sounds about as controversial as saying water is wet: only citizens should vote in U.S. elections. Fair enough. But as with most things in politics, the simplicity ends right…
Election Reform, Minus the Hysteria
Election reform has become one of those topics where reasonable people suddenly forget how to be reasonable. One side starts shouting “voter suppression” before finishing the first sentence. The other starts muttering about fraud like it’s hiding under every ballot box. Meanwhile, thoughtful discussion quietly packs its bags and leaves the room. The House Republicans’…
When Voters Are Hungry: A Call to Authentic Renewal
At its surface, a recent Voto Latino survey reported by The Hill is striking but not shocking: a growing number of Americans are disillusioned with both major political parties, and many — especially non-voters — would consider a third-party choice in the next presidential election. Poll respondents from across the political spectrum agree that both…
Proof of Citizenship Makes Sense If We Do It with Sense
President Trump’s executive order requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections has stirred up a political hornet’s nest. Democrats are calling it “voter suppression.” Republicans hail it as a “return to election integrity.” And most ordinary Americans are probably scratching their heads wondering, “Wait a minute… shouldn’t we already be doing that?” It’s…
John Bolton’s Indictment: Justice Without a Team Jersey
So, John Bolton has now joined the “Indicted Former Officials Club.” The federal government dropped an 18-count indictment on him this week for allegedly mishandling classified documents. That’s eight counts of allegedly sharing defense secrets and ten counts of holding onto them like they were baseball cards. Now before anyone starts yelling “witch hunt” or…