Source Details

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    "original_url": "https:\/\/newsletters.democracydocket.com\/the-week-scotus-gave-me-hope-1?ecid=ACsprvvGaZjgpeLq-SLBM3nJ2d062XtKRl9ZZNeWb7rp_spFWzVzQGuq-KV1wKfSIrSPvp4CSyPP&utm_campaign=13199957-Premium%20Content%20Emails&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--g3wUs3Vkydz18z2cOW3WC8xB5d0k_hZo4TTJYkUls_DRpF6fcqxWfXjp6jATFpcdMw0Ib9Q_H6IWgGQQGEeX5rLduyQ&_hsmi=440979096&utm_content=440979096&utm_source=hs_email",
    "parsed_content": "The week SCOTUS gave me hope\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n I understand why all eyes seem focused on Donald Trump and his plan to steal the midterms. He has proven himself a threat to free and fair elections.\u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f 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\n\u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u2007\u034f \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \u00ad \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Friday, September 25\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nBy Marc Elias \u00b7 Democracy Docket founder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n I understand why all eyes seem focused on Donald Trump and his plan to steal the midterms. He has proven himself a threat to free and fair elections.\n\u00a0\nBut as we head toward November, some of the greatest threats to democracy are amassing power at the state and local level. Take, for example, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who seized roughly 650,000 ballots after last year\u2019s redistricting election in California.\n\u00a0\nOut of the bright glare of the national spotlight, MAGA foot soldiers like Bianco \u2014 as well as the right-wing judge who approved the seizure \u2014 are quietly working to subvert elections for Republicans. But yesterday, two rulings in California created hurdles for rogue law enforcement officials who may try to copy and paste Bianco\u2019s ballot seizures in November.\n\u00a0\nIn the first, the California Supreme Court ruled that Bianco had violated the law during the seizure, and ordered him to return the ballots.\n\u00a0\nIn a companion case brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the court unanimously rejected Bianco\u2019s argument that the state\u2019s chief law enforcement officer lacks authority to issue binding directions governing a county sheriff\u2019s investigation.\n\u00a0\nTogether, these rulings mark a significant victory for free and fair elections in California and a roadmap on how to defeat local election deniers nationwide.\n\u00a0\nWhile much of the national attention is focused on the seating of a new Congress in January, the truth is that our elections are at their most vulnerable in the hours and days after polling places close. That\u2019s where people like Chad Bianco come in \u2014 MAGA folk heroes who abuse their power to seize ballots and sow chaos.\n\u00a0\nYesterday's rulings will make it more difficult for far-right officials to undermine the will of the voters. They reinforced California\u2019s power to step in and take control of local elections when officials go rogue. And, importantly, they clarified an important rule: Cast ballots must remain in the custody of election officials even during criminal investigations.\n\u00a0\nBallot seizures like the one in Riverside County are a real threat \u2014 but the California Supreme Court ruling reinforces that the law is on our side.\n\u00a0\nWith November less than two months away, California\u2019s Supreme Court has placed the pro-democracy movement in a position of strength.\n\u00a0\nUnfortunately, it is not a matter of if far-right election officials will try to subvert elections. It is a matter of when and where. But as in this case, the pro-democracy movement will fight every action Republicans take to undermine free and fair elections.\n\u00a0\nWhat worried me most this week\n\u00a0\nThe Trump administration has been threatening to send armed federal agents to the polls for months. From Attorney General Todd Blanche to FBI Director Kash Patel to Donald Trump himself, the administration has doubled and tripled down.\n\u00a0\nSending armed agents to the polls is a violation of federal law. Just the threat of it could intimidate voters, keeping them home on Election Day and dampening turnout \u2014 which is the point. And it could put election workers at risk. In Syracuse, New York, for example, ICE agents confronted a poll worker who criticized them on Instagram.\n\u00a0\nThe administration\u2019s threats have deeply worried me. Which is why I did something about it.\n\u00a0\nOn Wednesday night, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Governors Association, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from carrying out its policy of deploying ICE and other federal agents at the polls this November.\n\u00a0\nMy law firm filed this lawsuit, and we are going to fight tooth and nail to protect voters at the polls from armed federal agents. I am worried \u2014 and that is why I am on the front lines.\n\u00a0\nWhat I'm watching in the courts\n\u00a0\nVoting is already underway in Missouri \u2014 but that\u2019s not stopping the state\u2019s Republicans from trying to breathe life back into their gerrymandered congressional map. And now it is back before the U.S. Supreme Court.\n\u00a0\nEarlier this week, a federal appeals court ordered the Republican gerrymander to be used this fall, effectively sending the issue back to the justices, who already have twice ruled against the gerrymander\u2019s backers.\n\u00a0\nDemocracy advocates People Not Politicians argue that it would be practically impossible to swap maps at this stage of the game \u2014 ballots have been printed, and votes have been cast.\n\u00a0\nI am proud that my law firm is representing the group before the high court for the third time. So far we are 2-0.\n\u00a0\nRegardless of what the Supreme Court decides, Missouri voters \u2014 at every stage of this process \u2014 have witnessed Republican state officials scheming for power. I have been watching this unfold closely, and I will keep my eyes on Missouri as we head to what should be the final showdown.\n\u00a0\nWhat gave me hope this week\n\u00a0\nWe celebrated an important milestone: a quarter-century of losses for the Department of Justice in their lawsuits to access state voter files. I remain eager to hear from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, from which we should have a decision any day. Hawaii and Idaho are currently stayed pending the 9th Circuit decision.\n\u00a0\nThese victories continue to be a good sign \u2014 and every win is a win for voters.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n We\u2019re grateful for your support at the highest level. Make the most of your VIP membership and enjoy exclusive perks \u2014 claim your tote, gift two memberships and set your email preferences today.\n \n \n \n \n USE YOUR VIP BENEFITS",
    "author_name": "Marc Elias",
    "site_name": "Democracy Docket",
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    "ai_headline": "The week SCOTUS gave me hope",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Marc Elias Discusses SCOTUS Rulings and Election Threats",
    "ai_excerpt": "Marc Elias discusses recent Supreme Court rulings that offer hope for fair elections, despite ongoing threats from figures like Donald Trump and local officials. He highlights legal victories against ballot seizures and federal agent deployment at polls.",
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