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    "original_url": "https:\/\/newsletters.democracydocket.com\/the-fight-against-trumps-anti-mail-voting-rule-isnt-over?ecid=ACsprvsGFgCu71xBtkCwvN9B5P_J4l5DjD_3TgNpQJQ4e1WJCeoqDL72-60QKDXytlwIvnLXXa05&utm_campaign=13200977-Free%20Newsletter%20Emails&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--hSwOVZgUtv4acN5iB5KpAOrai4dVhmfmzmnvGllnaZaNJprpnlXm0LD14-W91zEa972kZQSpR3YIrPLF1DlzJnuu_hQ&_hsmi=439565714&utm_content=439565714&utm_source=hs_email",
    "parsed_content": "The fight against Trump\u2019s anti-mail voting rule isn\u2019t over \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Plus, Virginia ballot initiative seeks to finally clarify voting rights restoration for those with past felony convictions.\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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\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 18\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 \n \n \n \n A note from the editor\n \n \n \nThis week, reporters, editors and legal researchers from our Washington, D.C. and New York City offices gathered for intensive election coverage planning sessions (in between writing up breaking news, of course). Some might call this kind of convening and strategic planning a retreat, but I take issue with that word regarding the work we just did. To retreat is to withdraw from a difficult situation.\n\u00a0\nMy team is preparing for the opposite. We will report fearlessly. If there is voter suppression, we\u2019ll put it in the headline. The opposite of retreat is advance. That\u2019s what we\u2019re doing here.\n\u00a0\nI digress. Today, we break down everything you need to know about the win for voters in the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling against Trump\u2019s mail voting order; North Carolina Republicans\u2019 attempt to take over the state\u2019s election board; voting rights for Virginians with past felony convictions; and more.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nSally Holtgrieve \u00b7 Senior Editor, News and Operations\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 MAIL VOTING \nAfter Supreme Court rebuff, Trump\u2019s anti-mail voting rule enters next fight with eyes on 2028\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n By Alexandra Hutzler \n \u00b7 Reporter\n \n \n \n Whew. A huge sigh of relief for the millions of Americans who vote by mail after the Supreme Court shut the door on President Donald Trump's plan to use the U.S. Postal Service to restrict the practice in this fall's elections.\n\u00a0\nStatus quo prevails! But the nitty-gritty legal fight is far from over. The drama now returns to the district courts, where Trump's Justice Department, pro-voter groups and Democratic officials will wrangle over the plan's fate for 2028.\n\u00a0\nA good sign is that so far, federal judges on both sides of the political spectrum have rebuffed the administration's rationale for their mail voting overhaul. But in the end, this is all very likely to wind up back at the Supreme Court.\n\u00a0\nSo what tea leaves were left in Monday's ruling? At least five justices cast serious doubt on Trump's chances of succeeding with the plan in its current form, but we don't know exactly which ones.\n\u00a0\nJustice Brett Kavanaugh left the door open for the Postal Service to implement the mail ballot changes in the future. And Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, in their dissent, said their colleagues were wrong and Trump should be able to press go right now.\n\u00a0\nTo borrow a phrase from the Court itself on whether this is all legal or not: \"Time will tell.\" And we'll be tracking it all.\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 BEHIND THE STORY\n \n \n \n Sally: Was there a moment in your reporting that stuck with you?Alexandra: The breadth of pushback to Trump's mail ballot restrictions as all kinds of groups filed briefs to the Supreme Court: Democrats, Republicans, current and former election officials, the Postal Service union and even domestic violence organizations.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \u27a4 What\u2019s next for mail voting litigation \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 \nELECTION ADMINISTRATION \nNorth Carolina appellate court OKs Republican lawmakers\u2019 scheme to maintain GOP control of elections board\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n By Jim Saksa \u00b7 Reporter\n \n \n \n Say what you will about North Carolina Republicans, but those guys stick together.\n\u00a0\nOn Wednesday, Republican judges on the Court of Appeals blessed the Republican-dominated General Assembly\u2019s power grab that has kept the State Board of Elections in Republican hands.\n\u00a0\nThe ruling means the Republican state auditor will continue to oversee the elections board rather than the governor, who had that power for more than a century until Roy Cooper \u2013 a Democrat \u2014 moved into the governor\u2019s mansion. Protected by gerrymandered legislative maps, the GOP supermajority passed a law stripping that power and giving it to themselves in 2023.\n\u00a0\nThat law got blocked in the courts, and another Democrat, Josh Stein, won the 2024 gubernatorial race, so Republican lawmakers enacted a new law giving the state auditor \u2014 who just so happened to be a Republican \u2014 power to appoint the State Board of Elections.\n\u00a0\nStein sued, and again a lower court agreed the GOP scheme was \u201cunconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt.\u201d But on appeal, the Court of Appeals quickly stayed that ruling while it deliberated, then reversed it in a 2-1 party-line decision Wednesday.\n\u00a0\nUnder GOP control, the state board has repeatedly enacted policies to make voting harder.\n\u00a0\nWhile an appeal to the state Supreme Court is likely, a different outcome is not. Republicans hold a 5-2 majority on the high court. But with judicial elections coming this year and in 2028, the GOP\u2019s grip on judicial power in the Tar Heel State might be coming to an end.\n \u27a4 More on the North Carolina election board power tussle\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Check out our members-only section of the website and explore premium newsletters from Marc and the Democracy Docket team.\n \n \n \n \n EXPLORE PREMIUM CONTENT\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nVOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT\nVirginia ballot initiative seeks to finally clarify voting rights restoration for those with past felony convictions\n \n \n \n \n \n \n By Brentin Mock\n \u00b7 Reporter\n \n \n \n In July, we reported that Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced her plan to restore voting rights for more than 66,000 people who\u2019ve served time for felony convictions. We\u2019ve also covered a January federal court ruling that found the state\u2019s ban on former felons voting is unlawful.\n\u00a0\nBut neither of those actions have led to the complete restoration of voting rights for this population, nor explain why a ballot initiative is needed this November to formally get rid of the state ban.\n\u00a0\nThis story explains why there are still thousands of Virginians with past felony convictions who remain disenfranchised, why Spanberger\u2019s efforts haven\u2019t resulted in complete re-enfranchisement, and why the court ruling didn\u2019t automatically reinstate those rights for this group.\n\u00a0\nOne of the chief culprits: the court ruling only applied to those disenfranchised for committing crimes that were not deemed felonies under a Jim Crow-era law \u2013 drug offenses, for example. The November ballot initiative allows voters to determine whether people with past felony convictions of any kind should have their voting rights automatically restored immediately upon completing time served.\n\u00a0\nRight now, the governor has the sole authority to restore their voting rights \u2013 and only if they apply for it \u2013 but a majority vote in favor of the ballot referendum would mean the application and governor\u2019s intervention would no longer be necessary. Virginia is currently one of only three states that permanently bar felons from voting, and the voting ban disproportionately disenfranchises Black Virginia voters.\n \u27a4 Here\u2019s what\u2019s at stake\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Odds and ends\n \u27a4 Missouri voters hit top election official with second lawsuit over gerrymandered map\n\u00a0\n\u27a4 Trump started a redistricting war. Now 1 in 10 Americans are in new House districts\n\u00a0\n\u27a4 Exclusive: These international observers have monitored US elections for decades. This time, the Trump admin didn\u2019t invite them\n\u27a4 Wisconsin Supreme Court hears challenges to pro-GOP congressional gerrymander\n\u00a0\n\u27a4 Appeals court rejects New Hampshire\u2019s bid to quickly dismiss DOJ\u2019s voter data lawsuit\n Slack message of the week\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n What you can do\nLoyal readers will know that we recently launched a Bulletin Board where Democracy Docket members can submit pro-democracy events to help other readers get involved. One submission caught my eye: The National Association of State Election Directors and the National Association of Secretaries of State are seeking attorneys, law students and other legal professionals to serve as poll workers for this fall\u2019s election.Do you have an event you\u2019d like to highlight? Submit it here.\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 QUESTION OF THE WEEK\n \n \n \n What voting rights content from us do you want to see more of?\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n GRAPHICS BREAKING IT ALL DOWN\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n VIDEOS BREAKING IT ALL DOWN\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Today's newsletter was edited by Andrew Wyrich\u00a0and produced by Leila Fusenig. Learn more about our staff here.",
    "author_name": "Alexandra Hutzler, Jim Saksa, Brentin Mock",
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    "ai_headline": "The fight against Trump\u2019s anti-mail voting rule isn\u2019t over",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Trump mail voting rule fight continues after Supreme Court rebuff",
    "ai_excerpt": "The Supreme Court rejected Trump's plan to restrict mail voting, but the legal battle continues in district courts. North Carolina Republicans maintain control of the state's election board, and Virginia considers a ballot initiative to restore voting rights for those with past felony convictions.",
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