Cleta Mitchell has thoughts on Trump’s next anti-voting executive order

Wednesday, September 3

Panel blocks Trump’s use of wartime law targeting Venezuelan immigrants

• A panel for the 5th Circuit, one of the most conservative courts in the country, blocked President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to remove hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants from the U.S. It’s the first time an appeals court has ruled against the administration on the issue.

Trump vows to ‘liberate Chicago’ in fundraising email 

• After threatening to deploy Texas’ National Guard troops to Chicago, Trump sent a fundraising email to his supporters vowing to “liberate” the U.S.’ third-largest city and asked them to pledge $15 “to join the MAGA Blitz.”

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DOJ, NC propose scheme that could disenfranchise tens of thousands of voters The DOJ and North Carolina's GOP-led election board proposed a deal that could disenfranchise almost 100,000 voters in state elections if they don’t provide additional ID information. The agreement would settle a DOJ lawsuit challenging the state’s voter roll maintenance practices. Cleta Mitchell forecasts Trump’s next anti-voting executive order Cleta Mitchell, a prominent anti-voting lawyer who played a key role in Trump’s efforts to steal the 2020 election, suggested Trump might use “emergency powers” to take control of elections. Mitchell said on a right-wing podcast that she believes the president can assert authority over elections when national sovereignty is threatened, “as I think we can establish with the porous system that we have.” Mitchell also said she believes that because some states require ID to vote, the president is empowered to require voter ID for federal elections. In fact, the president has no power to set ID requirements for voters.  South Carolina court blocks DOJ demand for sensitive data A South Carolina voter sued the state’s election commission to stop it from giving the DOJ access to sensitive voter data, including names, birthdates, addresses, and ID numbers. Last night, the court blocked state election officials from sharing voter information with the DOJ. The lawsuit comes as the DOJ pressures states nationwide for voter registration data as part of a broader effort tied to the Trump administration’s push for voter roll purges and its unfounded claims of illegal voting. Missouri special legislative session begins The Missouri legislature started its special session today, called by Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) to redraw congressional districts as part of the GOP’s nationwide scheme to rig the midterms. The session also will include an attack on direct democracy. Kehoe has said he wants lawmakers to also approve a measure to make it harder for voters to pass laws through ballot initiatives. Election deniers delayed from joining Georgia county board Fulton County, Georgia commissioners today tabled a motion to approve two Republican election deniers to the county’s elections board. They are waiting for an appeals court to weigh in on the ongoing legal battle.  SCOTUS asked to decide if citizens can still enforce key part of Voting Rights Act The Supreme Court is being asked to decide if private citizens can still enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) after a federal court ruled that only the government can sue to stop racial discrimination in voting.  If the Supreme Court endorsed that view, it would make the VRA all but useless for stopping racial discrimination in voting during Republican administrations. Appeals court rejects Trump’s attempt to fire FTC commissioner In a major setback for Trump's attempt to purge independent agencies, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block a lower court order reinstating Democratic commissioner Rebecca Slaughter to the Federal Trade Commission. The panel denied the government’s request to suspend Slaughter’s return to office while the case continues. Coming up tomorrow A federal court will hear the Trump administration's request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 19 states challenging Trump’s anti-voting executive order imposing strict proof of citizenship requirements and targeting states with extended ballot receipt deadlines.

August Showdowns: Voting rights and authoritarian overreach

 

August 2, 2025

Congress may be in recess, but it's a busy month on the docket for democracy. The GOP’s anti-voting machine isn’t slowing down and key cases in the fight against President Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda will take center stage.   Here’s what you can expect this month.   — Ashley Cleaves, Legal Content Editor

This premium newsletter will keep you in the loop on what to expect next month, the top cases to look out for and other legal tidbits you won’t find anywhere else. Become a member to receive every edition.

MLB returned to Georgia, voter suppression never left The MLB All Star Game returned to Georgia last month after the league moved the game in response to pressure from voting advocates after the passage of Georgia’s sweeping voter suppression bill a few years ago. But much of the law still stands, and Republicans are seeking to revive two more provisions in the 11th Circuit this month. Georgia Republicans also want to appoint two election conspiracists to Fulton County’s election board. The board oversees elections in the state’s largest county. Their efforts have been repeatedly thwarted by local officials, but a state court will hear a GOP lawsuit on the issue this month.   Arizona Republicans in disarray There are two hearings scheduled in an ongoing dispute between Republican officials over election duties in Arizona’s most populous county. The rancor between officials could undermine the county’s preparedness for the 2026 elections. While Republicans clash in Maricopa, the Arizona Court of Appeals will hear arguments in an anti-voting challenge seeking to limit the documents election workers can use to verify a voter’s signature.  It’s Trump vs. everybody While some troops have been withdrawn from Los Angeles, the fight is not over. Later this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will be back in court to face Trump in a trial over the deployment of National Guard troops in the state.  A key hearing is also scheduled in Trump’s sweeping lawsuit against all of Maryland’s federal judges. Trump wants the judges to ignore due process in support of his deportations. Unlike some major institutions, the judges refuse to bend the knee. They’ll take their chances in court.  Federal courts will also hear several cases concerning the administration’s requests to uphold Trump’s birthright citizenship order, dismantle the Department of Education and greenlight efforts to terminate thousands of federal workers.

Here’s a full rundown of court activities this month    August 1:  The 1st Circuit will hear arguments in the government’s appeal of a nationwide order blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order.  A Georgia state court will hear a lawsuit challenging Fulton County’s refusal to seat two election conspiracists on its elections board.  August 8:  A hearing is scheduled in a pro-voting lawsuit challenging a South Dakota law that makes the signature collection process for ballot initiatives more difficult. A federal court will hear a request to release federal funding for the National Endowment for Democracy.  August 11:  Trial begins in Newsom’s challenge to Trump’s deployment of the military in Los Angeles.  A state court will hear a Republican dispute over election duties in Maricopa County.  August 13:  The 11th Circuit will hear arguments in an appeal over Georgia SB 202’s linewarming ban and birthdate requirement provision.  A federal court will hear the government’s request to stop federal judges from blocking deportations.  August 15:  A federal court will hear a lawsuit seeking to block the dismantling of the Department of Education through mass layoffs and cancellation of grants. A state court will conduct another hearing in a Republican dispute over election duties in Maricopa county.  August 18: The 9th Circuit will hear arguments in the government’s appeal of an order blocking the federal government from conducting mass layoffs.  August 19: The Arizona Court of Appeals will hear arguments in an anti-voting lawsuit challenging the state’s rules for signature verification.

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ICE agents arrest NYC official, mayoral candidate outside immigration court

 

Tuesday, June 17

ICE agents arrest NYC official and mayoral candidate outside immigration court ICE agents arrested New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander outside an immigration court after he tried to escort someone out, making him the latest Democratic official to be detained by the Trump administration. ***MUST READ!*** Key architect of Trump’s plot to steal 2020 election addressed anti-voting activists Jeffrey Clark, a key architect of the plot to subvert the 2020 election, addressed anti-voting activists from the White House complex last weekend in a Flag Day video for a MAGA podcaster's followers.

Brad Lander is one of many recent political arrests that raise critical questions about the future of our democracy. Have questions? On June 24 at 7 p.m. ET, Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias will host an exclusive Q&A — live on Zoom. Join a community of like-minded members and get the clear, no-nonsense answers you’re looking for.

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GOP sues to get election deniers on Georgia elections board The Fulton County, Georgia Republican Party filed a lawsuit against the county’s Board of Commissioners Friday to force them to appoint two prominent election deniers to the board of elections. The GOP claims that the Board of Commissioners violated state law by rejecting the GOP’s nominations of Julie Adams and Jason Frazier.  DNC moves to block DOJ lawsuit over North Carolina voter registrations The Democratic National Committee (DNC) today filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit by the Trump DOJ challenging North Carolina's voter registration process. The DOJ claims the state violated federal law by using a registration form that doesn't require a driver's license or part of a Social Security number, and must do more to fix the problem. The DNC argues that North Carolina has followed legal procedures for such cases and that the DOJ’s requested remedy lacks legal basis.  A Holocaust survivor on why standing up to authoritarianism matters Kurt Goldschmidt is 102 years old. He was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1923. He survived the Nazis and the Holocaust. He minces no words, Democracy Docket guest author Tom Watson shared in a new piece. “I’m here today because this is something I can do against Trump,” Goldschmidt said in an interview at a No Kings protest Saturday. “I lived during the Nazi time in Germany and they put me in a concentration camp. Trump is trying to imitate Hitler. That’s what I’m afraid of.” Coming up tomorrow  Tomorrow is an opinion day for SCOTUS, along with Friday. We're watching for rulings on Louisiana redistricting and nationwide injunctions.  The Supreme Court will consider whether to hear Virginia’s felony disenfranchisement case. Pro-voting groups are using the Virginia Readmission Act of 1870 to challenge the state constitution's felony disenfranchisement provision. State election officials have taken the case to SCOTUS arguing that only Congress can enforce the Readmission Acts, not the courts. There's a hearing in Judicial Watch's lawsuit challenging Oregon's voter roll maintenance procedures. The DOJ recently submitted a statement of interest in this case.