Fair Count
@faircount.bsky.social
Fair Count is doing all we can to make sure everyone is counted in the census, heard at the polls + respected in Georgia, Mississippi and the Deep South's redistricting process.
Six decades after the Voting Rights Act transformed the nation, its protections are being tested like never before. The Louisiana v. Callais case is about far more than redistricting—it's about race, representation, and who holds power. More: bit.ly/4fWycc1
The Voting Rights Act at 61: What We’ve Lost, What Remains, and What Comes Next | Demos
The VRA is gutted, not gone. But what still holds is not enough.
bit.ly
How do voter ID barriers impact health? 🗳️🩺 Join Vot-ER and us tomorrow, August 5, to explore how voter ID and documentary proof-of-citizenship laws affect health outcomes. We'll share free resources to support voters in your community! RSVP ⤵️
Learning Community Call: Understanding Voter ID Barriers as a Determinant of Health · Vot-ER
Join Vot-ER and VoteRiders for a Learning Community Call for an overview of voter ID and documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) laws, and discuss the real-world impact these policies have on our comm...
mobilize.us
“Local papers need to adapt to avoid falling behind, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. This may be because I work in it, but I’ve never been under the impression that local journalism is going to die," said Evan Newton, who bought his hometown newspaper. New from @elliefivas.bsky.social.
Meet the Gen Z journalist who bought his hometown newspaper in Georgia • Georgia Recorder
Four years ago, Evan Newton was an intern at the Monticello News. Last month, he became the newspaper’s editor, publisher and owner after purchasing the outlet from its previous local owner. At 25 ye...
georgiarecorder.com
Partisanship defines American politics, shaping views from foreign policy to local elections. But community resistance to data centers is cutting across the usual divides—neighbors are finding common ground despite their party affiliations. More: bit.ly/4fBlRej
In partisan times, are data centers the one thing to unite people?
In communities where concern over data center development starts to boil, Georgians are finding ways to look past the usual political labels.
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The steady dismantling of civil rights protections is not random, it's a very familiar pattern. Recognizing that gives us clarity: lasting change requires long-term investment, not election-year urgency. More: bit.ly/4yvlQQp
The unfinished work of the Civil Rights Movement | Brookings
Aldon Morris examines how white supremacy adapts to reclaim lost ground—and what movements must do to build lasting racial progress.
bit.ly
Join us Wed, July 29, at noon for "Code Red Redistricting: Reimagining Representation." We'll look at how our electoral systems shape who has a voice in government and explore new approaches to building a democracy where communities are more fairly represented. RSVP: ncblackalliance.org/Code-Red
"After the Civil War, vigilante violence such as lynchings and massacres were extralegal tools used to maintain white dominance. States also adopted legal tools to deter Black Americans from voting, including challenge laws." A history of voter challenges, since 1867: bit.ly/4hxKqKj
The Racist History of Voter Challenge Laws
Laws that allow citizens to challenge one another’s eligibility have been used to suppress voters of color.
bit.ly
A tiny federal agency tasked with protecting the public from injuries caused by lawn mowers and coffeemakers is demanding that some of the nation’s biggest health systems turn over detailed, personally identifiable medical records of all patients who seek help at their emergency rooms.
Trump Administration’s Demand for Hospital Emergency Room Records Raises Alarm
“The whole thing is troubling,” said a health law expert who noted the risks to patient privacy.
truthout.org
The Mississippi Free Press is hosting a solutions circle in Jackson on Tuesday, July 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, email solutions@mississippifreepress.org or visit mfp.ms/solutions.
An organization that represents the data center industry is trying to get Georgians to think of the electricity-hungry facilities more favorably. New from @alander.bsky.social.
Pro-data center group launches in Georgia to try to win over critics • Georgia Recorder
A new data center industry group is embarking on a Georgia-focused publicity campaign to improve public opinion of data centers in the state.
georgiarecorder.com
School boards are the closest thing to real local democracy. But they're also where good intentions go to die. Underfunded and overpoliticized, they've become battlegrounds for culture wars, and less stewards of education. More: bit.ly/4f9A2XH
America's school boards | Brookings
A look at the America's most accessible political institutions in an era of conflict and partisan division.
bit.ly
The Election Assistance Commission—a bipartisan federal agency that helps states run elections—was stripped of all commissioners after Trump fired the remaining members, leaving no leadership ahead of the 2026 midterms. More: bit.ly/4hb0l0Y
In sweeping attack on elections, Trump fires leadership of key federal voting assistance commission
The dismissals leave the elections assistance agency without leadership just months before the upcoming 2026 midterms.
bit.ly
NEW: When Trump fired all EAC commissioners earlier this month, election officials warned about the impact it could have on the upcoming midterm elections. But some fear that, long-term, the move could severely kneecap the agency's ability to provide crucial support for states in running elections.
‘Cut off at the knees': Election chiefs fear long-term damage from Trump's EAC firings
Some fear the impact could go well beyond this November's vote and see the move as part of the president's grander scheme to wrest control of elections from states.
democracydocket.com
"Affordability" is politically potent but vague. New research measures it against family incomes: 45.5% of U.S. households couldn't cover basics in 2024. A $1,000 cost increase would push 3 million more into hardship. More: n.pr/4p2q4eb
This is how close American households are to the financial edge
A new report shows that nearly half of U.S. households did not earn enough to cover their necessities in 2024.
n.pr
Join us TONIGHT (Wednesday, July 15) at 6pm on Zoom for "Code Red Redistricting: How Did We Get Here?" as we look at how North Carolina’s redistricting landscape has changed over time and what it means for democracy and communities across the state. ➡️ Register: ncblackalliance.org/event/CodeRe...
Kindred Futures and the SPLC invite you to the Roots of Wealth in Alabama Convening, a gathering in Montgomery focused on building Black wealth and economic power across the state and the broader South. RSVP to join us here: https://bit.ly/3QN81fh
We're starting The Good Trouble Lives on Weekend of Action a little early by talking to neighbors in rural Georgia and Mississippi about the importance of civic engagement. Th, 7/16 • 6pm ET • Zoom (phone required for this experience) RSVP today: bit.ly/44olvRT
Civic Engagement Outreach • It's All on the Line! Phone Bank · Fair Count
Fair Count is honoring Rep. John Lewis by doing what he loved most: connecting with neighbors. As part of the Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action, we're reaching out to residents in Georgia and Mi...
bit.ly
The Election Assistance Commission—a bipartisan federal agency that helps states run elections—was stripped of all commissioners after Trump fired the remaining members, leaving no leadership ahead of the 2026 midterms. More: bit.ly/4hb0l0Y
In sweeping attack on elections, Trump fires leadership of key federal voting assistance commission
The dismissals leave the elections assistance agency without leadership just months before the upcoming 2026 midterms.
bit.ly
Our current pro-democracy movement is a legacy of broader struggles for freedom in the country. Listen as civil rights leader Maya Wiley discusses how we got to this moment and how to build a better future: bit.ly/4aKIOJf
Bringing Power Back to the People (with Maya Wiley)
This week, Michael is joined by Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, for a wide-ranging conversation on the ...
youtube.com
"Georgia’s State Election Board has passed a rule aimed at granting board members access to the secretary of state’s election night hub, defying a warning from the attorney general’s office that such a rule would exceed the board’s authority." [+] bit.ly/3SHG09A
Election panel adopts rule to gain access to election night ‘bunker’ • Georgia Recorder
The measure passed in a 3-2 vote, defying a warning from the attorney general’s office that such a rule would exceed the board’s authority.
bit.ly
A Fulton County Superior Court judge has upheld a Republican-backed committee dedicated to overseeing and disciplining rogue prosecutors, striking down a bipartisan challenge to the law from 2024.
Judge upholds creation of prosecutor oversight panel • Georgia Recorder
The Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission was created in 2023 to discipline D.A.s who commit misconduct or refuse to prosecute certain crimes.
georgiarecorder.com
Georgia’s State Election Board has passed a rule aimed at granting board members access to the secretary of state’s election night hub, defying a warning from the attorney general’s office that such a rule would exceed the board’s authority.
SEB adopts rule to gain access to election night ‘bunker’ • Georgia Recorder
The measure passed in a 3-2 vote, defying a warning from the attorney general’s office that such a rule would exceed the board’s authority.
georgiarecorder.com
Despite exhaustive audits and lawsuits, Georgia's 2020 results stood. Now, 260 FBI analysts face a July 17 deadline to conduct hundreds of thousands of records checks related to Fulton County—a major escalation in the ongoing election investigation. [+] bit.ly/4y8N9jk
FBI presses ahead with probe of Georgia’s 2020 election
FBI analysts race toward a July deadline to complete tens of thousands of record checks related to Fulton County's 2020 presidential election.
bit.ly
Join us in Alabama for Days of Democracy trainings and democratic action days. Learn how our government works, what we can do to make a difference and how to build the knowledge, skills and leadership our communities need! Register to join: https://bit.ly/40Unmfq
A year after $1 trillion in Medicaid and ACA cuts, over 1,000 healthcare facilities have closed, reduced services, or face imminent risk. When hospitals close, they take lifesaving time away in crises, and impact Black communities the hardest. Story: bit.ly/4eP58Ut
Vanishing Care: GOP Healthcare Cuts Hit Black America Hard
The fallout from closing hospitals and clinics, due to GOP healthcare costs, is landing heaviest in Black communities
bit.ly
A legal fight over the 90-day ban on voter roll purges is heading to the Supreme Court. Republicans seek to reinterpret the NVRA's quiet period, which protects eligible voters from being removed too close to federal elections, which starts Aug. 5. [+] n.pr/4woToxS
A federal law bans late voter roll purges. Republicans are pushing to reinterpret it
There's a ban on most states systematically purging voter rolls within 90 days before Election Day. Republicans are pushing courts to reinterpret that longstanding protection for eligible voters.
n.pr
BREAKING: The Supreme Court struck down limits on how much political parties can raise and spend on candidates. Already, political spending is surging to record-shattering levels. With this ruling, the court has eliminated yet one more protection against political corruption.
The Census Bureau is delaying plans to implement new, more inclusive race and ethnicity standards. The updated questions won't appear in the 2027 American Community Survey, jeopardizing redistricting, civil rights policy, and over a decade of research, experts warn. More: bit.ly/4fcUVkA
Census Bureau Quietly Scraps Plan for Improved Data Collection on Race and Ethnicity
The Census Bureau is walking back plans to unveil a new, more...
bit.ly
In special session, Georgia's legislature passed a bill mandating hand recounts for statewide races within 0.5% and extending QR code ballot use until 2028. The recount applies to governor and statewide offices—not federal races—and must be completed within 17 days. More: bit.ly/3SoOa6t
Georgia legislature closes out special session with bill to delay ban on QR code ballots, no property tax movement
Georgia's special legislative session ended Tuesday by extending the use of QR codes on ballots until 2028.
bit.ly
AI-industry groups are flooding millions into the midterms to shape future regulation. AI-focused super PACs have spent $43.3 million on congressional races. The push comes as Americans grow uneasy about AI's impact on jobs, energy, and society. [+] n.pr/4xKHsYI
AI and tech are trying to influence the midterm elections
The massive spending and heated rhetoric in midterm races reflect the AI industry's political fault lines and competing visions of what the future should look like.
n.pr