In blow to Trump, a federal judge blocks DHS from using a citizenship database to purge voters

• The decision by the judge is a major defeat for President Donald Trump and DHS in the unconstitutional attempt to take control of federal elections.
  
  
• The judge said the administration and DHS “knowingly trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote.”

➤ Why the judge said the court couldn’t “stand idly by”

More bad news for Trump: His DOJ can’t stop losing voter roll cases

• In Maryland, a federal judge threw out the DOJ’s lawsuit seeking its statewide, unredacted voter registration list.
  
  
• It’s yet another defeat for the department’s sweeping campaign to obtain voter data from states, bringing their record to 0-9 out of the 31 lawsuits against states and Washington, D.C.

➤ More on Trump’s latest loss

Supreme Court declines to hear Arkansas case, further weakening Voting Rights Act

• The Court declined to hear a case raising the question of whether voters and private groups can sue to enforce Section 208 of the VRA.
  
  
• As a result, a law that guarantees voters can receive assistance because of a disability or inability to read or write will remain unenforceable by voters and private groups in seven states.

➤ Why this will have a real impact on voters

Judge quashes subpoenas against Minnesota Democrats who opposed Trump’s immigration raids

• A federal judge blocked subpoenas against several top Democratic leaders in the state, including Gov. Tim Walz (D), saying the subpoenas were meant to “harass, coerce, and retaliate” against those opposed to Trump’s aggressive immigration efforts in the state.

➤ More on the win in Minnesota

Georgia’s Lt. Gov. nominee says he submitted fake mail ballot applications to test system

• Democracy Docket uncovered previously overlooked remarks by Georgia state Sen. Greg Dolezal (R) in which he said he and “friends” deliberately submitted mail-in ballot applications with intentionally altered signatures to try and argue that Georgia’s system facilitates fraud.

➤ Why Dolezal’s nomination is a threat to voting

Also in Georgia: Republicans vote to keep QR code ballots, but add extra hand recounts

• Georgia Republicans advanced a bill this weekend that would allow the state to continue using QR code-scanned ballots until a new system is selected in 2028 — but it also included a last-second twist requiring hand recounts for certain races.

➤ More on the added amendment

Is Trump really just a mob boss?

• Marc sits down with former U.S. attorney and University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade to explore how the president has turned the DOJ into a tool of political retribution.

➤ Watch Marc’s full video

Coming up tomorrow

• The Supreme Court will issue opinions tomorrow. As always, Democracy Docket will be tracking the decisions as they come down. Some cases we are watching closely include: Trump v. Barbara, Trump v. Cook, Trump v. Slaughter and Watson v. RNC.

Here we share noteworthy briefs on all things voting rights and democracy. Have a footnote for us? Send it to newsletters@democracydocket.com.

• If you somehow had saving Red Lobster and the Trump administration seizing Greenland being related on your bingo card today, congrats — you just won.
  
  
• The latest in the Reflecting Pool drama: Trump said today, “they did something to create the algae.”
  
  
• Democracy Docket reporter Jacob Knutson got some good traction on Bluesky after he pointed out that Trump’s administration had a bad day — as evidenced by two photos chosen to run with the stories you read above.