I returned over the weekend from two weeks of vacation. As much as I enjoyed it, I'm glad to be back.

While I was away, I kept up to date on what was happening the only way someone who is overseas on vacation can: I skimmed the news and social media, sent occasional emails, and only read in-depth what was necessary. Being out of the office, outside the country and in a different time zone added a sense of disconnectedness that was both refreshing and slightly disorienting.

While I enjoyed the time off, I missed being in the office when my law firm won several critical court cases.

In New Hampshire, we prevented a new proof-of-citizenship law that would have disenfranchised voters from taking effect. In Alabama, we blocked a congressional map that would have stripped Black voters of their constitutional rights. We also won two more victories — in Maine and Wisconsin — against the Department of Justice's efforts to access state voter rolls. That brings our record in those cases to 7-0, and the DOJ's to 0-8.

Being out for two weeks gave me something else: perspective.

Away from the pressure of the daily churn, I was less consumed by each new wave of bad news from Washington. As I return to work, I am more focused on broader trends — the kind that are easy to miss when every moment feels like a crisis.

I believe this will make me a better lawyer. I hope it will also make me more effective at advocating for democracy and free and fair elections.

Thanks to the amazing Democracy Docket team, I was not scheduled to start writing again until tomorrow, but I wanted to check in, say thank you for the kind messages I received while I was away, and let you know that I'm back and ready to go.

I look forward to sharing with you how I see the fight unfolding in the days, weeks and months to come.

As always, if you can afford it and want to support Democracy Docket while ensuring you receive everything I write, please consider becoming a premium member. Either way, thank you for being a part of the growing Democracy Docket community.

More tomorrow…

Marc