We’ve been using our open-records expertise to expose state-level threats to voting rights.
Here are some of our ongoing investigations:
From the influence of voting-machine company lobbyists to concerns about election vulnerability, we’re investigating Georgia’s overhaul of its voting system.
Wisconsin has been at the front line of attempts to remove names from registered voter rolls. We’re fighting for transparency regarding the effort by state officials to purge more than 200,000 names from the rolls before the 2020 election.
Earlier this month In Florida, a federal appeals court ruled that Floridian ex-felons must pay all fines and fees before they can register to vote, blocking hundreds of thousands from voting. We’ve been investigating.
In New Hampshire, we’re advocating for transparency surrounding New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu’s decision to veto the creation of an independent redistricting commission. americanoversight.org/investigation/…
We’re also investigating outside influences on voter suppression efforts. When state officials enact strict voter-ID laws or engineer intricately gerrymandered electoral maps or purge thousands of names from voter rolls, they’re not acting alone. americanoversight.org/investigation/…
Often, outside groups have been working behind the scenes to promote measures designed to suppress the vote. We’re investigating communications that members of the Florida, Georgia & Texas state governments have had with “voter fraud” activists & legislative lobbying groups.
Finally, state “voter fraud” task forces have cropped up across the country. Behind language about ensuring fair elections, the groups use the specter of widespread voter fraud to undermine confidence in elections and dissuade people from voting. americanoversight.org/investigation/…
NEW: Today, the Georgia State Election Board withdrew rules it approved in a recent illegal meeting, which was held without proper notice of a quorum. We’d sued the Board for violating the state’s Open Meetings Act. americanoversight.org/georgia-electi…
We’re pleased that our lawsuit, along with pressure from partner organizations on the ground in Georgia, has prompted the Board to withdraw the illegally approved rules from its sham July 12 meeting.
The board also announced plans to reconsider the rules at its Aug. 6 meeting. We remain deeply concerned by the Board’s decision to promptly revisit these problematic measures that serve to intimidate election workers and grant partisan advantage to preferred candidates.
NEW: We sued the Georgia State Election Board for violating the state’s Open Meetings Act after it held a meeting on July 12 — in which it pushed forward controversial new election rules — without legally required public notice or a quorum. americanoversight.org/american-overs…
Georgia’s Open Meetings Act and others like it are vital to a functioning democracy by helping ensure official actions are conducted in full view of the public. Attempts to maneuver around it to advance changes to Georgia’s election rules are a clear violation of this law.
Any proposals voted upon during this meeting are null and void, and we ask the court to prevent them from moving ahead with the proposed rules and to declare their actions at last week’s meeting invalid.
On Oct. 28, 2020 — less than a week before the election — Ginni Thomas sent more than a dozen links to a Google Group called “20024.” “[Redacted] asked me for links we have all been sharing about the coming insurrection, chaos, and violence,” she wrote.
“It is not random. It appears very organized if you have the eyes to see and read and hear,” she continued. Thomas asked recipients to add more links and to organize the articles.
An individual (name redacted) created a Google document that organized the various links.
The “constitutional sheriffs” movement is a fringe theory that holds that sheriffs have more law enforcement power in their home counties than any other government body or individual. The movement has brought its work to the election denial space. theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…
“Nothing is more dangerous to our democracy than a movement based on election lies promoted by radical law enforcement officials who falsely believe they are the ultimate authority, including on matters of election administration,” our Chioma Chukwu told the Guardian.
We’ve been investigating “constitutional sheriffs,” obtaining the schedule and list of participating fellows at the Claremont Institute’s Sheriffs Fellowship — a November 2022 gathering of some of the most controversial sheriffs in the country. americanoversight.org/investigation/…
It’s #SunshineWeek, a week that celebrates & promotes access to information and open government nationwide.
Today, we’re highlighting the power of #FOIA with a thread about its past, present, and future.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed FOIA into law on July 4, 1966. Records show LBJ personally removed strong language supporting open government from the press statement. He only agreed to sign it after DOJ suggested he include a signing statement. nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/…
In his signing statement, LBJ praised the importance of openness for democracy and said the legislation affirmed American principles. But he also wrote that he felt some documents shouldn’t be available to the public. nsarchive2.gwu.edu//nsa/foia/FOIA…
Yesterday, D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments on presidential immunity in Trump’s election interference case.
Judges questioned both sides about our amicus brief arguing the D.C. Circuit lacks jurisdiction to hear Trump’s appeal on his immunity claims. Here’s what that’s about:
In Trump’s federal election interference case, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that Trump is not entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution. Trump appealed the ruling, hoping to delay the trial set for March.
Late last month, we filed an amicus brief that argues that the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit lacks jurisdiction to hear Trump’s immunity appeal until after he is tried by a jury, convicted, and sentenced. americanoversight.org/american-overs…