Trump Fires the Referees, Primaries Become a Battleground, and Redistricting Simmers in Maryland and Utah - Democracy in the States Weekly Roundup
It’s Friday, July 10, 2026, and time for your Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup.
This week, the Trump administration widened its confrontation with the people who run American elections. The president fired every sitting member of the Election Assistance Commission, and the Justice Department sent letters threatening criminal prosecution to secretaries of state in at least eight states over unsubstantiated noncitizen-voting claims, all while new research shows state voter rolls are already accurate and up to date. We’re covering these developments and more state-level changes to election administration, redistricting, and primary access below.
Trump Fires the Election Assistance Commission
President Trump fired all four sitting commissioners at the Election Assistance Commission this week, leaving the agency that certifies voting machines and distributes election security grants without a quorum to act.
NATIONAL: Trump fires all Election Assistance Commission members, leaving agency unable to act (VoteBeat).
NATIONAL: ‘Dangerous … reckless … desperate’: Trump’s firing of EAC leaders escalates his war on voting, election chiefs and lawmakers warn (Democracy Docket).
DOJ’s Prosecution Threats Over Noncitizen Voting
The Justice Department sent letters to secretaries of state in at least eight states this week, threatening criminal prosecution if they don’t purge alleged noncitizen voters from the rolls. The department is separately deploying election monitors to several states ahead of the midterms, a move Michigan faith leaders say undermines the voting rights it claims to protect.
NATIONAL: Department of Justice warns election officials they could be criminally charged over noncitizen voters (VoteBeat).
ARIZONA: DOJ letter threatens Arizona election officials with prosecution as Fontes calls it ‘intimidation’ (Arizona Mirror).
NEVADA: ‘It’s threats, it’s intimidation’: Nevada secretary of state slams Trump DOJ letters targeting election officials over noncitizen voting (Democracy Docket).
COLORADO: DOJ letter an attempt to intimidate, Colorado’s top election official says (Colorado Newsline).
UTAH: Utah’s top election official gets DOJ letter threatening criminal prosecution (Utah News Dispatch).
IDAHO: Trump administration threatens to criminally prosecute Idaho election officials if noncitizens vote (Idaho Capital Sun).
RHODE ISLAND: Feds threaten Rhode Island’s top election official with criminal charges if noncitizens vote (Rhode Island Current).
MARYLAND: Justice Department threatens Maryland’s top election official with criminal charges (Maryland Matters).
WEST VIRGINIA: Trump’s demand for state voter lists has hit a wall — for now (West Virginia Watch).
LOUISIANA: Republicans take lead in Louisiana registered voters; Democrats claim purge (Louisiana Illuminator).
MINNESOTA: Minnesota begins routine election machine tests as feds retreat from election security (Minnesota Reformer).
The Primary Battles
As more states fight over who gets to vote in primaries, South Carolina Republicans are suing to close their primary to registered Republicans only, while independents in Maine and Massachusetts are fighting to stay in the process at all.
SOUTH CAROLINA: SC GOP sues to close primaries to registered Republicans (South Carolina Daily Gazette).
MAINE: Maine Democrats Are About to Lock Independents Out of the Process—Again (Independent Voter News).
MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts Insiders Tried to Kill Primary Reform. Voters Get the Final Word (Independent Voter News).
TEXAS: Veterans Step Into Texas Open-Primary Lawsuit to Defend Voters’ Freedom to Participate (Veterans for All Voters).
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma June primary election saw low independent turnout (Oklahoma Voice).
Building Better Elections
Not every democracy story this week was defensive. States and advocacy groups also championed structural changes aimed at making elections work better, from ranked-choice voting to ballot-initiative protections to money in politics.
Ranked-choice voting
MAINE: Graham Platner’s replacement and ranked choice voting (FairVote).
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Results from the first ranked choice voting election in Washington, DC (FairVote).
Protecting direct democracy
UTAH: Utah lawmakers now won’t pursue constitutional amendment to change ballot initiative power (Utah News Dispatch).
MICHIGAN: Michigan could approve a constitutional convention this year. What would that mean? (VoteBeat).
Money in politics
MISSOURI: It’s possible to end corporate influence in politics (Missouri Independent).
NATIONAL: “Pop-up” Super PACs Game the System to Leave Voters in the Dark (Campaign Legal Center).
MAINE: How the Supreme Court campaign finance ruling is altering Maine’s ongoing legal battle (Maine Morning Star).
OHIO: Ohio court case eliminates limits on coordinated spending between parties and candidates (Ohio Capital Journal).
Election Administration, State by State
Beyond the DOJ fight, states are making their own changes to how elections are run, some expanding access, others restricting it, and two states quietly redrawing their political maps.
WISCONSIN: Elections Commission orders investigation of Green Bay duplicate absentee ballots (Wisconsin Examiner).
ARIZONA: Judge blocks Arizona elections rule barring ‘intimidating’ and ‘harassing’ clothing (Arizona Mirror).
RHODE ISLAND: RI elections board approves early voting regulations (Rhode Island Current).
GEORGIA: State Election Board passes rule seeking access to secretary of state’s election night ‘bunker’ (Georgia Recorder).
GEORGIA: A last-minute change to Georgia’s ballot QR code bill could steer voting in a new direction (Georgia Recorder).
NEW JERSEY: Federal attacks on mail-in voting demand New Jersey’s attention now (New Jersey Monitor).
NATIONAL: What You Need to Know About the Proposed USPS Mail Ballot Rule (Voting Rights Lab).
PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania elections could look very different if Democrats win full control of state government in 2026 (VoteBeat).
WISCONSIN: How inconsistent standards led to dozens of disenfranchised voters in a Wisconsin city (VoteBeat).
MICHIGAN: Already voted for a candidate who dropped out? Here’s what you can do (Michigan Advance).
SOUTH DAKOTA: Dell Rapids Republican lawmaker may get plea deal in election fraud case (South Dakota Searchlight).
NORTH CAROLINA: What goes on behind the scenes in an NC election? This nonprofit wants you to know (North Carolina Newsline).
ALASKA: Alaska’s news organizations are collaborating on voter guides — and you can help, too (Alaska Beacon).
MARYLAND: Ferguson, Peña-Melnyk announce special session for redistricting (Maryland Matters).
UTAH: Utah Republicans concede defeat in multiple partisan redistricting efforts (Democracy Docket).
In case you missed it…
What Is Civic Education For?, by Scott Warren, July 9, 2026
Liberalism for the 21st Century, by Danielle Allen, July 7, 2026
Civic Education News Roundup: Reflecting on the American Experiment., by Joanna Kenty, July 6, 2026
The Golden Apple, by Danielle Allen, July 4, 2026