Election Integrity Battles Intensify: SCOTUS Appeal on Mail-In Voting, ICE Data Broker, Wisconsin Lawsuit, DHS Noncitizen Voter Rolls, NC Rule Changes, Trump Strategy
Election integrity: Appeals court blocks Trump's mail-in voting order requiring DHS citizenship verification and Postal Service ballot checks; Trump admin now urges SCOTUS to allow order before midterms, potentially reshaping voting access in 23 states. Another court panel declines to block order but hints unenforceability. SCOTUS mail voting case pending; experts doubt intervention. ICE using Thomson Reuters data broker ($25M/yr) to mine for voter fraud, linking immigration enforcement to election integrity. Wisconsin lawsuit over provisional ballots for mail-in voters due to USPS delays; also ballot spoiling lawsuit in WI primary rejected (112k mail ballots can't be changed); early voting begins in chaotic 5-way Dem gubernatorial primary. DHS finds 256k potential noncitizens on voter rolls in 4 battleground states; state responses vary; DHS claim baffles states, fear of post-election ballot seizures. NC election board makes it easier to toss absentee ballots and bans amplified music at polls (targeting HBCU 'Souls to the Polls'); NC Senate fast-tracks HB 834 and HB 958 reducing early voting, giving auditor post-election audit power. Trump's late-night Truth Social blitz doubles down on election fraud claims; his midterm strategy revealed: not winning votes but controlling who votes (SAVE Act, mail-in order, Pulte at DNI). CISA report draws bipartisan plaudits. Brennan Center warns of mass voter challenges. AI disinformation in Michigan; 'Liar's Dividend' concept; Schiff reintroduces AI Ads Act to ban deceptive deepfakes; concrete example in TN House race where AI-generated mailer exploited regulatory gap. 26 states challenge Trump's FEMA disaster aid tied to election policies. Wisconsin warns prediction market customers face voting ban. Trump escalates election interference in Michigan with letters to cities citing debunked fraud claims, threatening federal monitors; clerks push back. Fontes slams Trump's 'federal takeover' of mail-in voting. ACLU warns of escalating election threats with 80+ legal actions; small-scale noncitizen registration discovery in Lancaster County, PA will be weaponized. Jeffries holds election security hearing in Rochester; ICE contacts poll workers in Syracuse; WV SOS Warner defends refusing DOJ unredacted voter roll demand; Gallup: 67% worry political leaders will pressure election officials. Postal Service emerges as midterm battleground: Trump's executive order, legal chaos, processing delays, 148k rejected CA ballots, Wisconsin delays, SCOTUS case pending. Mobile voting proposed as solution to mail-in attacks; Alaska pilot shows promise.