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Monday
The midterms enter the final stretch
With 8 weeks remaining before the November 3 election, Republicans entered the final campaign stretch trying to protect their congressional majorities while facing voter concerns about the economy and Trump’s low approval ratings.
Reuters reported Monday that Democrats held an enthusiasm advantage and were favored by analysts to compete strongly for control of the House, while the Senate remained much less certain. Competitive Senate races stretch from Georgia and Michigan to traditionally Republican states including Texas.
Tuesday
No Kings: Vote Early
The No Kings coalition officially announced October 17 as No Kings: Vote Early, a nationwide day of coordinated, nonpartisan action centered on early voting and voter participation.
Local events could include block parties, rallies and walks to polling locations, depending on voting rules.
Wednesday
Trump promises $5,000 payments if Republicans win Congress (Which is why you NEED to vote)
Trump made one of the biggest talking points of the week during the Republican midterm convention in Dallas: a $5,000 “Trump dividend” for every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans hold control of both the House and Senate.
Reuters estimates that sending $5,000 to roughly 240 million adult citizens would cost about $1.2 trillion. Congress would have to authorize the spending before the checks could happen.
Trump and JD Vance have suggested tariff revenue could help pay for the plan but numbers don’t currently come close. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the government has collected about $167 billion in tariff revenue during the current fiscal year, compared with the estimated $1.2 trillion cost of the proposed checks.
Thursday
Lawsuits challenge armed ICE enforcement at polling areas
LULAC, Common Cause, UnidosUS and the City and County of Denver filed a federal lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy that they say allow armed ICE officers to enter polling places to conduct immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit followed comments from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin saying ICE officers could enter polling locations to serve warrants or conduct other immigration and customs enforcement activity. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, D.C..
The plaintiffs point to an 1865 federal law that generally prohibits federal officials from ordering armed personnel to places where elections are being held, except to repel armed enemies of the United States. They argue that armed immigration enforcement at polling places could also intimidate voters and interfere with local election administration.
Appeals court keeps new mail ballot restrictions blocked
The First Circuit Court of Appeals declined Thursday to allow a new Postal Service rule tightening requirements for election mail to take effect while litigation continues.
The rules include requirements involving voter lists, approved ballot-envelope designs and unique barcodes. The appeals court left the lower court’s injunction in place after citing the risk of voter disenfranchisement.
The Justice Department has already asked the Supreme Court to intervene, so the rule’s ultimate fate remains unresolved.
DOJ tells 29 states to preserve 2024 election records
The Justice Department directed election officials in 29 states and Washington, D.C., to preserve records from the 2024 election as it continues litigation seeking access to detailed voter-registration information.
DOJ says preservation notices are standard during litigation. State officials have questioned the scope of the administration’s requests and raised privacy concerns, while federal judges have repeatedly dismissed some of the department’s lawsuits seeking detailed voter information.
Friday
Flock keeps facing public skepticism
1,000 Americans found significant skepticism toward Flock Safety’s automated license-plate cameras. according to a recent Reuters poll.
When respondents were divided by age, party, gender and education, adults 55 and older and Republicans were the only groups in which a majority supported Flock technology in their communities. Among adults ages 18 to 34, support was just 21%.
Flock now operates about 120,000 license plate readers across every state except Alaska, but government scrutiny is growing.
Florida stopped new Flock installations on state highways on September 3, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott paused state funding for the technology on August 28.
Election Protection Wallet Cards
Print one and keep it with you. The national nonpartisan Election Protection coalition provides voting assistance at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
Spanish-language assistance is available at 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682). Asian-language assistance is available at 888-API-VOTE, and Arabic assistance at 844-YALLA-US.
Printable Election Protection Card Sheet: Please print, cut and share as a reference resource for your community members!
The $5000.00 checks are bribery and illegal.
I would love to attend a rally in Springfield, IL if there is one. How can I find out?