Carrie Levine

A second federal judge partially blocks Trump’s executive order on elections A federal court granted a coalition of states an injunction halting implementation of parts of Trump’s executive order on elections.

Background here: www.votebeat.org/2025/06/13/t...

The Trump administration will appeal one of two preliminary injunctions blocking some provisions of his executive order on elections, according to a new filing. This applies to a case brought by 19 states.

Read it here: www.votebeat.org/arizona/2025...

@votebeat.org will continue to pursue relevant public records.

EXCLUSIVE from @JenAFifield EXCLUSIVE from @JenAFifield Text messages obtained by Votebeat shed new light on Heap's discussions with two county supervisors over control of elections.

Cochise County asks insurer to cover indicted supervisor’s legal bills in election case Supervisor Thomas Crosby sent the county a $300,000 claim as he fights charges of trying to delay the 2022 midterm election results. The other supervisors are signaling their support.

ICYMI, from Friday: A criminally indicted AZ elected official who voted to delay his county's 22 midterm results past the legal deadline now wants the taxpayers to pay his $300K in legal bills- and the county wants the statewide insurance pool to cover it. www.votebeat.org/arizona/2025...

How a New York lawsuit is helping to fan voter mistrust — on the left A recent YouGov poll found that 41% of voters who reported casting a ballot for Kamala Harris in 2024 did not believe that Trump “legitimately won the election.”

Researchers from @statesunited.org used validated voter data to find that people who felt more confident their vote would count as intended were more likely to vote. www.votebeat.org/2025/07/14/r...

I don't know if it's correlation or causation, but really interesting!

NEW @VotebeatUS Add Pennsylvania to the states getting questions from DOJ about how it manages its voter rolls. h/t @carterwalker.bsky.social

Work on parts of Trump’s elections executive order is getting underway A technical committee of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission will soon consider a draft of changes to voting system guidelines following the president’s executive order.

Election news: A voting system from Hart Intercivic
is the first to obtain certification under VVSG 2.0, the most updated standards, per @EACgov's website. Others are in the testing process.

More on the EAC's guidelines from me in this from June 30: www.votebeat.org/2025/06/30/t...

New statement from Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap confirms that his office approved the incorrect proof before the vendor sent the incorrect letter to 83,000 voters. Background: www.votebeat.org/arizona/2025...

A second federal judge partially blocks Trump’s executive order on elections A federal court granted a coalition of states an injunction halting implementation of parts of Trump’s executive order on elections.

Full story @votebeat.org www.votebeat.org/2025/06/13/t...

🚨A second federal judge has blocked provisions of Trump's executive order on elections, including a citizenship proof requirement.

Big news about elections in a key swing county from @jenafifield.bsky.social

State election officials brace for a new round of certification fights Certification used to be a routine part of election administration that took place mostly behind the scenes. That changed after the 2020 presidential election.

I wrote about this in August for @votebeat.org, talking about why experts were confident that checks and balances would hold, and how state officials have moved to shore up certification in their states. www.votebeat.org/2024/08/22/p...

The Georgia Supreme Court has invalidated rules the state election board tried to impose before the presidential election, including a move to change the way officials finalize vote totals that drew wide concern, per @ajc.com

U.S. threatens Arizona and Wisconsin over alleged election law violations The letters are an early sign of how the Trump’s administration is scrutinizing state election practices after his executive order on elections.

I wrote about what the DOJ's letter to Wisconsin over an alleged HAVA violation means, including commentary that WEC likely is violating the law. Story features a @jenafifield.bsky.social scoop of a DOJ letter also sent to Arizona

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

The sole question presented here is whether Petitioners, as federal candidates, have pleaded sufficient factual allegations to show Article III standing to challenge state time, place, and manner regulations concerning their federal elections.

And finally (for now), SCOTUS will consider Bost v. Illinois whether federal candidates have standing to challenge state laws that count late-arriving ballots postmarked by Election Day. Not the merits (yet), just the standing question. www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24...

Texas Legislature deadlocks on giving attorney general more authority to crack down on election crimes Ken Paxton sought more power for his office to take up election cases. But lawmakers working on a bill haven’t agreed on a measure that would give it to him.

A bid to give Texas AG Ken Paxton more authority over election crimes appears to have deadlocked in the legislature as the clock runs out on the session. h/t @nataliaecm.bsky.social @votebeat.org @texastribune.org #txlege www.votebeat.org/texas/2025/0...

Thanks so much, friend! Hope you're well.

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Carrie Levine is named editor-in-chief of Votebeat Levine, who has been serving as interim editor-in-chief and previously as managing editor, steps into the role at a pivotal time, as interest in democracy and elections continues to grow nationwide.

www.votebeat.org/2025/05/30/c...

Some personal news: I'm now editor-in-chief of @votebeat.org

I'm incredibly proud of our excellent team's objective, nonpartisan coverage of elections and voting, which has never been more essential. I'm honored to work with our staff every day.

For new readers: Votebeat is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that covers elections and voting access. Our journalism is free to republish. You can support it by reading and/or donating - sign up for our newsletters to get it sent to your inbox! www.votebeat.org/newsletters/

How Texas’ new ID laws for mail voting are affecting turnout A new study from NYU’s Brennan Center looks at the impact of Senate Bill 1 on voter participation, including the rising “cost of voting.”

County election officials in Texas have seen the effects anecdotally, they tell @nataliaecm.bsky.social “Unfortunately, the voters have to jump through so many hoops to get into that corrective-action loop, that they just get frustrated and they give up," one said. www.votebeat.org/texas/2025/0...

And separately, an important read on groundbreaking new research from @kevintmorris.bsky.social @brennancenter.org that showed a 2021 overhaul of Texas' election laws creating new ID requirements for mail voting could have had long-term effects.

GOP-backed proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters fizzles in Texas Election officials had warned that the proposal would be tough to implement.

You can read the full story from @nataliaecm.bsky.social here: www.votebeat.org/texas/2025/0...

🚨Two important new voting stories out of Texas this morning and up @votebeat.org, both urgent and important. 🧵

To start, Texas' bid to pass a citizenship proof requirement for voters appears likely dead this legislative session - it missed a key House deadline Tuesday.

This Court effectively refused by failing to act. That refusal rewarded the financial Auditor with wide latitude to make appointments and control the Board of Elections under an adjudicated unconstitutional law while appellate courts mull the merits of the legislature's and the auditor's appeal. . Nearly a month passed before this Court deigned to offer any explanation for its inaction.

The NC Supreme Court—in an opinion released at 4:30 on a holiday weekend—affirms the Court of Appeals ruling that gives the GOP control of NC elections. It's 5-2 party-line decision, with Earls dissenting. appellate.nccourts.org/orders.php?t... #ncpol

How Trump’s Aviation Company Earned $18 Million From His Campaign Apparatus—After It Received $13 Million From The Secret Service Unlike other presidential campaigns, Trump’s operation appears to have turned Secret Service travel into business income.

🚨 NEW: The Secret Service has paid Trump’s campaign entities $13M for travel.

His campaign entities then paid his own jet company $18M.

Nothing illegal here. Just taxpayer dollars and campaign contributions flowing to a company Trump completely owns.

me, for @forbes.com

A fascinating in-depth look at a case of voter fraud. Pretty clear it doesn't happen much at scale, but we should still investigate when it does happen, and this is great reporting.

What to make of a brazen case of election fraud in Pennsylvania A failed conspiracy to steal a mayor’s race shows how manipulation can happen at the local level. But just how big is the threat?

People know each other. And the attempts cause a lot of harm in local communities. Read Carter's story. It's worth your time. www.votebeat.org/pennsylvania...