Try and Stop Us Digest — September 11, 2026

Must Read

Show Me Chaos: Missouri's Gerrymander Fight Is Finally Over

The Supreme Court blocked Missouri's GOP-drawn map for good Thursday morning — and hours later, the state's top election official was held in contempt for trying to use it anyway. New York Times / Kansas City Star: Justice Kavanaugh again declined to intervene, leaving the 2022 map in place for November — the one that preserves Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City seat. Missouri's Supreme Court found Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt for still directing officials to use the GOP map, but ruled he'd "purged himself" of the violation the moment he reversed course Thursday afternoon and told local officials to use the old map instead.

MAGA had a full meltdown online. Democracy Docket: "This is why I don't celebrate anything the Supreme Court does right," said anti-voting activist Seth Keshel. "Just as corrupt as any other branch... our judiciary will be the death of America at this rate." Another pundit called it "outrageous" that "a Republican Supreme Court" would side with "Democrats suing to win back a free congressional seat in a state that voted for Trump by 18 points."

The 1st Circuit Unanimously Rejected Trump's Mail-Voting Rule — Now It's The Supreme Court's Turn

The 1st Circuit found zero evidence of fraud and warned the rule would disenfranchise millions for "minimal — if any" benefit. CBS News: "There is no record evidence of past fraud or a likelihood of impending fraud related to the November 3 election," the panel wrote, adding that Trump's team "have not even seriously challenged" the lower court's findings. This is now the third time DOJ has gone to the Supreme Court trying to overturn Judge Talwani's block.

A bipartisan group of election officials — including Republican secretaries of state — told the Supreme Court the rule is simply too disruptive to implement now. Washington Post: Signed by GOP officials in Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, Georgia, and Kansas, plus Utah's lieutenant governor and roughly two dozen more local election officials, the brief took no position on the rule's legality — only that "late changes breed confusion, that confusion keeps eligible voters from voting, and that a chaotic election erodes confidence in the result."

The fate of the USPS mail voting rule is in the Supreme Court’s hands. Democracy Docket: Whether President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict mail voting will be allowed to move forward despite ongoing legal challenges now rests with the U.S. Supreme Court after the parties involved submitted their briefs. Whether the Supreme Court lifts the stay and lets the mail voting restrictions take effect or not, legal challenges to the requirements will continue in a federal district court in Boston.

DOJ Sent Threatening Letters To 30 States Demanding They Preserve 2024 Election Records

DOJ sent letters to 30 states ordering them not to destroy 2024 election records and threatening investigations. New York Times / Associated Press: States are legally allowed to destroy voting records 22 months after an election — that deadline hit Sept. 5 for the 2024 election, and DOJ sent the letters the very next day. The letters claim each state's top election official is "under investigation," but cite no criminal statute and don't say what's actually being investigated. This is the same fight DOJ has already lost 23 times: suing states for their unredacted voter rolls, which include driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. "It's the constant 'flood the zone' of harassment and intimidation and threats of legal action hoping we'd fold at some point," said Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar. Center for Election Innovation & Research’s David Becker was blunter: "There's only two reasons to send that letter: Either the lawyers who send it don't understand litigation obligations, or they're hoping that states will misinterpret it and retain more than they're legally required."

In The States

COLORADO — Denver sued DHS to keep ICE officers away from polling places, citing an 1864 law that makes it a federal crime to send armed federal agents near an election. The Hill: "It places voters in fear that they will be confronted by armed federal immigration enforcement officers if they choose to cast a ballot," the lawsuit argues, citing two U.S. citizens killed by ICE this year and a ProPublica report finding more than 170 citizens detained. "This is only meant to scare people and suppress votes," said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. "We'll fight tooth and nail to prevent it."

FLORIDA — USPS rejected Leon County's mail ballot envelopes over a spacing gap that was off by 14/1000ths of an inch — the same envelopes used without issue in 2024. Tallahassee Democrat: "It's ridiculous," said Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley, who plans to use the envelopes anyway, betting the Supreme Court blocks the rule first. "The chaos factor is the real problem," he said. "I've had voters tell me 'I don't trust anything anymore, so I'm just not going to vote.'"

What Experts Are Saying

UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía says stationing ICE near polling places isn't about security. “Voter suppression plain and simple." — Janet Murguía, President and CEO, UnidosUS, The Hill

Headlines

Trump's Attacks on Voting

Axios: Inside the RNC's legal fight over "election integrity"