Too Big to Ignore: Will of the People Weekly — Week of July 20, 2026
What you need to know this week: DHS orders states onto a judge-blocked citizenship database or lose funding, a court lets USPS advance Trump's anti-mail-voting order, the DOJ takes its 16th straight voter-roll loss, and Arizona votes Tuesday.
Trump and his cronies are working to rig the game because they can't win a fair fight — but voters pick our leaders, not the other way around. Here's what you need to know this week.
This week, Trump, his administration, and the officials doing his bidding to keep themselves in power are continuing their push to stop voters from picking our leaders. On Thursday night, Trump used a primetime address to once again spread blatant lies from the presidential bully pulpit. Now, the federal government is implementing Trump's demands. Homeland Security has told states to run their rolls through a judge-blocked federal citizenship database or lose their election-security funding, and gave secretaries of state two weeks to fall in line or face possible prosecution.
Elsewhere, in the courts, a judge recently allowed the USPS to move forward with Trump's efforts to end mail-in voting by executive order, and voting rights groups may be seeking to halt the order this week. The DOJ may also try to appeal a case seeking Connecticut's unredacted voter rolls. Meanwhile, in the states, Arizona is set to hold its primary elections on Tuesday as South Carolina candidates tee up to enter the special election to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham. What happens next is up to us, not them. When all of us show up, the will of the people wins. Try and stop us.
In the Administration
DHS Threatens State Officials With Funding Rollbacks and Possible Prison Time
DHS is threatening state officials with funding rollbacks and possible prison time if they don't run voter rolls through a citizenship database. On Friday, July 17, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told states they must run their voter lists through a federal citizenship database or risk losing the cybersecurity support CISA provides for their elections — even though use of the database has been blocked by a federal judge. He also sent letters to secretaries of state claiming more than 250,000 potential noncitizens sit on the rolls of four states and gave them two weeks to respond, threatening possible prison time and federal grant losses.
In the Courts
NAACP v. USPS (U.S. District Court in D.C.)
The NAACP sued to block the USPS's draft rule aimed at implementing Trump's March 31 executive order restricting mail voting. Three weeks ago, a federal judge halted the USPS's draft implementation from moving forward, but the DOJ appealed to the D.C. Circuit. On Friday, the appeals court allowed the USPS to move forward for now, blocking the lower court's injunction.
League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump (U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts)
Eight voting rights groups sued over Trump's March 31 executive order directing USPS to build “approved mail voter” lists and refuse certain ballots. Weeks ago, voting rights groups sought an injunction to pause the executive order, but the court denied it because of the NAACP v. USPS injunction. Now that the NAACP injunction has been overturned, voting rights groups may seek a new injunction this week.
United States of America v. Thomas (U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut)
On Friday, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Connecticut denied the Justice Department's demand for the state's unredacted voter rolls, ruling the statewide list is not covered by the 1960 Civil Rights Act the DOJ invoked. This is the 16th straight loss for the DOJ in cases seeking states' unredacted voter rolls. The DOJ may try to appeal to the First Circuit this week.
In the States
North Carolina
A sweeping anti-voter election bill (HB 958), which passed the state House and is opposed by the ACLU of North Carolina, is awaiting action in the state Senate.
Upcoming Elections & Deadlines
Tuesday, July 21
Arizona primary.
Filing opens for South Carolina's U.S. Senate special GOP primary to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Don’t read the next headline alone.
Get rapid-response alerts and the real story behind the headlines, straight to your inbox.
Get InvolvedKeep Reading
Too Big To Ignore: Will of the People Weekly
The House is back in session this week, but the real fight over our ballots is happening in the courts. Trump’s anti-voter mail-ballot order is currently frozen.
Read MoreToo Big To Ignore: Will of the People Weekly
On Friday night, the Postal Service quietly finalized a rule that would let it refuse to deliver ballots to voters who aren’t on a federally approved list.
Read MoreToo Big To Ignore: Will of the People Weekly
Congress is still out of town this week, but the fight isn’t on recess.
Read More