American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Jan. 23, 2026

Think Your Mail-in Ballot Gets Automatically Postmarked on the Day You Drop it Off? Think Again.
Most Americans assume that postal mail is postmarked the day it is received. But in August 2025, the U.S. Postal Service clarified its rules for “Postmarks and Postal Possession.” While the post office says it hasn’t changed its policy, its new definition has ramifications for your mailed financial and tax documents, and importantly, your absentee or mail-in ballot.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Postal Service - Federal Register Notice of Additional Postmarking Information
National Conference of State Legislatures - How the New USPS Postmark Changes Could Affect Mail Voting
PBS News Hour - How this new mail rule could affect your ballot, your tax return and more
National Society of Tax Professionals - USPS Announces Changes to the Postmark Date System
Save the Post Office - Implementation Update on the USPS Processing Network
Votebeat Texas - Postal Service changes mean Texas voters shouldn’t wait to mail voter registrations and ballots
U.S. Postal Service - Postmarking Myths and Facts
American Postal Workers Union -

Groups Taking Action:

National Vote at Home Institute, Save the Post Office, American Postal Workers Union

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #USPS #VotefromHome #PostmarkRules #MailBallots #PostalDelays

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Jan. 22, 2026

DOJ Filing Suggests a DOGE Employee May Have Created External Social Security Data Files and Had Contact with Election Denier Group
New lawsuit filings allege a member of Elon Musk’s DOGE team may have created an external file containing personal Social Security information. That month, that employee and another were allegedly contacted by a “political advocacy group” attempting to find evidence of voter fraud.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

AFL-CIO - (2025) AFL-CIO, Affiliate Unions, Economic Policy Institute File Emergency Lawsuit Against DOGE to Protect Privacy of Worker Data
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (via Court Listener) - (2025) American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO v. Social Security Administration
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (via Court Listener) - American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO v. Social Security Administration NOTICE OF CORRECTIONS TO THE RECORD
FedScoop - DOGE likely violated order on Social Security data, court filing shows

Groups Taking Action:

AFL-CIO, Economic Policy Institute, SEIU

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #SocialSecurityData #DOGE #ElonMusk #PrivacyAct #DonaldTrump #SocialSecurity #ElectionDeniers

American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Jan. 21, 2026

Redistricting Updates: CA GOP Appeals Prop 50 Maps to SCOTUS, VA Dems Push Constitutional Amendment, NH’s Bill Doomed, MD Stalemated

We have mid-decade congressional redistricting updates today from California, Virginia, New Hampshire and Maryland. The GOP appealed California’s case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

National Conference of State Legislatures - Changing the Maps: Tracking Mid-Decade Redistricting
U.S. DISTRICT COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA (via Election Law Blog) - PLAINTIFFS’ EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR AN INJUNCTION PENDING APPEAL
Virginia Mercury - Virginia Senate Democrats advance mid-decade redistricting amendment
AFT NH - HB 1300 was originally slated to be a mid-decade congressional redistricting bill but . . .
Associated Press - Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore pushes the case for redrawing the state’s congressional map

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause US, League of Women Voters US, Bipartisan Policy Center

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network's Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #Redistricting #Gerrymandering #MidDecadeRedistricting #TrumpGerrymandering #CongressionalDistricts #FairMaps