Latest Stories By Amy Sherman

Midterm ballots in nearly every state include candidates who believe the 2020 election was fraudulent or “stolen.” That leaves American election systems at a pivotal moment: If people who deny Joe Biden won the presidency win their own elections Nov. 8, could they really execute their plans and dismantle the machinery that keeps American democracy running? […]

After much debate in 2018, Floridians decided to amend the state’s constitution so certain felons — once out of prison — could regain the right to vote. Floridians were persuaded that felons who did not commit major crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, should have a say in issues that affect everyday life. Four […]

In a prime-time speech in front of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, President Joe Biden called on Americans to “stop the assault on American democracy” by Republicans who deny the results of the 2020 election. In an unusual pattern for his presidency, Biden mentioned the name of his predecessor, Donald Trump, several times in the speech, warning […]

Los Angeles voters will not decide whether to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón in November because recall supporters didn’t collect enough valid signatures to put a question on the ballot. The failed recall effort has fueled a misleading comparison between rejected general election mail-in ballots in California 2020 and rejected signatures on the […]

A bill on climate change, health care and corporate taxation advances some of the key promises President Joe Biden campaigned on in 2020. But the scaled-back bill also offers a reminder of other Biden campaign promises that had to be pushed off until later, if ever. The bill is expected to receive Biden’s signature in […]

An unsealed search warrant shows that the Justice Department suspects former President Donald Trump of violations of the Espionage Act. Additionally, the warrant that granted the FBI access to Mar-a-Lago says Trump is under investigation for concealing federal records, an offense that could be applied to obstructing justice charges.  The list of items taken by […]

The FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate raises questions about whether a statute that bans the removal of official records could bar Trump from running for president in 2024. Trump said in a statement Aug. 8 that Mar-a-Lago was “currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.”   […]

As election officials continued to tabulate ballots in the days after the Aug. 2 Arizona primary, some social media users raised unfounded suspicions about the count. Kari Lake declared herself the winner of the Republican primary for governor the day after Election Day, her campaign calling it a “blowout.” Although the unofficial results showed Lake […]

When Kari Lake took the stage on election night Aug. 2 in Arizona, partial results showed her leading. But she cast Arizona’s elections as corrupt.  “Why are we in this?” Lake asked. “We are in this because of the corruption, and we need somebody who is honest to turn it around. We knew our elections […]

When many Arizona voters show up to cast a ballot in the Aug. 2 primary, they will be able to choose from several vote centers rather than one assigned precinct. Maricopa County officials predict that 10% to 17% of voters will mark their ballots at one of 210 voting centers. The majority of Arizonans will […]

As a mob overran the seat of American democracy on Jan. 6, 2021, beating police officers with clubs and bats, and calling for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump watched Fox News and ignored pleas from the most inner of his inner circle to call off the crowd. “Donald Trump refused […]

The text of a 135-year-old law — the Electoral Count Act — was just vague enough for former President Donald Trump and his congressional allies to use dubious tactics to try to crash a normally routine process during the presidential election of 2020. Trump’s plan spurred thousands of violent protesters to riot at the Capitol. […]