Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Aug 28

CEIR Executive Director David Becker (@beckerdavidj.bsky.social) spoke to Source NM about threats facing US elections:

"I think we’re going to need to be very vigilant to make sure that things we took for granted in our history continue to happen."

sourcenm.com/2025/08/27/r...

Rocking the Vote • Source New Mexico

Federal requests for states' voter rolls prompt questions about what they intend to use the information for ahead of the 2026 midterms

sourcenm.com

3 4

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Aug 26

“The hiring of an election conspiracy theorist with no election knowledge or expertise is the culmination of this reversal,” Becker said. “DHS now appears poised to become a primary amplifier of false election conspiracies pushed by our enemies.”

Doug Bock Clark @dougbockclark.bsky.social · Aug 26

1/ A high-profile rightwing activist, who pushed to overturn Trump’s loss in 2020, has been appointed to a top position in the Department of Homeland Security helping oversee U.S. election security, I reported for @propublica.org‬.

🧵👇

www.propublica.org/article/heat...

She Pushed to Overturn Trump’s Loss in the 2020 Election. Now She’ll Help Oversee U.S. Election Security.

Heather Honey has been appointed to a senior position in the Department of Homeland Security. State election officials and voting experts are concerned.

www.propublica.org

1 2 4

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Aug 21

Paper ballots are a best practice, but 98% of all Americans already vote on paper ballots, and have since 2020. Only state without paper - Louisiana. Perhaps the president should talk to the Speaker about his own state.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Aug 21

Trump says “politics is over” if Republicans gerrymander and ban mail voting before the midterms

Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself. Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing. More seats equals less Crime, a great Economy, and a STRONG SECOND AMENDMENT. It means Happiness and Peace. But Republicans, there is one thing even better - STOP MAIL-IN VOTING, a total fraud that has no bounds. Also, go to PAPER BALLOTS before it is too late - At one tenth the cost, faster, and more reliable. If we do these TWO things, we will pick up 100 more seats, and the CROOKED game of politics is over. God Bless America!!!

2 4

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Aug 18

🧵

Trump today teased his latest attempt to interfere with the state's constitutional power to regulate elections. The President and his advisors should direct their attention to Article 1, Section 4, of the Constitution which he's sworn to preserve, protect, and defend. /1

2 4 11

Reposted by Joan Greve

The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) @electioninnov.bsky.social · Aug 12

As we celebrate National Poll Worker Recruitment Day today, poll workers' service is more vital than ever.

One of the best ways to learn about why our elections are secure is to become a part of them, CEIR Executive Director @beckerdavidj.bsky.social said.

3 2

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Aug 12

Today, CEIR is celebrating the hundreds of thousands of poll workers who make our elections possible, and we encourage you to consider joining them!

The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) @electioninnov.bsky.social · Aug 12

Happy National Poll Worker Recruitment Day! Today, CEIR honors those who make our elections possible.

"I encourage all of you to serve your communities and volunteer to be a poll worker." -CEIR Executive Director @beckerdavidj.bsky.social

1

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Aug 11

Thanks to @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social for highlighting CEIR's work with election officials!

Hundreds of officials have attended our monthly webinars to address their concerns about the "unprecedented level of federal interference in state election processes," @beckerdavidj.bsky.social said.

Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · Aug 10

Donald Trump's DOJ and Republicans are building the machine now to meddle in the 2026 midterm elections 15 months from now. My USA Today column:
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

Midterms are more than a year away, but Trump is already challenging them | Opinion

Trump's loss in 2020 taught him to cast doubt on our elections well before Election Day. His DOJ sycophants are starting now, with an eye on 2026.

www.usatoday.com

2

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Aug 8

Without knowing where boundaries will be drawn, Texas election officials won’t be able to finalize decisions about polling locations or the number of election workers needed, @nataliaecm.bsky.social notes.

Redistricting could force them to scrap months of work. www.texastribune.org/2025/08/08/t...

Texas redistricting standoff complicates preparations for March 2026 primary

New maps would mean months of work for election officials, and key deadlines are approaching.

www.texastribune.org

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Aug 8

Redistricting could further burden election officials in Texas, @nataliaecm.bsky.social reports.

"In a typical redistricting cycle year, the process of adapting to new maps is labor-intensive for election officials and takes months." www.texastribune.org/2025/08/08/t...

Texas redistricting standoff complicates preparations for March 2026 primary

New maps would mean months of work for election officials, and key deadlines are approaching.

www.texastribune.org

1 1 1

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Aug 1

““This is at its core a federalism issue,” said David Becker, the executive director and founder of CEIR. He warned that if Republican states don’t also defend their roles in that system, a future Democratic administration might want all this data and power, too.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/u...

States Have More Data About You Than the Feds Do. Trump Wants to See It.

www.nytimes.com

2 2

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Jul 17

The DOJ is asking Rhode Island to hand over sensitive voter roll info, @mattdcohen.bsky.social reports.

“The criminal division has very limited jurisdiction over election officials, virtually none under federal law,” said @beckerdavidj.bsky.social. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Criminal Prosecutors Hunting Fraud Want Rhode Island To Hand Over Voter Information

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

2 1

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Jul 16

“More than 350 election officials from at least 33 states joined a conference call Monday to learn more from Becker’s group and Democratic and Republican lawyers about the potential implications of the administration’s moves."

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Jul 16

As I said in this piece, “This is an extraordinary imposition of federal power over states’ election processes that, if it is accepted by the states in this context, will be absolutely used by Democrats in another context.”

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

DOJ hits states with broad requests for voter rolls, election data

Election clerks in both parties, who have been subject to harassment and lawsuits over Trump’s 2020 false election claims, worry about efforts to examine their voting machines.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Jul 3

🧵

@nytimes.com reported yesterday that Trump was urging the DOJ to investigate election officials for alleged crimes in failing to secure election systems. This doomed and twisted effort seems part of a larger scheme to sow distrust in upcoming elections. /1

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/u...

Justice Dept. Explores Using Criminal Charges Against Election Officials

www.nytimes.com

1 3 5

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Jun 24

"AVID isn’t even a system,” @beckerdavidj.bsky.social said.

“The question isn’t, is this some evil system resulting in voter suppression? The question is, is this AVID thing just a distraction from their failure to conduct good list maintenance?” www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Red States Struggle to Build New Systems to Share Voter Data

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Jun 24

Back in 2023, a host of Republican-led states left a successful inter-state compact for sharing voter registration data and keeping their rolls up to date.

Two years later, those efforts appear largely to have failed, @yuniorarivas.bsky.social reports.

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Red States Struggle to Build New Systems to Share Voter Data

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

1 3 3

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Jun 10

"It’s not fair to our service members or the American people to put them in this untenable position to score political points.

"What’s more, deploying service members into partisan, highly charged domestic situations risks politicizing the military." www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/sowing-con...

Sowing confusion in LA with the military

How to respond to an unnecessary crisis

www.ifyoucankeepit.org

1

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · Jun 10

"The National Guard is trained to support national defense and respond to emergencies like natural disasters — not to act as a domestic police force," Ariela Rosenberg, @jonsteinman.bsky.social and @rlullo.bsky.social write. open.substack.com/pub/protectd...

Sowing confusion in LA with the military

How to respond to an unnecessary crisis

open.substack.com

2 1 6

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Jun 3

So after years of bluster, incl yesterday on the courthouse steps, Lindell joins the long list of others (Giuliani, Lake, Fox News) who, when offered the chance to present evidence - in court - of their claims of alleged election fraud, conceded and ran away.

Kyle Clark @kylec.bsky.social · Jun 3

NEW: Attorneys for MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell said in opening statements at his defamation trial in Denver that they won’t present evidence of his claim that the 2020 election was rigged. “It’s just words. All Mike Lindell did was talk,” said Lindell’s attorney. #copolitics

5 40 100

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · May 29

I hope you'll read this important note from our executive director, @beckerdavidj.bsky.social, and please sign up for our newsletter to get more updates from CEIR (@electioninnov.bsky.social). electioninnovation.org/update/newsl...

2

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · May 27

Lawsuits have failed to demonstrate that ExpressVote XLs and similar machines are not secure. Meanwhile, there is “a ton of evidence” that the machines tally votes correctly, @beckerdavidj.bsky.social, executive director of @electioninnov.bsky.social, told @emiliemunson.bsky.social.

Emilie Munson @emiliemunson.bsky.social · May 27

Some New York counties are now buying and starting to use a controversial new voting machine. But a lawsuit, state legislation and even a Trump executive order all threaten to block voters from using it
www.timesunion.com/capitol/arti...

Controversial voting machine gaining use in NY elections

The ExpressVote XL voting machines was used in elections in Monroe County. Erie and Orange counties also bought them. Suffolk and Nassau weigh purchases.

www.timesunion.com

1

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · May 23

"Several of the dinner guests, in interviews with The New York Times, said that they attended the event with the explicit intent of influencing Mr. Trump and U.S. financial regulations." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...

Hundreds Join Trump at ‘Exclusive’ Dinner, With Dreams of Crypto Fortunes in Mind

www.nytimes.com

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · May 22

And @beckerdavidj.bsky.social added, "There is an effort to use the institutions that have previously been used to support our democracy [like the DOJ] to delegitimize some aspects of it now."

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Ed Martin Was Too Extreme for GOP Senators. Now He’s Targeting Trump’s Enemies at the DOJ

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

1 2

Joan Greve @joanegreve.bsky.social · May 22

"It appears that this disinformation and these frivolous investigations that are supposedly being initiated are designed to destabilize our democracy and create doubt about future elections," @beckerdavidj.bsky.social told @mattdcohen.bsky.social.

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Ed Martin Was Too Extreme for GOP Senators. Now He’s Targeting Trump’s Enemies at the DOJ

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

1 1 1

Reposted by Joan Greve

David Becker @beckerdavidj.bsky.social · Apr 24

Judge Kollar-Kotelly: "Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States—not the President—with the authority to regulate federal elections. And no statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order."

Jessica Huseman @jessicahuseman.bsky.social · Apr 24

www.votebeat.org/2025/04/24/t...

Trump’s executive order on elections is partly blocked

The president had asserted authority to regulate voting that the Constitution grants explicitly to Congress and the states. Said the court: “Executive regulatory authority over federal elections does ...

www.votebeat.org

5 8

Reposted by Joan Greve

Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · Apr 18

My piece today for @protectdemocracy.org grapples with what it means that there's no hard line between constitutional and unconstitutional government — a slide, not a Rubicon.

I touch on court orders, the Insurrection Act, and more. Welcome feedback as others grapple with these hard questions 👇

Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · Apr 18

Out Today: The president is testing how much the judiciary still meaningfully constrains him. In our briefing, we cover how to read the struggle between Trump and the judiciary, plus outline how the third branch is standing up and fighting for itself. www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/there-is-n...

APRIL 18, 2025
There is no Rubicon.
Navigating the descent into lawlessness

6 21