Taniel
@taniel.bsky.social
210K followers 380 following 7.5K posts
Daniel Nichanian. Editor in chief of @boltsmag.org (follow us!). Elections, (local) politics, voting rights, criminal justice, and drag race.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Taniel
waldo.net
The Supreme Court is so illegitimate that cases are often about fictional matters with plaintiffs who have been harmed in no way, now to the point where they are not aware that they are plaintiffs in a Supreme Court case.
brianlyman.bsky.social
“One of them, Albert ‘Skip’ Caissie Jr., 78, said in a phone interview that he wasn’t aware that he was involved in a Supreme Court case.”
Who Are the Louisiana Voters Behind a Major Supreme Court Challenge?
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Taniel
boltsmag.org
November is fast approaching, and with it thousands of local races all around the country that will shape public policy. So we want to hear from you, our readers: What questions do you have about any of the elections that will be decided next month?
What’s on the Ballot this Fall: Send Us Your Questions
We just released our guide to November’s elections. Now it’s your turn: ask us anything about this busy election cycle.
boltsmag.org
Reposted by Taniel
jonahshai.bsky.social
Resisting arrest has long been used as a “cover charge” by police (in Chicago and elsewhere) after they use force against someone, as I reported back in 2018: www.chicagoreporter.com/chicago-poli...
Reposted by Taniel
the-downballot.com
Pretty wild stuff here reported by the @kansasreflector.com.

GOP leaders are pushing their members to convene a special session to gerrymander the KS House map, but now they say there's an even more important reason: stopping trans Kansans from changing gender markers on their driver's licenses.
taniel.bsky.social
But remember the governor has no veto power over maps, so very much a self-perpetuating GOP gerrymander dynamic.
taniel.bsky.social
North Carolina Republicans announced today they’re going to pass a new congressional map to draw a Dem out of Congress; they already did last cycle, going from 7-7 to 10-4. Thus would be 11-3. t.co/XLJIhe8vZn
Reposted by Taniel
taniel.bsky.social
Folks: I want to hear from you.

We’re running a mailbag about next month’s elections at Bolts: I hope to answer a bunch more questions that our readers have on what’s on the ballot, & why it matters.

Let me know if you have a question with a reply here ⬇️! (Idiosyncratic niche questions welcome!)
taniel.bsky.social
What state are you in, out of curiosity/to focus the question!
Reposted by Taniel
guyoron.net
NEW: In the hotly contested Seattle mayoral race, homelessness has become a fault line. Challenger Katie Wilson criticizes incumbent Bruce Harrell’s record, which includes carrying out more than 6,000 sweeps of homeless encampments.
Read my full article in @boltsmag.org:
boltsmag.org/seattle-mayo...
In Seattle Mayoral Race, Tensions Between Crackdown and Compassion on Homelessness - Bolts
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has ramped up sweeps of homeless encampments in his first term. In his reelection bid, he faces a progressive challenger who wants to curb them.
boltsmag.org
taniel.bsky.social
Would it be of interest for you if we looked into tackling your original question as part of our Ask Bolts? boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
taniel.bsky.social
Folks: I want to hear from you.

We’re running a mailbag about next month’s elections at Bolts: I hope to answer a bunch more questions that our readers have on what’s on the ballot, & why it matters.

Let me know if you have a question with a reply here ⬇️! (Idiosyncratic niche questions welcome!)
Reposted by Taniel
kindlesnclowders.bsky.social
Are there elections in your community or state this year? A good list of interesting races.

#douglascounty #colorado caught my eye
In reference to school board elections:
Douglas County, Colorado
Conservatives enjoy a 4 to 3 majority in Douglas  County, one of Colorado's largest school districts, and the right-wing bloc has sided with anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and undermined a state health survey. This fall,
(to be continued) (continued) 
the elections are ostensibly non-partisan, a GOp-supported slate (Keaton Gambill, Dede Kramer, Matt Smith, Steve Vail) faces a Democratic-supported slate (Clark Callahan, Kelly Denzler, Kryzia Parker, Tony Ryan).
taniel.bsky.social
in which a sitting justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court seems to imply he’s worried about whether there’ll be a presidential race in 2028 boltsmag.org/pennsylvania...
Speculating on Republican motivations, Dougherty said at his Chestnut Hill event that he expects the court to continue playing a major role in election law: “The theory is that we have to deal with a congressional election in 2026, and there’s preparation regarding gerrymandering for the next presidential election—should there be one.”
Reposted by Taniel
boltsmag.org
In Alabama, incarcerated workers in a work-release program must take jobs at private companies—but 40% of their wages are docked as a “labor-trafficking fee.” A recent lawsuit brought by incarcerated people argues this is a modern form of convict leasing.
The Past and Present of Prison Labor: Your Questions Answered
A historian answers <i>Bolts</i> readers’ questions on the deep roots of forced labor in U.S. prisons, how it operates today, and efforts to challenge it.
boltsmag.org
Reposted by Taniel
suha1001.bsky.social
This is a great source for directing your funds to individual races.
taniel.bsky.social
need Sunday reading? explore what's on the ballot next month!

I put together the 180+ key races you should know about, across 32 states.

so explore, & find the ones that interest you the most, here: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...

and let me highlight three under-radar races, in 🧵 below. ⬇️
taniel.bsky.social
No one thinks the far right may be weaker today than in 2024; the left has a chance to flip back the district, for sure, but the fact that the anti-far-right front didn’t get worse since last year is nothing to spit at…
taniel.bsky.social
For anyone who needs more election results: there was a much-watched parliamentary special election in France today, for a seat the far-right had won in something of an upset over the left in 2024. The far-right won again by the same margin, 52/48.
taniel.bsky.social
And who also waited until Trump got into power to retire.
mikesacks.bsky.social
Justice Anthony Kennedy tells @npr.org's @ninatotenberg.bsky.social "very worried" about our country, and that "Democracy is not guaranteed to survive."

Kennedy wrote Citizens United and was the fifth vote in the rest of the Roberts Court's anti-democratic decisions.

www.npr.org/2025/09/27/n...
taniel.bsky.social
we just received a surprise generous donation to bolts today so I want to say thank you to everyone who reads us and everyone who has decided to support us—we love that you see our value and sustain us!