Politics and views in the United States

The Supreme Court blocks Missouri's redrawn congressional maps for a third time, voters’ confusion may lead to midterm turmoil, and polls show Americans feel democracy is weaker than a decade ago.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The federal courts really can't be changing the rules this close to an election, and they certainly can't be overruling a state court on its own state rules.

Drew Penrose with the non-profit Protect Democracy agrees with U.S. Supreme Court reasoning that it's too late and too confusing for voters from Missouri to use newly drawn congressional districts.

For the third time, the high court blocked the maps, which would have broken up a blue seat.

Nine states have redrawn their maps since the 2024 election, changing nearly 150 districts.

The high court also ruled the administration can use the systematic alien verification for entitlement system to review the citizenship of individual voters.

Critics call that an invasion of privacy and say it lets the White House get too involved in states' constitutionally mandated power to run elections.

They also point out SAVE has regularly marked naturalized citizens for removal from voter rolls incorrectly.

But it's uncertain how many voters could be impacted since federal law banned states from purging voter rolls 90 days before an election.

In another response to President Donald Trump's so far largely fruitless demands for election fraud investigations, the State Department is allowing state and local officials, along with some as-yet-unnamed non-profits, to access passport records to verify voter citizenship.

Before now, passport records weren't used that way, and watchdogs say it's another invasion of privacy to provide access beyond government officials.

The changing rules and legal battles are confusing many and maybe eroding confidence.

Polls show only half of voters expect the midterms to be free and fair.

Minnesota's Itasca County Elections Officer Katie Johnson says the August primary suggests people are responding to the chaos and to the White House's criticism of mail-in voting.

We saw, I would say, at least a 75 percent increase of people coming into the courthouse to physically drop off their ballots rather than send them through the mail.

As the midterms approach, PNS is highlighting important polls.

A new Gallup-Kettering Foundation survey finds slightly less than 6 in 10 Americans say the rule of law is weaker than it was a decade ago.

The report also finds just under 30% feel they can trust U.S. political leaders will be held accountable to the nation's law and constitution, down a third from a year ago.

Derek Barker with Kettering says other data confirms people lack faith in democracy and the current strength of checks and balances.

A strong majority is saying that separation of powers, so these institutions and the systems that we've developed to check each other, Most people are saying that that's not working.

Leaders of Alaska's native community want to restore the power of the state's indigenous voters heading into the midterms.

Once a powerful voting bloc, it weakened as younger generations became less politically active.

As recently as the early 80s, some villages had 80 percent voter turnout, making them an electoral force.

Now it's closer to 30 percent.

Michelle Spark with Get Out Native Vote for Alaska Federation of Natives says indigenous leaders are encouraging native villagers to carry on the tradition of democracy established by their elders.

How difficult is it to convince a dozen of your friends and neighbors in a small community to invest in making informed decisions and testimony and willingness to serve?

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.