Wednesday - June 10, 2026
Elections Newsletter for Tuesday April 21, 2026 ( 32 items )  

10 Countries Issue Joint Statement on Libya Unified Budget Agreement
WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following joint statement with Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom on the signing of a unified 2026 budget for Libya: * * * Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America welcome the signing on April 11 of a unified 2026 budget for Libya, the first Libyan national budget in over  more

ACLU-Mich.: Trump Administration's Demand That Wayne County Turn Over Its 2024 Ballots is an Attempt to Undermine Our Elections
DETROIT, Michigan, April 21 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan issued the following news release: * * * The Trump Administration's Demand that Wayne County Turn Over its 2024 Ballots is an Attempt to Undermine Our Elections The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) condemns the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) demand that the Wayne County clerk turn over its 2024 ballots and other election materials within 14 days or face legal action. This demand is part of a pat  more

African Union Commission and KAICIID Sign a Memorandum of Understanding and Host a High-Level Roundtable Discussion on Dialogue-Driven Peacebuilding in Africa
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, April 21 -- The African Union Commission issued the following news release: * * * The African Union Commission and KAICIID Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Host a High-Level Roundtable Discussion on Dialogue-Driven Peacebuilding in Africa The African Union Commission and the International Dialogue Centre - KAICIID signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, marking a decade of official cooperation and setting the te  more

Attorney General Paxton Files Landmark Lawsuit Against ActBlue for Deceiving Americans by Lying About Its Donation Processes that Allow Fraudulent and Foreign Donations
AUSTIN, Texas, April 20 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Paxton Files Landmark Lawsuit Against ActBlue for Deceiving Americans by Lying About Its Donation Processes that Allow Fraudulent and Foreign Donations * Attorney General Ken Paxton sued ActBlue, a major political fundraising platform, for misleading consumers about its unlawful donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations to undermine the integrity of our   more

Bombshell Reporting : Jon Husted's Ties to $61 Million Dollar Bribery Scandal Much Deeper Than Previously Known
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 20 -- The Ohio Democratic Party posted the following news: * * * BOMBSHELL REPORTING: Jon Husted's Ties to $61 Million Dollar Bribery Scandal Much Deeper Than Previously Known COLUMBUS, OHIO -New reporting from the Associated Press reveals that Senator Jon Husted's ties to the FirstEnergy bribery scandal, the largest corruption scheme in Ohio history, are much deeper than previously known. The new reporting reveals that Husted played a key role in negotiating the billi  more

Bulgaria's early parliamentary elections offered voters a genuine choice, but were marked by high levels of polarization and negative rhetoric, international observers say
VIENNA, Austria, April 20 -- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe posted the following news release: * * * Bulgaria's early parliamentary elections offered voters a genuine choice, but were marked by high levels of polarization and negative rhetoric, international observers say * SOFIA, 20 April - Bulgaria's 19 April early parliamentary elections were marked by an increase in participation and were administered transparently and efficiently, despite gaps in the legislativ  more

Center for European Policy Analysis Issues Commentary: Why the Next UN Tech Election Matters
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on April 20, 2026, by non-resident senior fellow Fiona M. Alexander and intern Kevin Farmer, both with the Tech Policy Program: * * * Why the Next UN Tech Election Matters The US must mobilize and work with allies to prevent global Internet, cybersecurity, and AI regulation. * The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has long confined its work to coordinating global communications resourc  more

Congressman Shri Thanedar Condemns Trump's Attempt to Seize Detroit's Ballots
WASHINGTON, April 20 -- Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman Shri Thanedar Condemns Trump's Attempt to Seize Detroit's Ballots * Washington, D.C. - Congressman Shri Thanedar (MI-13) released the following statement on the Trump Justice Department's Demand that Detroit turn over its ballots from the 2024 Presidential Election: "Donald Trump's planned federal seizure of Detroit's ballots is a racially and politically motivated attempt to take a  more

CRC News: The Growing Influence of InfluenceWatch
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Capital Research Center issued the following news on April 20, 2026: * * * CRC News: The growing influence of InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch has become a go-to research reference page for Just the News, the Daily Caller, the California Globe, the Federalist, the Tampa Bay Times and many more. * Washington Examiner - 'Local independent' outlet in Virginia pushing redistricting is owned by Democratic operatives Political advocacy masquerading as unbiased, grassroot  more

CSIS Issues Commentary: Iran's Strait of Hormuz Gambit and the Limits of U.S. Military Power
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary on April 20, 2026, by Daniel Byman, director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program: * * * Iran's Strait of Hormuz Gambit and the Limits of U.S. Military Power The current standoff between the United States and Iran is no longer a clash of capabilities but rather a struggle of political endurance and bargaining leverage. The United States began the conflict with broad,   more

DNC: Republicans Are in Trouble Ahead of the Midterms - And They Know It
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on April 20, 2026: * * * Republicans Are in Trouble Ahead of the Midterms - And They Know It Ahead of the midterm elections, Americans are facing soaring prices on everything from gas to groceries to health care as they foot the bill for Donald Trump's deadly and costly war of choice with Iran -- and voters are fed up. A new poll released yesterday showed Trump's approval rating sinking to the lowest   more

Fordham Political Review Posts Commentary: 21st Century - Our Century of Discontent
BRONX, New York, April 18 -- The Fordham Political Review posted the following commentary by Samuel Speiser: * * * The 21st Century: Our Century of Discontent It all started on December 12th, 2000--the day the United States Supreme Court overturned the 2000 presidential election results and elected George W. Bush president of the United States. Bush v. Gore was decided on nonsensical grounds "limited to the present circumstances" in a partisan 5-4 split, in part by a justice who wanted to ret  more

Fordham Political Review Posts Commentary: From City Hall to Capitol Hill - Why Zohran Mamdani Signals a Democratic Midterm Landslide
BRONX, New York, April 18 -- The Fordham Political Review posted the following commentary by Daniela Cadena Hernandez: * * * From City Hall to Capitol Hill: Why Zohran Mamdani Signals a Democratic Midterm Landslide State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani rose to victory all the way into City Hall. Many assume this campaign to be a local phenomenon and an isolated progressive movement that took over the most famous city in the country. But to consider Mamdani's rise as an individual event is to mi  more

Fordham Political Review Posts Commentary: Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is Indicative of America's Inability to Elect a Female President
BRONX, New York, April 18 -- The Fordham Political Review posted the following commentary by Emma Trauner-Coady: * * * The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is Indicative of America's Inability to Elect a Female President If you're anything like me, the last month of your life has been consumed by "Momtok," a group of women known for their popular TikToks, Mormon upbringings, and reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Like any reality television show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is ch  more

Fordham Political Review Posts Commentary: Trust the Process - How the NBA, Congress, and the Kremlin Learned to Love the Appearance of Reform
BRONX, New York, April 18 -- The Fordham Political Review posted the following commentary by Thomas Tisdale: * * * Trust the Process: How the NBA, Congress, and the Kremlin Learned to Love the Appearance of Reform Every institution eventually faces the same choice: fix the problem or fix the appearance of the problem. The NBA, to its credit, has been refreshingly transparent about which one it is doing. One third of the league is actively tanking--losing games deliberately in pursuit of a hi  more

Governor Polis Signs Bills Into Law
DENVER, Colorado, April 20 -- Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Governor Polis Signs Bills Into Law * DENVER - Today, Governor Polis signed the following bipartisan bills into law administratively. * SB26-009 \- Charitable Organization State Sales & Use Tax, sponsored by Senators William Lindstedt and Marc Snyder, and Representatives Julie McCluskie and Rebekah Stewart. * SB26-014 \- Modification to Defense of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, spons  more

House Oversight & Government Reform Committee: Report Details Illicit Foreign Donations and Mass Resignations at ActBlue
WASHINGTON, April 21 (TNSbrep) -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following news release on April 20, 2026: * * * New Report Details Illicit Foreign Donations and Mass Resignations at ActBlue Today, the Committee on House Administration, the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a joint interim staff report titled, "Fraud on ActBlue, Part II: Illicit Foreign Donations and a Cover  more

ICYMI: Reproductive Freedom For All Knocks Doors in Support of Critical Virginia Voting Rights Ballot Measure
WASHINGTON, April 20 [Category: Political] -- Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly the NARAL Pro-Choice America) posted the following news release: * * * ICYMI: Reproductive Freedom For All Knocks Doors in Support of Critical Virginia Voting Rights Ballot Measure * On Saturday, Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju joined Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, Congressman Don Beyer, and volunteers to kick off a canvass in Woodbridge and Arlington in support of a ball  more

ICYMI: Republicans Plan Big Spending to Keep Ohio's Senate Seat - Bribery Scandal Adds to Their Challenges [Associated Press]
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on April 20, 2026: * * * Apr 20, 2026 ICYMI: Republicans Plan Big Spending to Keep Ohio's Senate Seat. A Bribery Scandal Adds to Their Challenges [Associated Press] Associated Press: "Husted was recently called to testify as a defense witness in the related criminal trial of two former energy executives, testimony he might have to reprise after a hung jury led to a mistrial in the case in   more

Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: Hungarian Elections Will Have Drastic Effects on Georgia
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 20, 2026, by journalist Giorgi Menabde in its Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Hungarian Elections Will Have Drastic Effects on Georgia Executive Summary: * Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated Peter Magyar's victory in Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections, expressing hope for continued Georgian-Hungarian cooperation. He also thanked outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his long  more

Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: Moscow Finds No Escape From Predicament in Partnership With PRC
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 20, 2026, by Pavel K. Baev, senior researcher at the International Peace Research Institute Oslo, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Moscow Finds No Escape From Predicament in Partnership With PRC Executive Summary: * Russia's usually close relationship with the People's Republic of China (PRC) appears to be experiencing a distinct lull. Russia's continued dependence on the PRC implies a r  more

Littler Lightbulb - March 2026 Employment Appellate Roundup
SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 21 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following news: * * * Littler Lightbulb - March 2026 Employment Appellate Roundup At a Glance This Littler Lightbulb highlights some of the more significant employment and labor law developments in the federal courts of appeal in the last month. By Linde Blocher Fourth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Plaintiffs Claims Based on Joint Employer Doctrine The plaintiffs in Hoffman v. Inova Health Care Services, 169 F.4th 207 (  more

MDP Condemns Trump DOJ's Demand for 2024 Ballots
LANSING, Michigan, April 21 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following statement on April 20, 2026: * * * MDP Condemns Trump DOJ's Demand for 2024 Ballots Following the Trump DOJ's baseless and desperate request for Wayne County to turn over its 2024 ballots, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released the following statement: "This baseless demand from the Trump DOJ is yet another egregious attack on Michigan's election integrity. It also exposes Trump and the Michigan  more

Peterson Institute for International Economics Issues Commentary: Why Foreign Policy is the Central Question of Brazil's Next Election
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Peterson Institute for International Economics issued the following commentary on April 20, 2026, by senior fellow Monica de Bolle: * * * Why foreign policy is the central question of Brazil's next election The October election between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, running for a fourth term, and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, running as a proxy for his father, who was convicted and imprisoned for organizing a coup, is not simply a contest between left and right.   more

Ranking Member DeLauro Remarks: FY 2027 Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Markup
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following remarks on April 17, 2026: * * * Ranking Member DeLauro Remarks: Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Markup Today, Republicans on the House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee pushed through, on a party-line vote, a fiscal year 2027 spending bill that cuts IRS enforcement, weakens anti-competi  more

Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Tillis Send Bipartisan Letters to Meta, Alphabet Ahead of Armenian Parliamentary Elections
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on April 20, 2026: * * * Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Tillis Send Bipartisan Letters to Meta, Alphabet Ahead of Armenian Parliamentary Elections Last week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Thom Tillis (R-NC), sent letters to Meta and Alphabet urging them to devote sufficient resou  more

Reps. Budzinski and Pappas Lead 101 House Democrats in Letter to President Trump on Vote-by-Mail Executive Order
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on April 20, 2026: * * * Budzinski and Pappas Lead 101 House Democrats in Letter to President Trump on Vote-by-Mail Executive Order Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 101 Members of Congress in a letter to President Trump raising serious concerns about his Executive Order that would effectively limit vote-by-mail. The Order, signed on March 31, directs  more

VICTORY: Virginia Ends Illegal Voter Purge Program
WASHINGTON, April 20 [Category: Political] -- The Campaign Legal Center posted the following news release: * * * VICTORY: Virginia Ends Illegal Voter Purge Program * On April 17, 2026, the commonwealth of Virginia agreed to stop its illegal voter purge program that disproportionately impacted naturalized citizens on the eve of federal elections. This is a major victory for voters after the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the potential disenfranchisement of over 1,600 eligible Virginians right b  more

Victory: Virginia Ends Illegal Voter Purge Program
WASHINGTON, April 21 [Category: Political] -- The League of Women Voters issued the following news release: * * * Victory: Virginia Ends Illegal Voter Purge Program The commonwealth of Virginia recently agreed to stop its illegal voter purge program that disproportionately impacted naturalized citizens on the eve of federal elections. This is a major victory for voters after the US Supreme Court permitted the potential disenfranchisement of over 1,600 eligible Virginians right before the 2024  more

Voters Now Must 'Declare Allegiance' on Ballot Applications
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 20 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Tennessee Bar Association posted the following commentary blog: * * * Voters Now Must 'Declare Allegiance' on Ballot Applications * Tennessee voters will see new language on primary election ballot applications, which will require them to declare they are a bona fide member of the party whose primary they are voting in, Knox News reports. The language comes from an existing 1972 law, though it is now being highlighted on the ballot   more

What They're Saying: "There's a Storm Coming" - Senate Republicans "Sound the Alarm" as Democrats Create "A Feasible Path" to the Majority
WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release: * * * WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "There's a Storm Coming" - Senate Republicans "Sound the Alarm" as Democrats Create "A Feasible Path" to the Majority New York Times: "[Democrats have] recruited unusually strong candidates in three states that supported Mr. Trump three times: North Carolina, Ohio and Alaska" MS NOW: "Now, just over six months out from Election Day, the herculean suddenly seems p  more

While National News Dominates Headlines, Local Government Shapes Daily Life More Directly, CSUN Prof says
NORTHRIDGE, California, April 20 -- California State University Northridge issued the following news release: * * * While National News Dominates Headlines, Local Government Shapes Daily Life More Directly, CSUN Prof says * In an era when national issues often dominate public attention, some of the most immediate challenges affecting daily life are occurring at the local government level. Local government is responsible for providing essential services, such as public safety, education, inf  more