A win for voters in Arizona. North Carolina decision targets students. Mississippi voter suppression bill — here’s what’s happening.
Welcome back to The Good, The Bad, The Ugly — your go-to source for the latest in voting rights. In Arizona, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear multiple lawsuits seeking to change election rules. In North Carolina, a federal court upheld a law that allows a ballot to be challenged if just one piece of election mail sent to the voter’s address is marked as undeliverable. And in Mississippi, the governor has signed the SHIELD Act into law, a voter suppression bill that could make it harder to cast a ballot for 80% of Mississippi voters.
So, buckle up as we break down the wins, the setbacks, and the urgent fights ahead in the battle for our democracy.
The Good
The Arizona Supreme Court has rejected three lawsuits that sought to change how elections are run — including efforts that could have restricted mail-in ballot verification, weakened the rules governing early voting and election certification, and more. By declining to hear the cases, the court leaves lower court rulings in place, keeping key protections for voters.
These lawsuits are part of ongoing efforts across the country to challenge election systems, particularly in battleground states like Arizona. With this decision, existing processes remain in place, providing consistency for voters and election officials ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
What’s next? For now, Arizona voters can expect to use the same voting options and follow the same rules already in place.
The Bad
In North Carolina, a federal court has upheld a law that allows election officials to cancel the registration and ballot of a voter who registered during early voting if just one piece of election mail sent to their address is marked as undeliverable. Previously, the law required at least two attempts to reach voters.
The rule mainly affects young voters — especially college students. Since many young people move more often or vote while living away from home, they may be more likely to miss a mailed verification notice, putting their ballot at risk.
What’s next? The law will be enforced, starting with the 2026 midterm elections.
The Ugly
In Mississippi, the SHIELD Act has been signed into law, requiring the state to conduct regular citizenship checks of its voter rolls. While non-citizen voting is extremely rare, the law would:
- Require the state to submit all voter registration records to a federal immigration database each year
- Require voters flagged in the process to verify their citizenship within 30 days
- Require some voters to spend time and money obtaining additional documents to remain eligible
This voter suppression bill will make it harder to vote for roughly 80% of Mississippi voters who do not have a passport and up to 647,000 people whose birth certificates may not match their current names.
What’s next? This bill will take effect on July 1 and remain in place for the November elections.