BoltsMag.org

We cover the nuts and bolts of power and political change, from the local up. Boltsmag.org

Visit us: Boltsmag.org

Last Notes

2025-09-07 13:00:08 UTC

After over 500 hearings, lawyer Douglas Jennings quit representing clients before the South Carolina Parole Board, citing the board's consistent rejections. "I just couldn’t justify taking somebody’s money," he told Bolts.
https://boltsmag.org/parole-plunges-in-south-carolina/

2025-08-21 19:00:05 UTC

Our weekly newsletter will keep you up to date on the local politics and policies of criminal justice and voting rights. We outline news you need to know and share behind-the-scenes views of some of our biggest stories. Join us:
https://boltsmag.org/newsletter/

2025-08-06 02:14:06 UTC

JUST IN: Democrats have defended two legislative seats today in special elections.
They easily prevailed in an election for Rhode Island's state Senate, and narrowly prevailed in an election for Delaware's state House.

2025-07-25 13:00:11 UTC

“This guy has clearly stated what his values are, and we’re going to completely ignore that and put the Democratic enforcement on him?” says a Virginia Democrat who opposes her party’s decision to endorse a “pro-Trump, pro-ICE” sheriff.
https://boltsmag.org/chesapeake-sheriff-election-democratic-endorsement-rosado/

2025-04-01 22:00:04 UTC

In Arkansas, organizers working on ballot initiatives already face a mountain of technical rules to satisfy — down to the color of ink that notaries must use on petitions. The state government just passed a barrage of new laws to make this even tougher. https://boltsmag.org/new-rules-from-gop-legislature-target-arkansas-ballot-initiatives/

2025-03-21 13:03:13 UTC

A December audit of Utah’s elections found just two improper votes among 2 million ballots cast statewide. Yet Republican lawmakers cited “election integrity” concerns in pushing to roll back vote-by-mail. https://boltsmag.org/utah-legislation-ending-universal-vote-by-mail/

2025-02-23 14:30:00 UTC

Robert McWhirter, an expert in constitutional and immigration law, is not aware of any past instance in which a local law enforcement official has faced federal charges for not complying with an ICE directive. And yet the DOJ is threatening prosecutions. https://boltsmag.org/new-york-sheriff-faces-ice-threats-on-immigration-enforcement-in-ithaca/

2025-02-17 02:00:13 UTC

“We need to make sure that eligible voters are able to exercise their right to vote without having to jump through a lot of unnecessary hoops,” Susan Crawford, who is running for the state supreme court in Wisconsin, told Bolts. https://boltsmag.org/wisconsin-2025-supreme-court-election-democracy/

2025-02-14 14:00:00 UTC

Florida’s governor has removed elected officials before. New legislation gives him more leeway to do so to force local governments to comply with ICE instructions.
https://boltsmag.org/florida-republicans-immigration-deal/

2025-01-15 20:30:00 UTC

A federal appeals court is set to hear a GOP attempt to invalidate 60,000 ballots in the race for a seat on North Carolina’s top court, NC Newsline reports: https://ncnewsline.com/2025/01/10/a-federal-appeals-court-will-hear-the-nc-supreme-court-elections-case/

2024-11-25 00:00:00 UTC

With no reentry support, Phillip Vance Smith was released from prison into homelessness. His story echoes thousands of others, writing in Bolts that 1 in 6 people left North Carolina prisons last year “as hopelessly as I did” with nowhere to turn.
https://boltsmag.org/north-carolina-prison-reentry/

2024-11-21 21:00:00 UTC

In New Jersey, 25% of Black adults are barred from ever serving on a jury.
“We’re whitewashing a space that’s disproportionately affecting Black and brown communities,” said one lawyer. “Which calls into question: who is getting a jury of one’s peers?”
https://boltsmag.org/new-jersey-juries-service-people-with-criminal-convictions/

2024-09-30 14:30:00 UTC

La Shae Henderson, a former public defender running for judge in Los Angeles, wants to see the principles of youth justice apply to adults. She wants to focus on rehabilitation and restorative practices, telling Bolts it “would prevent more recidivism.” https://boltsmag.org/judge-elections-in-los-angeles-2024/

2024-09-25 22:00:00 UTC

In Los Angeles, a new set of public defenders is running for judge in November. Their goal? They insist that the job of a judge should be more about finding creative solutions to foster rehabilitation than doling out punishment. https://boltsmag.org/judge-elections-in-los-angeles-2024/