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This Week in Democracy

• The Justice Department will “aggressively investigate and prosecute those who threaten election workers,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. At a meeting of the department’s Election Threats Task Force, Garland noted the dramatic increase in threats to election officials. He said the department is monitoring the spread of disinformation about the November elections.
• Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York could soon be in the hands of the jury. Justice Juan Merchan said closing arguments could begin as soon as Tuesday.
• Trump and President Biden agreed to hold two campaign debates. CNN will host the first on June 27, and ABC will host the second on Sept. 10.
• The man who attacked Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in 2022 was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.

State of the States

In Arizona, a judge dismissed a lawsuit that attempted to invalidate the state’s election procedures manual, a lengthy document that lays out in detail how elections are run in the state. The suit, brought by the Republican National Committee, the Republican Party of Arizona, and the Yavapai County Republican Party, is one of several ongoing lawsuits challenging aspects of the Manual. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said after the suit was dismissed: “We used this manual to effectively run the presidential preference election in March and will continue using the EPM to ensure fair elections in the upcoming primary and general” elections.

In Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court heard arguments on whether to restore absentee ballot drop boxes as an option for Wisconsin voters. In a 2022 decision, the court held that state law did not permit clerks to use secure drop boxes they had used to receive absentee ballots in prior elections. The justices on Monday seemed inclined to reverse the 2022 court decision and allow the use of drop boxes across the state, including those used in parts of the state for decades. Gov. Tony Evers filed a brief in the case in April urging the court to reverse the 2022 decision ahead of this year’s elections. “Drop box voting is safe and secure, and there is nothing in Wisconsin’s election laws that prohibit our local clerks from using this secure option,” Evers said in a statement.

In the News

• Cosmopolitan: Presenting: The Help Elected Women Really Need

The States United Democracy Center also offers anti-political-violence resources to state and local officials.

• The New York Times: Will You Accept the Election Results? Republicans Dodge the Question.
• Politico: Felons or dupes? Treatment of Trump’s fake electors has varied wildly by state
• Reuters: Trump ally Powell says she'll pay sanctions after latest ruling in election case
• CNN: Appeals court denies Trump’s latest request to overturn hush money trial gag order
• CNN: Arizona officials say they can’t find Rudy Giuliani to serve him with indictment notice
• KTAR: Arizona fake electors tried ‘to undermine American democracy,’ state’s top prosecutor alleges
• The Nevada Independent: Clark, Washoe election officials hope new technology will speed up ballot processing pace
• NOLA.com: Louisiana will have 2 Black majority districts for fall elections, US Supreme Court decides
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Opinion): Stop the delays in Fani Willis’s election interference case

Clip of the Week

A CBS News investigation found 80 Election Deniers working in election oversight positions in seven key states. CBS visited Washoe County, Nevada, where Commissioner Clara Andriola, a Republican, is working to keep election denial at bay.