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FBI raid of Ohio voting rights group stokes fear of pre-midterm crackdown

Agents seized phones and laptops of Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a group that does voter registration work

The FBI raided the office of a voting rights group in Ohio on Thursday, prompting immediate concerns the Trump administration is cracking down on such organizations ahead of the midterm elections.

FBI agents raided the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a grassroots group that does voter registration work, said Prentiss Haney, a board member of the group. Agents seized computers and phones, he said, and also showed up at homes of people affiliated with the group throughout the state and interviewed them.

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© Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

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‘Where can we find hope?’: your questions about the US supreme court’s voting rights decision answered

Guardian reporters Fabiola Cineas and Adria Walker held a Reddit Q&A about Louisiana v Callais – here’s a rundown

In April, the supreme court’s decision in Louisiana v Callais struck a massive blow to the Voting Rights Act, eliminating a key provision that gave minority voters representation in Congress.

Within days of the decision, Republican-led states in the south moved to redraw congressional maps to erase majority-Black districts. Some of those maps have already gone into effect ahead of the midterms.

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© Illustration: Guardian Design

© Illustration: Guardian Design

© Illustration: Guardian Design

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Republicans split on following Trump’s demands for restrictive voting bill

US president urges congressional Republicans to use budget reconciliation procedure to enact his priorities

Donald Trump has demanded that congressional Republicans get to work on a party-line measure that would ensure defense spending reaches its highest level in decades and also make a likely fruitless attempt to impose a host of new restrictions on voters nationwide.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, the president said he was “calling on Republicans in Congress to IMMEDIATELY advance and pass the forthcoming $350 Billion Reconciliation Bill”, which would also include the Save America Act, a rightwing makeover of elections that his allies in Congress have sought to pass for months, without success.

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© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/Aaron Schwartz - Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/Aaron Schwartz - Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/Aaron Schwartz - Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

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Democrats demand Trump ‘guarantee’ Bill Pulte will not serve as acting intelligence director after Clayton nomination – as it happened

This live blog is now closed.

The US supreme court has published its opinions, but none of the cases we’ve been watching for were part of the decisions today.

In comments reported by NBC News, House speaker Mike Johnson has said it is “stunning” to him that “House Democrat leadership has put out a statement saying that they’re willing to allow the number one national security tool to go dark over some political disagreement over a very short-term temporary appointment”.

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© Photograph: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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A conservative California county is trying to kill mail-in voting

Shasta county passes measure requiring elections to be held in person on one day and limiting absentee ballots

Northern California’s Shasta county, best known for its radical conservative politics and thriving election-skeptic movement, appears on track for another clash with the state over a newly approved ballot measure that would transform local elections.

In last Tuesday’s election, the majority of voters in the rural county backed Measure B, which requires elections to be held in person on a single day and limits who can cast an absentee ballot – effectively putting an end to vote by mail – while also requiring photo ID and a hand count.

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© Photograph: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

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