Twenty-two states and Washington DC let voters register on election day. Why aren’t politicians doing more to reach young people?

With election day just a week away, candidates are ignoring millions of young Americans who could still cast a decisive ballot but have not yet registered to vote.

By contrast, my mailbox has been full of political flyers: the various campaigns gleaned my name from the voter file, recognized that I am a regular voter who hadn’t cast a ballot yet, and assessed through their targeted analysis that it’s worth spending on printing and postage to get their message to me.

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© Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP

© Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP

© Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP

Last year, the state’s board of elections removed several polling sites from local colleges – and students have taken it upon themselves to organize voting

• Gen Z voters: tell us what is guiding your vote in the US midterm elections

On 15 October, the first day of early voting in North Carolina, mostly Black students from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NC A&T), Bennett College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) marched from their college campuses to their nearest polling sites for the first day of early voting.

Previously, students were able to vote on their respective campuses; however, late last year, with Republicans at the helm, the North Carolina board of elections removed several polling sites from local colleges: UNCG, NC A&T, Western Carolina University (WCU) and Elon University. As a result, students have taken it upon themselves to organize voting. The marches – two, so far – took about two hours round trip, but protecting their right to vote, the students say, is worth it.

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© Photograph: Jamarious Simmons/Black Voters Matter Fund

© Photograph: Jamarious Simmons/Black Voters Matter Fund

© Photograph: Jamarious Simmons/Black Voters Matter Fund

Move is latest attempt to challenge states with competitive midterm races that could determine control of Congress

The Trump administration on Monday asked Washington state to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 people it alleges are registered to vote without US citizenship, less than two weeks after making a similar demand in California.

The announcement is the latest sign of the administration’s attempts to sow doubts about the election or its outcome in states with races that will help determine control of the US Senate and House.

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© Photograph: Paul Christian Gordon/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Paul Christian Gordon/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Paul Christian Gordon/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

By a 2-1 vote, a federal appeals court panel denied the Trump administration’s request that it immediately order the state to set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

Newsom accuses Trump of ‘assault on democracy’ as DoJ claims 20,000 registered voters in state are non-citizens

A US federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s move to block California from counting the ballots of 20,000 registered voters that the justice department claims are non-citizens.

The court on Monday ruled 2-1 against Donald ⁠Trump’s ​justice department in the dispute, denying the administration’s demand that election officials segregate the thousands of ballots until people on the list could verify their citizenship. The justice department had given the California secretary of state 48 hours to carry out the order, which state election officials refused – leading to the lawsuit.

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© Photograph: Chris Torres/EPA

© Photograph: Chris Torres/EPA

© Photograph: Chris Torres/EPA

President’s comments come ahead of November midterm elections and follow his claims of widespread voter fraud

Donald Trump has announced a $1m reward for reports of voter fraud in past elections and the upcoming midterm elections, with payment contingent on the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

In a Truth Social post on Monday, the president wrote: “Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

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© Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

A federal appeals court panel seemed disinclined to order the state to set aside as many as 20,000 mail-in ballots the Trump administration claimed were sent to noncitizens.

© Mike Blake/Reuters

US attorney general calls CNN ‘crazy’ for suggesting Trump’s attempt to overturn election could lead to January 6 repeat

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Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney general, lashed out during an interview on Sunday while defending the justice department’s pre-emptive lawsuit to block certification of Alaska’s US Senate results if the GOP incumbent loses, calling a TV host’s question “crazy”.

The testy repartee unfolded on CNN’s State of the Union over the DoJ’s unprecedented legal action, which alleges that there could be “voter confusion” due to two candidates named Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s ballot. Trump told reporters, “I’m the one that said do it” when asked about the suit.

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© Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

© Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

© Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

State attorney general said Trump’s justice department’s directive to verify 20,000 ballots is completely improper

California’s attorney general on Saturday rebuked the Trump administration’s efforts to quash alleged noncitizen voting, calling it “politicizing and weaponizing the law”.

Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, said the justice department acted at Donald Trump’s direction.

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© Photograph: Chris Torres/EPA

© Photograph: Chris Torres/EPA

© Photograph: Chris Torres/EPA

Election officials across the state received letters from the agency saying if they fail to comply, they “risk significant federal scrutiny.”

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

Letters from federal prosecutors represent latest escalation as Trump continues to make claims of voter fraud

Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said may belong to noncitizens, according to the Los Angeles county registrar and a letter obtained by the Associated Press.

The letters are the latest escalation in a legal battle between California and Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to root out noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections.

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© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

Voting rights advocates say directive would disenfranchise young and low-income voters, but Republicans say it’s needed to combat voter fraud

• US politics live – latest updates

The US supreme court has cleared the way for New Hampshire to prohibit student IDs as a form of voter identification ahead of November’s midterm elections.

In a brief unsigned order, justices sided with a Republican National Committee (RNC)-backed appeal on the matter. They cited a longstanding rule that lower federal courts should not “alter election rules” too close to election day.

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© Photograph: Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The justices had been asked to weigh in on a New Hampshire directive that prevented election officials from considering student IDs to prove a voter’s identity.

© Alex Kent/The New York Times

Federal judge says government’s investigation into alleged noncitizen voting in nine states is relying on flawed data

A federal judge in California has ordered the Trump administration to halt investigations in nine states into whether noncitizens are registered to vote.

US district court judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín in Oakland found the government’s effort was relying on data that is full of errors and that it was leading to intimidation of groups performing voter assistance efforts. She said it should be halted until polls close on election day on 3 November.

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© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

Thousands of people are training to be poll observers to look out for any interference or ICE presence on election day

• Our reporters answer your questions about ICE, immigration and the midterms

Stevie Lyn is angry at what she’s seen in her Phoenix, Arizona, neighborhood over the past year. Since US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began conducting raids all across the city, her Latino neighbors on the west side have had to hide in their homes, too scared to grocery shop, work and vote. That’s why she volunteered to become a poll observer.

“I had to take the anger, because it was eating me alive, and direct it towards a constructive activity,” she said.

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© Photograph: Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images

The ruling largely blocked homeland security agents from carrying out field interviews in nine states, including California, as part of a sprawling effort to find noncitizens registered to vote.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

A sweeping lawsuit asked a judge to prevent the federal government from ordering voters disqualified, among other moves it said were engineered for voter suppression.

© Nicole Craine for The New York Times

Liberal justice says recent decisions on redistricting and campaign finance have undermined democracy and polarized US even more

• US politics live – latest updates

Elena Kagan criticized rulings made by the US supreme court’s conservative majority this week, arguing that its recent decisions on redistricting and campaign finance had undermined America’s democracy.

“The court has kind of blinded itself to the very deleterious effects of their rulings on how the political system works,” said Kagan, one of the court’s three liberal justices, during a discussion at Catholic University’s law school in Washington DC on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

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© Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

Coordination by Democratic officials overseeing elections includes Zoom calls and in-person tabletop exercises

Democratic state attorneys general, other top state officials and civic groups have accelerated planning to thwart any federal meddling in the November midterm elections by Donald Trump as he continues his false charges of widespread voting fraud and veiled threats of interfering in the process.

Since early this year, 24 Democratic attorneys general have expanded coordination with about a dozen Democratic secretaries of state and several civic groups using weekly Zoom calls and in-person tabletop exercises to strategize about countering any federal intervention in the elections.

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© Photograph: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

The justice said during a discussion that recent Supreme Court decisions on voting rights, gerrymandering and campaign finance have deepened America’s divides.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Crackdown marks latest escalation in the Trump justice department’s push to target alleged noncitizen voting

• Send us your questions about immigration and the midterms

The US Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against 28 green card holders in California accused of fraudulently registering to vote and casting illegal ballots.

The crackdown marks another escalation in the federal government’s ongoing efforts against alleged noncitizen voting, efforts that Democrats and voting rights groups say are part of a strategy by the Trump administration to sow doubt in the results of the upcoming midterm elections.

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© Photograph: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Protesters held rallies across the US as part of the 'No Kings' movement, voicing opposition to the Trump administration and calling for early voting ahead of November's midterm elections. The rallies coincide with heightened legal battles surrounding voting rules, including a recent federal lawsuit filed against California regarding mail-in ballots and warnings from the justice department concerning ballot processing. Current opinion polls suggest Democrats will win the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterms, while the Senate remains too close to call

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© Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

© Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

© Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

State and local officials said that they received thousands of names lacking key identifying information, and that many of the names were paired with addresses over which they had no jurisdiction.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

Justice department warns election officials of prosecution if they ‘knowingly tabulate ballots’ cast by noncitizens

The Trump administration is escalating its fight with California ahead of next month’s midterm elections, warning that local officials who process and tabulate ballots submitted by suspected noncitizen voters are putting themselves at risk of criminal investigation and potential prosecution.

The letter on Friday from senior justice department officials and obtained first by the Associated Press is the latest salvo in an ongoing tussle with heavily Democratic California, coming just a day after the Trump administration sued the state to prevent it from counting mail-in ballots from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until their immigration status can be confirmed.

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© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Coalition has planned more than 3,000 events on Saturday to encourage voting before election day

The coalition that has drawn millions of Americans into the streets to fight for democracy over the past two years is shifting its strategy this weekend.

On Saturday, No Kings organizers and partners will hold thousands of events across all 50 states and Washington DC to get people to the polls early for the US midterm elections. With high-stakes races that will determine control of Congress, organizers say getting out the vote before election day can ease burdens on election workers and build confidence in voters, allowing them to avoid hiccups such as long lines and potential election threats.

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© Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

The lawsuit seeks to temporarily block the state from counting mail ballots of voters it claims are likely noncitizens, opening a new front in the administration’s legal fights with election officials.

© Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

DoJ had demanded that LA county confirm citizenship of people on list in thumb drive, but officials refused

• Send us your questions about immigration and the midterms

The US Department of Justice sued California on Thursday, seeking a court order to prevent the state from tabulating certain ballots cast in the midterm elections.

The suit came two days after the department made a specious demand to the state. On Tuesday, the department sent election officials in Los Angeles county a thumb drive with a handwritten password purporting to contain the names of noncitizens registered to vote. The department asked officials to confirm the citizenship of anyone on the list and set aside ballots from those whose status could not be confirmed. It gave the state 48 hours – an extremely narrow window – to take action. It did not provide details on how it came up with the names on the list. In its lawsuit, filed in federal court in the central district of California, the justice department said it had provided the state with more than 20,000 names of likely noncitizens.

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© Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Voting registration organizations accuse Texas officials of failing to ensure eligible voters can register properly

Texas election officials are struggling to process a massive backlog of nearly 600,000 voter registration applications after a major state computer system failure, just days before early voting is set to open on Monday and amid concerns about widespread voter suppression.

The disruption has raised serious concerns about the state’s voter registration system, with voting rights organizations accusing Texas officials of failing to ensure that eligible voters could properly register.

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© Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

© Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

© Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

Voting rights groups sued the Texas Department of Public Safety and the secretary of state over delayed voter registrations that overwhelmed local election workers.

© Christopher Lee for The New York Times

Sabrina German, a poll official in Chatham county, details a typical election day, the pressure election workers face, and fallout from 2020 disputes

It’s not that Sabrina German doesn’t have political views. But as the director of voter registration for Chatham county, Georgia, talking politics is like breakdancing in traffic. “I don’t talk politics with anyone,” says German; she knows better.

America’s partisan minefield has trained much of the country – aside from that one uncle you avoid at weddings and funerals – to get pretty good at the art of political diplomacy in polite company.

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© Illustration: Eddie Guy/The Guardian

© Illustration: Eddie Guy/The Guardian

© Illustration: Eddie Guy/The Guardian

The leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, an Indian youth movement, had been detained by the police on Saturday before they could lead protests over voting rights.

© Saumya Khandelwal for The New York Times

Lawmakers in the capital were forcibly removed for a second consecutive day as police cracked down on demonstrations against the deletion of voter names.

© Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Public anger is growing over an exercise that critics say undermines the world’s largest democracy, particularly disenfranchising Muslims under the Hindu nationalist government.

© Adnan Abidi/Reuters