The new head of the Greens Institute will organise thousands of volunteers for a major survey of economic and social life around AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMax Chandler-Mather says the Greens can use “progressive economic populism” to win over Australians deserting the major parties for One Nation as the firebrand former MP accused the political class of thumbing its nose at the concerns of everyday voters.Chandler-Mather has been named the new executive director of the party’s internal thinktank, The Greens Institute, charged with closing capacity gaps exposed at the federal election. One of the Greens’ highest profile losses at the 2025 poll, Chandler-Mather and the former leader Adam Bandt were both defeated by Labor candidates in shock results. Continue reading...
The rightwing populist has been in power for 16 years but a new generation of voters are preparing to vote for his opponent, polls suggestAs he rushed to finish off his cigarette before heading to class, Ákos, 20, confessed that he has more at stake than most as Hungarians prepare to head to the polls in the coming days.“If things remain the same, or get even worse, I can’t see a future here,” said the aspiring teacher. “There are many people who want to try living elsewhere, and that’s totally fine, but I’m not one of them. For so long I’ve dreamed of working and teaching here.” Continue reading...
Reports on English policies seen in Wales as relating to whole of UK contribute to widespread confusion, researchers sayUK media is failing to report properly on devolved issues in Wales, leaving voters ill-informed about May’s Senedd elections, a report has found.A Cardiff University study of more than 3,000 news items found repeated patterns in coverage across different broadcasters and platforms, including not signposting whether an issue was relevant to England or England and Wales only, widespread references to “the government” rather than “the UK government”, and the use of “you” and “your” in contexts that apply only to people living in England. Continue reading...
Former Labour mayor Jamie Driscoll aims to win central Newcastle ward after defecting to the Green party“Thank you very much to all you would-be penguins huddling together for warmth,” said Jamie Driscoll to the dozen supporters braving bitingly cold, blustery weather to begin knocking on doors and delivering leaflets.The former Labour North of Tyne mayor is one of the Green party’s highest-profile recruits. Standing for Newcastle city council in the central Monument ward, he was giving a pep talk to a group that would probably have been even bigger, were some not in London for a demonstration against the far right. Continue reading...
Florida is third state to pass proof-of-citizenship voting laws this year as red states enact provisions of federal billGovernor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed legislation Wednesday to require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and to begin a process that will eventually unenroll voters who have not provided citizenship documentation.Florida is now the third state to pass proof-of-citizenship laws for voting this year, after South Dakota and Utah’s governors each signed proof of citizenship bills into law in March. Continue reading...
• President Trump issued an executive order on March 31, 2026, imposing new rules on mail-in ballots and requiring states to allow modifications to voter lists, marking a significant shift in election administration policy.
• The order permits states to "routinely supplement and provide suggested modifications or amendments" to their mail voter lists, raising concerns about election integrity and voter access.
• Election security advocates have raised concerns about the potential for voter confusion and administrative disruption, while the administration frames the measure as protecting election integrity.
Chad Bianco, the Riverside county sheriff also running for governor, had seized 650,000 ballotsChad Bianco, the Riverside county sheriff, has halted a contentious investigation into a alleged voter fraud that has drawn opposition from the state’s attorney general.The move marks a major reversal for Bianco, a prominent Donald Trump supporter who is one of the top two Republican candidates running for the governorship of California. Continue reading...
Nigel Farage has called Tate an ‘important voice’ for young men and held back from criticising his misogynistic viewsReform insiders are becoming increasingly irritated by the party’s association with Andrew Tate and other extreme online celebrities whose views are too toxic for the mainstream voters Nigel Farage needs to win over.Insiders have revealed that as Reform prepare for power they are trying to end their association with more controversial figures on the right such as Tate, whose extreme and misogynistic content could taint the party’s credibility. Continue reading...
Prime minister is scrambling to clean up her government after youth vote powered a damaging referendum defeatFilippo Michelini was having a drink at San Calisto, a popular bar in Rome’s Trastevere neighbourhood on Wednesday night. As he chatted to his friends, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government was reeling from a failed referendum, and her beleaguered tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, had just resigned.Michelini, a 29-year-old computer scientist who lives in Brussels, was spending a few days in the Italian capital after returning home last weekend to cast his ballot in the plebiscite on judicial changes. Continue reading...
• The U.S. House passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) on February 11, 2026, by a 218-213 vote, requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.
• The act mandates counties to verify citizenship, conduct ongoing voter list maintenance, and comply with uniform federal standards, overriding some state systems without added funding.
• Priority for Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House, it expands county administrative burdens on election officials amid debates over voter integrity.
Change is on offer across the political spectrum, but no one knows whether apathy or tactical voting will prevailUK politics live – latest updatesHope, change, progressive change, change with fairness at its heart – from a harbour north of Edinburgh to a hipster arts venue in Glasgow’s Barras Market, Scotland’s political parties spent the first official day of the Holyrood election campaign reaching for the phrase that best encapsulates what people will get if they vote for them on 7 May.Only one of the main parties did not hold an event to set out their stall on Thursday: possibly Reform UK was too busy firefighting after another of their Scottish parliament candidates quit, bringing to four the number who have stepped down or been suspended since they stood with party leader Nigel Farage under a storm of turquoise confetti last week. Continue reading...
• USPS implemented a rule on December 24, 2025, potentially disrupting vote-by-mail processes critical for elections.
• Department of Justice sued 24 states over sensitive voter data access, sparking privacy debates and participation concerns.
• U.S. Commission on Civil Rights approved report on language access for limited English proficient voters, highlighting gaps in election equity.
Incumbent Mette Frederiksen widely predicted to continue as PM but neither bloc expected to be able to form majorityDenmark election: far right has slowed under Frederiksen – but at what cost?After votes in France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia over the weekend, it’s now time for Denmark, as Danes go to the polls today amid the backdrop of (waves arms) everything, everywhere, all at once.As our Nordic correspondent Miranda Bryant explains, the incumbent, Mette Frederiksen, has been widely predicted to continue as prime minister after the election. Continue reading...
Referendum result could tarnish PM’s reputation and make winning next year’s general election challenging Italian voters have rejected an overhaul of the country’s judiciary pushed by the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni,, an outcome expected to tarnish her reputation and make winning next year’s general election more challenging.In a two-day referendum, 54.63% of voters said “No” to the reforms to reorganise the judiciary compared with 45.37% for the “Yes” camp. Continue reading...
• President Trump demands passage of the SAVE Act, which requires passport or birth certificate for voter registration, photo ID at polls, and in-person citizenship proof for mail-in ballots, refusing to sign other legislation until it passes.
• The bill would compel states to share voter rolls with the federal government; Senate Majority Leader John Thune refuses to eliminate the filibuster, dimming prospects.
• Political history professor Nolan Higdon warns it could disrupt midterms by forcing separate state and federal elections if rules can't be implemented in time.
• Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) criticized the Republican SAVE Act on March 18, 2026, as 'one of the most extreme voter suppression bills in recent history.'
• The bill mandates in-person proof of citizenship like passports, which 140 million Americans lack, banning online, mail, and automatic registration.
• It would disenfranchise rural voters, veterans, and women changing names, despite existing laws prohibiting noncitizen voting under penalty of perjury.
Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and Cook County commissioner Donna Miller were among those who came out on top in the elections ahead of the midtermsDemocratic voters in Illinois handed the party’s nominations for five open seats in the House of Representatives to candidates that included Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and Cook County commissioner Donna Miller, after heated and at times bitter campaigns that saw significant spending by outside groups, most controversially the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac).The primaries acted as a test of the style of politics voters were looking for ahead of the midterm elections in November, when Democrats hope to regain control of Congress. All five districts are heavily Democratic, making the primary victors favorites to triumph in the general elections. Continue reading...
Donald Trump has vowed not to sign any other legislation until the passage of Save America act, which would create more barriers for votingSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump has vowed that he will not sign any other legislation until Republicans’ massive voting bill, the Save America act, is passed. The bill would upend voting for all Americans in the middle of a federal midterm election year and create costly, chaotic changes for elections workers.The Senate is set to consider the legislation next week, though Senate leaders say they don’t have the votes to get over the filibuster hurdle, essentially dooming the bill for failure.Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, denied that he is in talks with Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s real-estate pal turned chief diplomat, and accused the US of leaking false claims that the two are in direct contact to calm panicked markets.After Trump claimed that he had spoken to a former US president who told him that he approved of his attack on Iran, all four living former presidents denied having spoken with Trump about Iran.Trump publicly revealed details about a Republican congressman’s “terminal” diagnosis that could have left him “dead by June”, prompting Mike Johnson, speaker of the House, to say: “That wasn’t public.”The appointment of a controversial slate of vaccine advisers by Robert F Kennedy Jr likely violated federal law, a federal judge ruled, and all votes taken by the committee over the past year have been stayed.Gregory Bovino, the US border patrol chief and frequent Fox News guest who was the face of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts until the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal agents, said he will retire within weeks.Trump, who once mocked the gestures of a New York Times reporter with a congenital condition that limits his ability to move his joints, claimed that the governor of California’s dyslexia means that he is “dumb”. Continue reading...
The bill continues a cycle of abortion restrictions repeatedly blocked by the state supreme courtSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxWyoming’s Republican-dominated legislature passed a six-week abortion ban this week, prompting a new lawsuit and some lawmakers to call it “an insult to voters and our institution”.Mark Gordon, Wyoming’s governor, signed the bill while simultaneously warning of its constitutional hurdles, noting that prior abortion bans were struck down by the state’s all Republican-appointed supreme court this January. Almost immediately, an identical set of plaintiffs filed suit against the new bill. Continue reading...
Congressional Republicans, backed by President Trump, are advancing the SAVE America Act in the Senate this week after House passage last month, mandating documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration alongside photo ID requirements. The bill's strict provisions, lacking any phase-in period, would take immediate effect if signed into law, potentially impacting midterm elections by burdening millions of eligible voters without easy access to documents like birth certificates or passports. Critics including the Fair Elections Center warn it could disenfranchise married women, people of color, and rural residents, moving the U.S. 'in the opposite direction' of representative democracy. Noncitizen voting remains rare and illegal nationwide, but Republicans argue the safeguards enhance election integrity.
Congress is slated to debate the Save America Act next week, a Trump-backed bill mandating citizenship proof for voter registration and restricting mail-in ballots. The proposal aims to enhance election integrity amid partisan divides. Critics warn of disenfranchisement risks for millions, while supporters cite fraud prevention. Passage could reshape 2026 midterms and beyond.
Congress prepares for debate next week on the Save America Act, backed by President Trump, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and new limits on mail-in ballots as of March 14, 2026. The bill aims to enhance election integrity amid partisan divides. House Speaker Michael Johnson called it 'essential for trust,' while Democrats label it 'suppression.' Passage could reshape voting access ahead of midterms.
President Trump is urging Congress to pass the Save America Act next week, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and limiting mail-in ballots. The proposal faces contentious debate on Capitol Hill amid broader diplomatic strains from the Iran war. Lawmakers prepare for votes as Trump backs stricter election integrity measures post-2024. The bill could reshape US voting access if approved.
