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.

Bolts

“It Just Feels Like Death”: Barrage of New Rules Target Arkansas Ballot Initiatives - Bolts

It’s a familiar sight in Arkansas: Canvassers stop passersby in front of a local grocery store or town library and ask them if they’d be willin...

Prisons across the U.S. rely on incarcerated labor, often paying people cents per hour—or nothing at all. Historian Robert Chase answered readers’ questions on how this system developed, how it works today, and efforts to challenge it.

Bolts

The Past and Present of Prison Labor: Your Questions Answered - Bolts

A historian answers Bolts readers’ questions on the deep roots of forced labor in U.S. prisons, how it operates today, and efforts to challenge it.

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.

Bolts

Utah Was a Rare Red State to Champion Mail Voting. That Era Is Ending. - Bolts

Inspired by the architects of Project 2025, the Utah legislature adopted a Republican bill to end universal mail voting and impose new restrictions...