We can't rely on elections alone to save us

A courtroom win last week proves the guardrails still hold — when someone shows up to fight.

Have you been to a naturalization ceremony? I haven’t and I worked in Congress for 20 years, where I routinely witnessed many of the functions of government… which leads me to believe most Americans haven’t, either.

I have, however, spoken to many people who have attended as either newly sworn-in Americans, witnesses, or public officials. And the common thing I hear is that there’s a special feeling in the room — with people from everywhere, all dressed up, nervous, beaming with pride, holding little American flags. They take the oath after a years- or decades-long obstacle course and just like that, they’re Americans.

And for as long as anyone can remember, a key feature of these ceremonies has been volunteers from the non-partisan League of Women Voters who have been waiting right outside with a special question that most of us take for granted:

“Would you like to register to vote?”

For thousands of new citizens every year, that’s their first act as an American. It happens minutes after they become one.

Yet, last August, the Trump administration tried to put a stop to it when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) barred nonpartisan groups like the League from helping new citizens register to vote after naturalization ceremonies. Instead, only local election officials would be allowed to, and in much of the country, election officials don’t have the staff to show up (and have never needed to). That’s the whole reason the League has been doing this work for decades, since before USCIS even existed.

The effect was immediate, with Leagues across the country canceled registration drives. And the numbers tell you what was really at stake. In 2024, League volunteers held nearly 3,000 events at naturalization ceremonies and helped more than 122,000 new citizens register.

Nobody streamlines that away by accident.

So our movement sued

This is where Campaign Legal Center (CLC), our strategic litigation partner, comes in.

In November, CLC filed suit on behalf of the national League and Leagues in Colorado, New Jersey, Saratoga County, the Charleston area, and Milwaukee County. The argument was simple: helping people register to vote is speech. It’s protected by the First Amendment, for organizations as much as for individuals, and the government doesn’t get to order civic groups to knock it off.

They've Banned Voter Registration at Citizenship Ceremonies

CLC also went after how the rule was made. Federal agencies can’t just change the rules on a whim. The Administrative Procedure Act requires notice, public comment, and actual reasoning. USCIS skipped all of it.

Last week (August 3, 2026), a federal judge agreed and blocked the policy while the case moves forward, finding it arbitrary, likely unconstitutional, and adopted without anything close to the required process.

That means the League is back at these ceremonies — tables up, clipboards out!

Why YOU should share this good news

There are three important reasons you should share this good news (and they’re the same reason I’m writing about this right now)…

1️⃣ Because good news deserves to be shared, and there hasn’t been enough of it

2️⃣ Good news breeds hope, and hope keeps the fight for our freedoms alive and well

3️⃣ At a time when Congress has abandoned its role, and the Executive is abusing power, this type of litigation is how REAL change happens right now

We are living through a stretch where we can’t count on elections alone to protect our rights. That’s a hard thing to say out loud, but you already know it’s true. What this case shows is that the courts still work when someone shows up prepared to fight, and that our Constitution and laws still have teeth when skilled lawyers sink them in.

That doesn’t happen on its own. It takes organizations like CLC that build cases carefully, know the law cold, and have earned the trust of partners like the League. And it takes people like you, because litigation like this runs on the support of a movement. Your attention, your sharing, your donations. That’s the fuel.

We should be honest about where things stand. This is a preliminary injunction, not a final ruling. CLC and the Leagues still have to win the case outright, and then there will likely be appeals — not to mention that this administration will continue looking for new ways to make voting harder. Nobody at CLC is spiking the football, and neither are we.

But a year ago, the government told nonpartisan volunteers to stop helping new Americans vote. And now, a court has told the government to stand down. That happened because people fought back, and it’s a fight we can win again, because the strategy that won it is repeatable.

Somewhere this week, someone will take the oath, walk out of the ceremony, and register to vote at a folding table that wasn’t supposed to be there. And in the time we’re in, and as challenging as it may be, that’s worth celebrating.

Share this one. People need the reminder that we’re not powerless.