An Alabama teen was shot alongside his friend, then prosecuted for his killing. His case highlights a particularly harsh ...

Despite federal oversight, elections, and promises of reform from a new sheriff, little has changed for people detained in ...

Out of 40 special elections for congressional and legislative seats so far in 2025, only two have seen flips; both were ...

Over the past year, Seattle has begun barring some residents from entering certain neighborhoods of their city. A new ...

Voters will decide on a ballot initiative that would set the stage to let everyone vote by mail without an excuse—an option that could expand access for voters with disabilities.

Donald Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 presidential race have rocked Arizona politics in recent years, causing threats against election officials, and leading many conservatives to demand ...

Prop 134, a measure placed on the November ballot by GOP lawmakers, would severely restrict direct democracy through strict geographic requirements on ballot petitions.

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.

This article was produced as a collaboration between Bolts and New York Focus. Five years ago, a social worker who believed in rehabilitation joined the New York State Board of Parole. During her time ...

In North Dakota as elsewhere, Native voters face a triple threat: judges targeting the VRA, Trump officials hostile to discrimination laws, and a funding crunch depleting their work.

On the eve of the French and British elections, Bolts responds to 10 reader questions on how they differ from the U.S. on voter registration, disenfranchisement, proxy voting, and more.