“Regional Differences in Racial Polarization in the 2012 Presidential Election: Implications for the Constitutionality of Section 5 the Voting Rights Act”

February 25, 2013, 7:13 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Nate Persily, Charles Stewart III, and Steve Ansolabehere have written an important new paper [updated], which I have now posted. The paper comes just in time for argument in the Shelby County case. Here is the introduction (minus the footnotes):… Continue reading

“Virginia Legislators Approve Voter ID Law, May Kill Chances for Federal Bailout”

February 25, 2013, 8:10 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Brentin Mock writes.

More Shelby County Previews

February 24, 2013, 8:33 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Joan Biskupic for Reuters Mark Sherman for AP (on bailout) Bob Barnes for WaPo NYT Room for Debate (multiple contributors)

“U.S. Supreme Court Poised To Determine Constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act; Merced County Files Amicus Brief Defending Its Bailout From Section 5 Coverage.”

January 3, 2013, 7:28 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Press release: On January 2, 2013, two of Nielsen Merksamer’s leading voting rights experts, Marguerite Leoni and Chris Skinnell, filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court, in the pending constitutional challenge to Section 5 of… Continue reading

“Conservative Group Attempts To Block New Hampshire’s Bailout From Voting Rights Act”

January 2, 2013, 2:11 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Ryan Reilly reports for HuffPo.

“New Hampshire and Justice Department Reach First State Bailout Agreement”

December 21, 2012, 4:26 pmDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Press release: “The State of New Hampshire and the United States Attorney General reached an agreement today that would grant a bailout for the ten towns and townships in the State that are subject to the preclearance requirements of… Continue reading

“The Bizarre Opposition to New Hampshire’s Voting Rights Act Bailout Suit”

December 10, 2012, 9:16 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Sam Bagenstos blogs. Regular readers of the blog will know this is my take as well.

Center for Individual Rights Seeks to Intervene to Block NH Bailout Request

December 5, 2012, 2:16 pmThe Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

This is no surprise. See the motion to intervene and motion to dismiss New Hampshire’s request to bail out from coverage under the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act.

von Spakovsky Attacks New Hampshire Voting Rights Bailout; Adams Responds on Merced Bailout

December 4, 2012, 8:20 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Following up from this post and this guest post from Merced’s lawyers, see see here and here.

“Response by Merced County’s Section 5 Lawyers to J. Christian Adams’s Article”

December 3, 2012, 5:38 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Chris Skinnell and Marguerite Leoni: We write in response to Mr. J. Christian Adams’s article, “Eric Holder Cons the Courts to Save Voting Rights Act,” to which you linked earlier in… Continue reading

Section 5 Opponents to Argue that DOJ Breaking Bailout Rules in Order to Save the Constitutionality of Voting Rights Act section 5

December 3, 2012, 11:14 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I expect this argument to get a lot of play. The great irony here, for those who don’t follow this issue closely, is that you have people who oppose section 5 of the VRA complaining that DOJ is making… Continue reading

The New Hampshire Voting Rights Bailout Request

November 20, 2012, 11:40 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I’ve noted that the New Hampshire bailout request seems calculated to help the constitutional case for the Voting Rights Act as the Supreme Court hears the Shelby County case. But conservatives are signalling they may not go along.

Bailout King Goes for First Statewide Voting Rights Bailout: New Hampshire

November 15, 2012, 8:29 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

See this blog post linking to the complaint. And in case the connection to the Shelby County case (in which the Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of section 5) is lost on anyone, Gerry Hebert explains: “It should… Continue reading

“Could a Hurricane Like Sandy Postpone the Presidential Election?”

October 29, 2012, 9:37 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

Andrew Cohen interviews Jerry Goldfeder. Just like Gerry Hebert is the “Bailout King,” I think Jerry Goldfeder will be thought of as the “Presidential Election Disaster King.”