All posts by Spencer Overton

“2024 elections are ripe targets for foes of democracy”

December 29, 2023, 7:39 amUncategorizeddisinformationSpencer Overton

NPR: This past summer and fall, thousands of Facebook accounts started posting about U.S. politics and foreign affairs. But their posts were weird — some included what looked like Twitter handles and the term “RT,” an abbreviation for “retweet.”When… Continue reading

“Election officials see a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists”

December 29, 2023, 7:37 amUncategorized2024 Election CycleSpencer Overton

AP News: For election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election, the list of security challenges just keeps growing. Many of the concerns from four years ago persist: the potential for cyberattacks targeting voter registration systems or websites… Continue reading

“Exclusive: Recordings, emails show how Trump team flew fake elector ballots to DC in final push to overturn 2020 election”

December 29, 2023, 7:36 amUncategorizedJanuary 6Spencer Overton

CNN: Two days before the January 6 insurrection, the Trump campaign’s plan to use fake electors to block President-elect Joe Biden from taking office faced a potentially crippling hiccup: The fake elector certificates from two critical battleground states… Continue reading

“Colorado GOP asks U.S. Supreme Court to keep Trump on the ballot”

December 28, 2023, 6:59 amUncategorizedJanuary 6, Section 3Spencer Overton

WaPo: The Colorado Republican Party on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure that Donald Trump’s name can appear on the state’s primary ballot after Colorado’s high court said he had engaged in insurrection and was ineligible to… Continue reading

“Don’t blame democracy’s woes on the GOP or ‘tyranny of the minority’”

December 28, 2023, 6:58 amUncategorizedJanuary 6, The Big LieSpencer Overton

Jennifer Rubin in the WaPo: Two of the year’s best books on politics present contrasting diagnoses for what ails American democracy. Liz Cheney’s “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” lowers the boom on the mendacious… Continue reading

“Haley declines to say slavery was cause of Civil War”

December 28, 2023, 6:57 amUncategorized15th AmendmentSpencer Overton

The former South Carolina governor’s home state was the first to secede. This could be an easy question to answer in light of the leadership of the Republican Party in ending slavery, ensuring voting rights, and building a multiracial democracy… Continue reading

“As social media guardrails fade and AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections”

December 28, 2023, 6:43 amUncategorizedAI, disinformationSpencer Overton

PBS NewsHour: Nearly three years after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the false election conspiracy theories that drove the violent attack remain prevalent on social media and cable news: suitcases filled with ballots, late-night ballot dumps, dead people… Continue reading

“Hochul vetoes controversial campaign finance changes”

December 28, 2023, 6:41 amUncategorizedCampaign finance, public financingSpencer Overton

Times Union: Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have widened the net of eligible campaign contributions for matching public funds under a new system that is being rolled out in the 2024 elections…. “Signing this bill would effectively… Continue reading

“House Ethics launches investigation into Florida Democrat”

December 28, 2023, 6:39 amUncategorizedCampaign financeSpencer Overton

Politico: The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday that it’s investigating Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick over complaints that she may have violated campaign finance laws, failed to submit required disclosures and carried out improper hiring practices.

“Plaintiffs seek ruling Thursday in state Senate redistricting challenge”

December 28, 2023, 6:38 amUncategorizedredistricting, Voting Rights Act; Section 2Spencer Overton

The Carolina Journal: Plaintiffs challenging North Carolina’s new state Senate election map are asking a federal judge to make a decision Thursday about issuing a preliminary injunction. Critics of the Senate plan filed their latest court document Tuesday evening.… Continue reading

“Michigan Supreme Court Decides Trump Can Stay on Ballot”

December 27, 2023, 7:53 amUncategorizedSection 3Spencer Overton

NYT: The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for Donald J. Trump to appear on the state’s primary ballot, a victory for the former president in a battleground state. The state’s top court upheld an appeals court… Continue reading

“A Fake Trump Elector in Michigan Told Prosecutors of Regret, Anger”

December 27, 2023, 7:51 amUncategorizedSpencer Overton

NYT: One of the Republicans in Michigan who acted as a fake elector for Donald J. Trump expressed deep regret about his participation, according to a recording of his interview with the state attorney general’s office that was obtained… Continue reading

“Here are the redistricting disputes shaping the battle for House control”

December 27, 2023, 7:48 amUncategorizedredistricting, Voting Rights ActSpencer Overton

CBS News: Election Day 2024 may still be 11 months away, but the first stage of the battle over control of the House is underway, with redistricting fights being waged in courtrooms from Louisiana to New York. In… Continue reading

“Republicans likely to take Wisconsin gerrymandering case back to the U.S. Supreme Court”

December 27, 2023, 7:47 amUncategorizedredistrictingSpencer Overton

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republican lawmakers are likely heading back to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend Wisconsin’s electoral maps that have delivered huge GOP majorities for years. But they’ll first have to convince the nation’s high court it has… Continue reading