Watch Presidential Commission at GW Now
Right now, the Commission is here at GW Law, discussing their report in detail for the first time. Watch live video of event on C-Span 2 by clicking here!
All posts by Spencer Overton
At GW Today: Briefing by Presidential Commission Co-Chairs
Moments ago, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration released its report, which is here. We’ve already got thoughts from Rick Hasen, Heather Gerken, and Rick Pildes.
At 2:30 pm ET today, immediately after meeting with President… Continue reading
Overton HuffPo on Voting Rights Act bill
I expand on my thoughts from earlier today in my new piece on the front page of the Huffington Post, “A Bipartisan Voting Rights Act is Possible.” Some excerpts . . .
Conventional wisdom among some liberals, conservatives,… Continue reading
What the New Voting Rights Act Bill Means
The proposed legislation (Berman summary here, bill text here) is just a first draft, but it shows that a bipartisan Voting Rights Act is possible. In a nutshell, here’s what it means . . . .
Recent Discrimination: … Continue reading
Bipartisan Voting Rights Act is Possible
I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to Rick’s blog, but I disagree with his skepticism about the Voting Rights Act update.
My take is that Republicans and Democrats can come together to update the Voting Rights Act. Rick and… Continue reading
Subsidizing Democracy on C-Span 2
As Rick mentioned in an earlier post, this morning at 9:30 am ET Professor Michael Miller is talking on his public financing book “Subsidizing Democracy” at the New America Foundation, and I’ll comment along with Michael Malbin… Continue reading
Professors of Color on Political Law
Many scholars, conference organizers, and reporters who focus on our increasingly diverse democracy want to ensure their reading, citations, panels, and quotations reflect diverse perspectives. We’ve created a new tool to help.
Professors of Color on Political Law features abstracts… Continue reading
NC Voting with MSNBC’s Karen Finney & Penda Hair
The Advancement Project’s Penda Hair (who is representing the NC NAACP) and I were on Karen Finney’s most recent show to talk about NC’s new law (ID, cuts to early voting and same day registration, and more). Last week a… Continue reading
Voting Rights Disclosure
In my Harvard Law Review Forum piece Voting Rights Disclosure, I articulate my differences with NYU Professor Sam Issacharoff’s “non-civil rights” approach to voting rights (abstract below), and I propose detailed disclosure of voting changes for federal, state, and… Continue reading
How Aggregate Limits Prevent Quid Pro Quo Corruption
I discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s McCutcheon case Saturday on Karen Finney’s MSNBC show Disrupt, and also last week in this HuffPo commentary.
“Aggregate limits” seem technical, but the issue is simple. Invalidating aggregate limits would allow an… Continue reading
Million Dollar Contributions Corrupt Democracy
I was at the U.S. Supreme Court’s campaign finance oral argument today. Please click here to find my latest on the front page of the Huffington Post, “Million Dollar Contributions Corrupt Democracy.” Based on my academic work and… Continue reading
Voting Rights this Afternoon at CBC Legislative Conference
Friday, Sept. 20, 2013
1:00 pm-3:00 pm: Protecting the Right to Vote
Chairman John Conyers Judiciary Braintrust
Advancing the Civil Rights Agenda
Washington Convention Center: Room 143-A
Moderator: Prof. Spencer Overton, George Washington University Law School
Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive… Continue reading
Against a “Post-Racial” Voting Rights Act
Click here for my recent piece in The American Prospect, Against a “Post-Racial” Voting Rights Act. A summary:
Some have used the debate about updating the Voting Rights Act as an opportunity to argue that Congress should “look beyond”… Continue reading
Unpacking NC Governor’s Talking Points
In defending North Carolina’s new photo ID requirement, Republican Governor Pat McCrory claims “[t]hirty-four states currently require some sort of identification, and so we’re doing what the majority of states are doing right now throughout the United States of America.” … Continue reading