All posts by Derek Muller

“New spotlight on secretaries of State as electoral battlegrounds”

August 2, 2021, 4:54 amelection administrationDerek Muller

Reid Wilson at The Hill: Democrats and Republicans are preparing to pour millions of dollars into races for Secretary of State up for election in half the states next year amid a new recognition that those who oversee the… Continue reading

“Macomb County clerk adds digital trail to election ballots”

August 2, 2021, 4:53 amelection administrationDerek Muller

From the Macomb Daily, chronicling efforts in metropolitan Detroit: The Republican clerk said he added the UBS feature in light of unsubstantiated claims of voting fraud in Michigan and nationally in the November election.“We get a lot of questions… Continue reading

Nothing for election systems in infrastructure deal

August 2, 2021, 4:44 amelection administrationDerek Muller

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act enacted in March 2020–which feels like an eternity ago–included congressional approval of $400 million in “Election Security Grants.” The Election Assistance Commission made quick work of distributing that money to states. At… Continue reading

Ninth Circuit finds that some Alaska campaign finance rules violate First Amendment

August 2, 2021, 4:37 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtDerek Muller

Thanks, Ned, for your terrific insight over the last couple of weeks. And thanks once again, Rick, for this opportunity to join ELB as a contributor, including picking up daily blogging duty for the next couple of weeks. Late last… Continue reading

The effect of Brnovich v. DNC on the intentional discrimination lawsuit against Georgia

July 23, 2021, 8:00 amabsentee ballots, Department of Justice, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActDerek Muller

Over at RealClearPolitics, I have this piece looking at the potential effect of Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee on intentional discrimination claims, including the lawsuit recently filed by the Justice Department against portions of Georgia’s SB 202. Much of the… Continue reading

Court concludes California candidate tax disclosure law applies only to gubernatorial primaries, not recalls

July 21, 2021, 5:53 pmballot access, recall elections, tax law and election lawDerek Muller

California recently enacted a law to compel presidential candidates and gubernatorial candidates to disclose their tax returns as a condition for appearing on the primary ballot. The presidential rule was targeted at Donald Trump; the gubernatorial rule added at the… Continue reading

When has a state enacted a “new hurdle” to voting?

July 14, 2021, 6:30 amvotingDerek Muller

Dan links to an analysis from the Washington Post citing figures from the Voting Rights Lab about “18 states” that “enacted 35 laws with provisions that create new hurdles to vote.” The piece has some important depth-of-treatment looks at what’s… Continue reading

“Electoral Votes Regularly Given”

July 12, 2021, 6:25 amelectoral college, legislation and legislatures, statutory interpretationDerek Muller

I’ve posted a couple of brief items already, but I want to take a moment to join the other new contributors in thanking Rick for his kind invitation to join the Election Law Blog. This site has been an extremely… Continue reading

Analysis of the federal court challenge to Illinois’s redistricting plan

July 6, 2021, 5:45 amcensus litigation, redistrictingDerek Muller

Dean Vik Amar and Professor Jason Mazzone, both of the University of Illinois, have a two part series (one, two) at Justia’s “Verdict” on McConchie v. Illinois State Board of Elections, a challenge to Illinois’s redistricting … Continue reading

“The University of Michigan Guide to Gerrymandering”

June 30, 2021, 7:24 amredistrictingDerek Muller

Former Michigan Supreme Court justice Stephen Markman recently published this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on proposals around Michigan’s redistricting process. It begins: Michigan is on the verge of adopting what proponents describe as a “new theory of representation,”… Continue reading