All posts by Rick Hasen

“Elon Musk put $277 million into the election. He’s $200 billion richer this year.”

December 16, 2024, 7:56 amPlutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

Washington Post: Elon Musk’s net worth has climbed by more than $200 billion in 2024, a massive increase in the sameyear that the world’s richest person spent at least$277 million backing Donald Trump and other Republican candidates. The bulk of… Continue reading

“Trump and His Picks Threaten More Lawsuits Over Critical Coverage”

December 16, 2024, 7:52 amFirst Amendment theoryRick Hasen

NYT: The legal threats have arrived in various forms. One aired on CNN. Another came over the phone. More arrived in letters or emails. All of them appeared aimed at intimidating news outlets and others who have criticized or questioned… Continue reading

“The GOP stoked fears of noncitizens voting. Cases in Ohio show how rhetoric and reality diverge”

December 16, 2024, 7:50 amchicanery, election administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

AP: Before the November presidential election, Ohio’s secretary of state and attorney general announced investigations into potential voter fraud that included people suspected of casting ballots even though they were not U.S. citizens. It coincided with a national Republican messaging … Continue reading

“Why ABC News settled with Donald Trump for $15 million”

December 16, 2024, 7:43 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Brian Stelter for CNN: George Stephanopoulos ended Sunday’s “This Week” program without any mention of him or ABC News settling Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against them. The suit was triggered by a segment on “This Week,” but ABC News has… Continue reading

“Who are the Arizona voters without proof of citizenship? They may surprise you.”

December 16, 2024, 7:40 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Votebeat: As lawmakers across the country consider requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, Arizona’s voter roll provides clues as to which voters will struggle to provide it. Voters living on Native land, on college campuses, and at the… Continue reading

“A Constitutional Convention? Some Democrats Fear It’s Coming.”

December 16, 2024, 7:37 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: As Republicans prepare to take control of Congress and the White House, among the many scenarios keeping Democrats up at night is an event that many Americans consider a historical relic: a constitutional convention. The 1787 gathering in Philadelphia… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Nick Stephanopoulos: “Aligning Election Law – The Concept of Alignment”

December 16, 2024, 7:00 amELB Book CornerRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Nick Stephanopoulos to the ELB Book Corner, writing about his new book, Aligning Election Law. This is the first of five posts: As many folks in the ELB community know, I recently wrote a… Continue reading

“Restricting the Vote: Inside the Right-Wing Push to Rewrite Election Rules in 2025; Cleta Mitchell offered ALEC state lawmakers a list of restrictive voting policies”

December 13, 2024, 2:18 pmchicanery, fraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Documented: In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s 2024 election victory, the right’s “election fraud” claims magically disappeared—but only temporarily. The fraud narrative is already reemerging to justify a wave of restrictive new voting laws in 2025, according to… Continue reading

“What If Free Speech Means Banning TikTok?”

December 13, 2024, 12:26 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Alan Rozenshtein in The Atlantic: But in its decision, the court did something unexpected. In addition to crediting the government’s national-security arguments, it highlighted an important tension within pro-free-expression arguments: the right to access and speak on the platform of… Continue reading

“Gillibrand Presses Biden to Amend the Constitution to Enshrine Sex Equality”

December 13, 2024, 12:25 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is on a mission in President Biden’s final days in office. She wants to convince him that he can rescue his legacy by adding the century-old Equal Rights Amendment, which would explicitly… Continue reading

Top Recent Downloads in Election Law on SSRN

December 13, 2024, 8:38 ampedagogyRick Hasen

Here: Recent Top Papers (60 days) As of: 14 Oct 2024 – 13 Dec 2024 RankPaperDownloads1.Second-Guessing State Courts in Election Cases: Arrogation and Evasion Under Moore v. Harper Michael WeingartnerIndependentDate Posted: 08 Oct 2024Last Revised: 08 Oct 20244202.… Continue reading

“With thousands of blank ballots, 2 Central NY justice races decided by fewer than 20 write-in votes”

December 13, 2024, 8:08 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Syracuse.com: Thousands of blank ballots were cast in the Spafford and East Syracuse justice races, so the winners ended up being two men who each got fewer than 20 write-in votes. There were no official candidates on the ballots for… Continue reading

“F.B.I. Didn’t Instruct Informants to Encourage Violence at Capitol, Report Says”

December 13, 2024, 7:47 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: More than two dozen F.B.I. informants were in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, but contrary to widespread conspiracy theories, bureau officials did not order anyone to break the law as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol that day, according… Continue reading

“A botched election? Dozens of voters may have received the wrong ballot in a Georgia House race”

December 13, 2024, 7:43 amelection administrationRick Hasen

AJC: Tucked in a jagged corner on the Georgia House map, Donna Harris and her neighbors voted last month for the candidates they thought could be their next representative. It now appears they cast ballots in the wrong state House … Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law