All posts by Rick Hasen

“DHS to states: Follow our voting rules or lose out on election security money”

August 23, 2025, 12:23 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election administrationRick Hasen

NPR: The Trump administration has indicated it may withhold tens of millions of dollars in election security funding if states don’t comply with its voting policy goals. The money comes from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program, and… Continue reading

“Trump seeks to ban the mail voting system that Republicans built in Arizona to boost turnout”

August 23, 2025, 11:46 amabsentee ballots, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Arizona Mirror: The vast majority of Arizonans who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024 cast their ballot by mail — a system ushered into existence and expanded by Republican lawmakers in the Grand Canyon State. Trump… Continue reading

“Advocates File Immediate Legal Challenge to Texas Gerrymander “

August 23, 2025, 11:40 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Democracy Docket: Hours after Texas lawmakers approved a new gerrymandered congressional map Saturday morning, Texans asked a court to block it. The plaintiffs*, a group of Black and Latino Texans, filed an amended complaint in an ongoing challenge to… Continue reading

“Doggett won’t seek reelection to Congress if new district is upheld by courts, paving way for Casar”

August 22, 2025, 3:46 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

The Texas Tribune reports.

“These states could redistrict before the 2026 midterms”

August 22, 2025, 7:49 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo goes down the list.

“Red Envelopes With Cash Are Changing Hands at Adams Campaign Rallies”

August 21, 2025, 5:15 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: In July, New York Times reporters witnessed other Adams supporters handing out red envelopes with cash at three separate campaign events: one in Flushing, Queens; another in Manhattan’s Chinatown; and a third in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. At… Continue reading

“California voters will decide redistricting in November, escalating battle with Trump and Texas”

August 21, 2025, 4:20 pmdirect democracy, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

L.A. Times: Ratcheting up the pressure in the escalating national fight over control of Congress, the California Legislature on Thursday approved a November special election to ask voters to redraw the state’s electoral lines to favor Democrats and thwart… Continue reading

Federal Government Files Supreme Court Brief in NRSC Case Arguing That an Aspect of Federal Campaign Finance Law Violates the First Amendment

August 21, 2025, 1:53 pmcampaign finance, Department of Justice, federal election commission, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

You can find the government’s brief on the merits here. You can find the brief of the Republican Party making similar arguments here. Because the government has taken the unusual position in attacking the constitutionality of a law… Continue reading

“Trump says Missouri will revise congressional districts to favor Republicans”

August 21, 2025, 12:52 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Missouri Independent: Missouri “is IN” for redrawing the state’s congressional districts in a special legislative session, President Donald Trump proclaimed Thursday on his social media platform. With Texas moving quickly toward a mid-decade revision of its congressional map… Continue reading

Bob Bauer Sounds the Alarm: “Donald Trump’s Plan for ‘Honest’ Mid-Term Elections”

August 21, 2025, 12:46 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election administration, election subversion riskRick Hasen

Bob Bauer writes, very much in line with what I wrote in the NYT yesterday: On August 18, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would sign another executive order, following one issued in March, to “help… Continue reading

“Musk must face lawsuit brought by voters he convinced to sign petition in $1 million-a-day election giveaway, judge says”

August 21, 2025, 8:45 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The Independent: A judge in Texas denied, on Wednesday, Elon Musk’s request to dismiss a class action lawsuit against him and his political action committee brought by a group of voters who participated in his $1-million-a-day “giveaway” leading… Continue reading

“Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump”

August 21, 2025, 7:56 amchicaneryRick Hasen

AP: An appeals court has thrown out the massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump, ruling Thursday in New York state’s lawsuit accusing him of exaggerating his wealth. The decision came seven months after the Republican returned to… Continue reading

“Adams Adviser Suspended From Campaign After Giving Cash to Reporter”

August 21, 2025, 7:48 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: A close adviser to Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election campaign on Wednesday after giving a journalist cash tucked inside a potato chip bag. The adviser, Winnie Greco, who was the mayor’s former director of Asian… Continue reading

“Obama applauds Newsom’s California redistricting plan as ‘responsible’ as Texas GOP pushes new maps”

August 21, 2025, 7:32 amdirect democracy, redistrictingRick Hasen

AP: Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President… Continue reading