All posts by Rick Hasen

“Elections: Observations on State Laws and Perspectives on Holding Special Elections to Fill House Vacancies”

December 17, 2024, 5:05 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

New GAO report: The U.S. Constitution requires each state’s governor to issue written orders for special elections to fill vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives (House). Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a federal law was enacted… Continue reading

“Top Arizona election official accuses predecessors of ignoring proof-of-citizenship problem”

December 17, 2024, 4:45 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

WaPo: The failure by Arizona officials to document the citizenship of thousands of voters was identified as “a problem” seven years ago — and again during the 2020 presidential election — before it was made public this fall, according to… Continue reading

“A voting rights battle in a New York City suburb may lead to a national fight”

December 17, 2024, 8:17 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Hansi Lo Wang for NPR: In Nassau County, voters of color and white voters tend to prefer different candidates. And the number of people identifying as white and not Hispanic has dropped more than 11% over the past decade,… Continue reading

Jan. 28 Safeguarding Democracy Project Live and Online Event with Amy Gardner, Pam Karlan, and Stephen Richer: “Fair Elections and Voting Rights: What’s Ahead in the Next Four Years?”

December 17, 2024, 8:07 amelection administration, election subversion risk, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

The UCLA Law Safeguarding Democracy Project will be announcing its spring speaker series in January, but here’s our first event for you to put on your calendars: Tuesday, January 28 Fair Elections and Voting Rights: What’s Ahead in the Next… Continue reading

“Confidence in U.S. Courts Plummets to Rate Far Below Peer Nations”

December 17, 2024, 7:14 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Adam Liptak for the NYT: Public confidence in the American legal system has plunged over the past four years, a new Gallup poll found, putting it in the company of nations like Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela. “These data on… Continue reading

“After Trump’s Victory, Republicans Trust the Election System Again”

December 17, 2024, 6:57 amelection administration, election subversion risk, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

NYT: Americans are more confident in the country’s election system than they have been at any time since the 2020 election, according to a new study — a shift owed to a sea change in Republican sentiment since Donald J.… Continue reading

“Thirteen 2020 fake electors will cast real Electoral College votes for Trump on Tuesday”

December 17, 2024, 6:55 amchicanery, election subversion risk, electoral collegeRick Hasen

CNN: Thirteen Republicans who participated in the 2020 fake electors plot, including some who are facing criminal charges, will cast real Electoral College votes Tuesday for President-elect Donald Trump, as electors in the states finalize his victory. These Republican… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Nick Stephanopoulos: “Aligning Election Law – Misaligned America”

December 17, 2024, 6:54 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 second of five posts: In yesterday’s post about my new book, “Aligning Election Law,” I explicated… Continue reading

“Trump sues Des Moines Register, top pollster for ‘brazen election interference,’ fraud over Harris poll”

December 16, 2024, 8:13 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Fox News: President-elect Donald Trump is suing the Des Moines Register and its top pollster J. Ann Selzer for “brazen election interference” and fraud over its final 2024 presidential poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa,… Continue reading

“Liberals: The Electoral College Is Not Your Enemy”

December 16, 2024, 7:54 pmelectoral collegeRick Hasen

Simon Lazarus for TNR: If the current constitutional structure frequently yielded electoral count victors who lost the national majority vote, then indeed, the Constitution should be amended, and liberals should support such an amendment. But that’s not what’s happened. In the… Continue reading

“Judge Denies Trump’s Bid to Throw Out Conviction Over Immunity Ruling”

December 16, 2024, 4:49 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: A judge on Monday rejected Donald J. Trump’s argument that a recent Supreme Court ruling had nullified his criminal case in New York, upholding the former and future president’s felony conviction for falsifying records to cover up a sex… Continue reading

TikTok Goes to Supreme Court Seeking Emergency Order to Block Law Requiring Sale/Shutdown, Citing Rejection of the Antidistortion Interest in Campaign Finance Cases

December 16, 2024, 1:02 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

You can find the filing here (via NBC News). The relevant discussion of the antidistortion interest is on pages 25-26. See my earlier post on the parallels to the campaign finance cases. UPDATE: Here is the docket.

“The Top Cybersecurity Agency in the US Is Bracing for Donald Trump”

December 16, 2024, 11:13 amelection subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squad, voting technologyRick Hasen

Eric Geller for Wired: Donald Trump helped create the US government’s cybersecurity agency during his first term as president. Six years later, employees of that agency are afraid of what he’ll do with it once he retakes office. Trump’s alliances… Continue reading

“Open-Government Nonprofits Are Dying Off Just When They’re Needed Most”

December 16, 2024, 10:59 amcampaign finance, election law bizRick Hasen

Daniel Schuman for The Bulwark: OPENSECRETS, THE NONPROFIT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION dedicated to disclosing the role of money in politics, laid off one-third of its staff last month due to financial difficulties. This sparked understandable concern in newsrooms, think tanks,… Continue reading