All posts by Rick Hasen

“Pay the Voter: A Legal, Economic, and Policy Analysis of Financially Incentivizing Political Participation”

July 8, 2025, 8:45 amvote buyingRick Hasen

Andrew Albright has published this student note in the California Law Review. Here is the abstract: This Note explores the idea of paying Americans to cast their ballots as a mechanism to increase electoral participation among lower income voters and… Continue reading

Heather Gerken Retires from the ELB Masthead as She Moves to Head Ford Foundation with a Focus on Protecting Democracy

July 8, 2025, 7:50 amelection law bizRick Hasen

Last week Rick Pildes covered the exciting news that Heather Gerken is going to head the Ford Foundation, after a successful stint as Yale Law School dean. And even better, as the NYT headline puts it, Ford Foundation’s New Leader … Continue reading

Trump Administration Wants to Enter into a Consent Decree that Would Allow Churches and Other Religious Organizations to Get More Directly Involved in Electoral Politics Despite the “Johnson Amendment”

July 7, 2025, 3:31 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

In the lawsuit raising constitutional objections to limits on religious nonprofits being involved in endorsing candidates and doing other election related activities, a proposed joint consent decree, in which plaintiffs and the federal government would agree to what would… Continue reading

“Gov. DeSantis signs measure putting FSU Election Law Center into statute”

July 7, 2025, 8:22 amelection law bizRick Hasen

Florida Politics: Florida State University’s Election Law Center now has a place in state statute, even if it didn’t receive full funding. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation (SB 892) formally establishing the Center, which has existed since 2023 at… Continue reading

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy’s “Democracy & Destiny” Podcast, Episode 3, with Professor Rick Hasen WBAI version

July 7, 2025, 8:00 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Pleased to be a guest on Ciara’s show.

Steven Sholk’s Updated “A Guide to Election Year Activities of Section 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) Organizations” Now Available

July 7, 2025, 7:57 amtax law and election lawRick Hasen

Download it here.

“Republicans are flagged more often than Democrats for sharing misinformation on X’s Community Notes”

June 19, 2025, 2:10 pmcheap speechRick Hasen

Thomas Renault , Mohsen Mosleh, and David G. Rand in PNAS: We use crowd-sourced assessments from X’s Community Notes program to examine whether there are partisan differences in the sharing of misleading information. Unlike previous studies, misleadingness here… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Ciara Torres-Spelliscy: “Follow the Money to the Big Lie”

June 19, 2025, 6:00 amELB Book CornerRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Ciara Torres-Spelliscy to the ELB Book Corner, writing about her new book Corporatocracy. This is the final of four posts: What makes the money in politics hard to trace is the tendency of corporations… Continue reading

“FBI Director Kash Patel feeds 2020 election conspiracy theories with documents about unverified tip”

June 18, 2025, 9:49 amfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Ryan Reilly for NBC News: FBI Director Kash Patel said this week the bureau had shared “alarming” — but unsubstantiated — allegations about manipulation of the 2020 election with a Republican member of Congress. “The FBI has located documents which… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Ciara Torres-Spelliscy: “The Naked 2020 Elections”

June 18, 2025, 6:00 amELB Book CornerRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Ciara Torres-Spelliscy to the ELB Book Corner, writing about her new book Corporatocracy. This is the third of four posts: Because of the “Big Lie,” most Republicans to this day think the… Continue reading

Election Law Academics Update

June 17, 2025, 7:29 amelection law bizRick Hasen

Here’s my yearly roundup of election law academic hires, promotions moves, visits, accolades: James Alcorn started as the Senior Director of the Election Law Program at William and Mary law school. Travis Crum was granted tenure and promoted to professor… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Ciara Torres-Spelliscy: “The Musical Influences on Elections”

June 17, 2025, 6:00 amELB Book CornerRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Ciara Torres-Spelliscy to the ELB Book Corner, writing about her new book Corporatocracy. This is the second of four posts: My new book Corporatocracy gave me a chance to look at events in recent… Continue reading

“Mike Lee Draws Outrage for Posts Blaming Assassination on the Far Left”

June 16, 2025, 2:56 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Scarcely 24 hours after a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota was assassinated in her home, Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, posted a pair of politically charged messages mocking the attack. “This is what happens When Marxists don’t get their… Continue reading

“Eastman disbarment recommended by State Bar Court’s Review Department; California Supreme Court is next”

June 16, 2025, 12:32 pmchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

At the Lectern: On Friday, the California State Bar Court’s three-judge Review Department came to the same conclusion as a hearing judge over a year ago and recommended the disbarment of President Trump’s former lawyer, John Eastman. (98-page decision and… Continue reading