All posts by Justin Levitt

Odd NY Ballot Design (Again)

October 11, 2014, 5:11 pmballot accessJustin Levitt

Apparently, some New York counties (this example is from Tompkins County) have prepared sample ballots for this November that smoosh the Libertarian party nominees together with the nominees of the Stop Common Core party, together on line “I”.) New… Continue reading

Darryl Pinckney on NPR, discussing “Blackballed”

October 11, 2014, 4:12 pmUncategorizedJustin Levitt

Audio and transcript here of the interview about Blackballed, which NPR describes as “a personal and historical reflection on the struggle of black Americans for the right to vote.”

“Local Candidates Campaign on Tiny Budgets”

October 11, 2014, 4:04 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

A moment ago, I linked to the 12 largest donors of the last 12 years, and yesterday, I noted that Chevron had contributed about $3 million to entities spending in a municipal race in Richmond, CA. But it’s worth remembering… Continue reading

The Top 12 Individual Political Donors of the Last 12 Years

October 11, 2014, 4:03 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

At least, as the infographic clarifies, the top 12 by disclosed amount.

“Campaigns Find Ad Space Finite, Even on the Web”

October 11, 2014, 4:03 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

The NY Times reports on Internet political ad space. What they mean isn’t that ad space is finite … but that the premium space is apparently finite. And “premium” may mean something different from “highest traffic” – I’m not sure,… Continue reading

“Ohio is No Battleground for House Races”

October 11, 2014, 4:02 pmpolitical polarization, redistrictingJustin Levitt

USA Today reports on the absence of pitched partisan contests in the congressional races of the bellwether state of Ohio.

Battles over Municipal Charter Amendment

October 11, 2014, 4:02 pmballot access, direct democracy, legislation and legislaturesJustin Levitt

An interesting story in Ohio at the intersection of citizen initiatives, delegation of legislative duties, election administration, and last-minute court orders, in the municipal context. A charter amendment has been placed on the ballot, off the ballot, off the ballot,… Continue reading

“Courts Grapple With GOP-Backed Voting Limits”

October 11, 2014, 4:01 pmelection administration, election law and constitutional law, Supreme Court, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

The Wall St. Journal’s week-end summary of the recent hullaballoo.

“Elections Official: Voter ID Decision Could Save Milwaukee $50,000”

October 11, 2014, 3:43 pmelection administration, voter idJustin Levitt

Sounds like the estimate here just covers the cost of a public outreach campaign to notify voters (some of which may need to be redirected to tell voters what the law is as it stands now). But particularly since Wisconsin’s… Continue reading

“Both Sides Claim Voter ID Ruling Will Help in November”

October 11, 2014, 3:39 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, voter idJustin Levitt

The Houston Chronicle breaks down the Texas ruling. Some of the impact may be in incremental voters; some in incremental political frenzy.

“Maneuvering Persists After Courts Block New Voter Conditions”

October 10, 2014, 6:50 pmelection administration, election law and constitutional law, Supreme Court, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActJustin Levitt

The N.Y. Times parses what’s happened and what’s next regarding the most prominent election administration tussles this week.

Lawsuit: Over 50,000 GA Voter Registration Forms Not Yet Processed

October 10, 2014, 5:52 pmvoter registrationJustin Levitt

The forms in dispute are paper forms submitted by the New Georgia Project, currently in something of a battle with the Georgia Secretary of State. Some of this might be avoided in the future by using Georgia’s brand-new online voter … Continue reading

“Chevron Unleashes Campaign Spending to Influence Richmond Election”

October 10, 2014, 4:30 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

Report from the Contra Costa Times (it’s Richmond, CA, not Richmond, VA) that Chevron has contributed “nearly $3 million” to independent committees supporting some municipal candidates and opposing others. California’s disclosure law is one of the reasons that it’s known… Continue reading

“Ads Paid for by Secret Money Flood the Midterm Elections”

October 10, 2014, 3:14 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

NY Times. It begins: More than half of the general election advertising aired by outside groups in the battle for control of Congress has come from organizations that disclose little or nothing about their donors, a flood of secret… Continue reading