FairVote’s monthly newsletter includes news on instant runoff voting from the U.S. and beyond. In related news, Howard Dean makes this plug to keep IRV in Burlington, VT.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit yesterday issued this interesting opinion in Young v. Hosemann, rejecting a constitutional challenge to Mississippi’s disenfranchisement of felons. Although it’s an equal protection case, the outcome turns primarily on the meaning… Continue reading

Former Senate majority leader Bill Frist has this WSJ op-ed, arguing that using reconciliation to pass health care reform “would be an unprecedented, dangerous and historic mistake.”

Project Vote has this report on problems it sees in implementing HAVA’s provisions requiring that voter registration information be “matched” against other government databases.

CNN has this story on what else Gerry did in his life.

Ciala Torres-Spelliscy’s testimony before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee may be found here.

The NY Times has this report on a finding by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct that Rep. Charlie Rangel violated House gift rules by accepting payment or reimbursement for a Caribbean trip. A statement from the Chair… Continue reading

Covington & Burling offers this analysis of Monday’s decision from the Colorado Supreme Court in Dallman v. Ritter, striking down Amendment 54 to the Colorado Constitution under the First Amendment.

Electionline.org has this report on state lawmakers’ and election administrators’ efforts to comply with the the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, including its requirement that they provide for electronic transmission of registration and ballot requests.

Over at SCOTUS blog, Kareem Clayton has this essay on Powell v. McCormack, arguing that the 1969 case — including what was left out of the Court’s opinion — offers enduring “lessons about elections, race and politics in the modern… Continue reading

BNA has this report ($) on yesterday’s ACS panel. Update: The Center for Competitive Politics blog comments here and here on the panel.

The NY Times has this story on the previously obscure rule of congressional procedure that is now at the center of the health care debate. Politico reports here that most voters oppose its use to push health care through, though… Continue reading

Angela Migally of the Brennan Center and Brad Smith are debating Citizens United today at the University of Michigan Law School. I’m told that video of the event will be posted afterwards. Update: Video may be found here.

Senators Chris Dodd and Tom Udall have introduced a constitutional amendment that would overrule Citizens United, according to The Hill. Update: The text of the proposed constitutional amendment, which would authorize federal and state limits on campaign expenditures and… Continue reading