The Ninth Circuit has issued this order in Family PAC v. McKenna, granting the state’s request to stay a district court order declaring unconstitutional a Washington law limiting ballot measure committees to $5000 contributions in the 21 days before the… Continue reading

According to this report, she’s accused of using the identity of her sister, who died in 1963, to vote twice in the 2008 election. She was caught when a routine scan of driver’s license photos revealed that she had… Continue reading

The Witchita Eagle reports here. After this year’s election, there’s a good chance that Kansas will join Indiana and Georgia in requiring voters to have photo ID. It will probably have a Republican governor and legislature. In addition, the… Continue reading

The LA Times reports here on how the increase in early and absentee voting is affecting campaign strategy.

This below-the-fold story from yesterday’s Columbus Dispatch caught my eye, because it raises a problem familiar to local election officials: not having enough money to run elections. In this case, the board of elections in Morgan County, a small county… Continue reading

BNA has this report ($), which begins, “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed three bills Sept. 30 to boost disclosure of campaign finances and the financial interests of those serving or running for positions on state or local pension system boards,… Continue reading

SCOTUSblog named it petition of the day yesterday.

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the City of Long Beach’s cert petition in Long Beach v. Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. See this story. The Ninth Circuit struck down the City’s limitation on contributions to independent expenditure… Continue reading

The new issue of the Legislation & Statutory Interpretation eJournal includes this article by Steven Mulroy. Here’s the abstract: In this Article, Prof. Mulroy argues that the broadest of state “open meetings laws” violate the free speech rights of covered… Continue reading

Perhaps in the short run but maybe not in the long run, says Donald Tobin in his EL@M weekly comment

CLC Blog has this post.

The First Circuit has issued this order in Respect Maine PAC v. McKee, denying an emergency motion to preliminarily enjoin the matching funds provision and contribution limits in Maine’s law.

TPM has this post on allegations and counter-allegations involving a voter registration group in Harris County, Texas.

A major political party in India is urging the national Election Commission to adopt a “mechanism to ensure that a voter using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) gets confirmation about his choice of vote.” My advice: Be careful what… Continue reading