Amy Barrett and “The Law of Democracy”
My favorite TikTok video of all time, especially the end, not surprisingly:
https://twitter.com/LissaJoStewart/status/1316496502567641089?s=09
All posts by Richard Pildes
“Democrats Preferred to Vote by Mail. But as Election Day Nears, More Say They’ll Head to the Polls”
This is from the latest Morning Consult Poll:
But as Nov. 3 has inched closer, questions over the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to deliver mailed ballots on time has prompted some Democratic organizers to encourage people to vote in person.… Continue reading
“If we want results on election night, this is a reform both parties should support”
Glad to see the Washington Post weighing in the need for states like PA to permit processing of absentee ballots sooner than Election Day. How long have some of us been urging states to make this change? Since March, when… Continue reading
Anyone Thinking About Partisan Gerrymandering These Days?
If not, you will be soon enough. To get you in the spirit, Prof. Derek Muller and I will be debating partisan gerrymandering later tonight for the University of Utah’s 37th Annual Jefferson B. Fordham Debate, with link for… Continue reading
Possible Good News in PA
There are some signs PA’s legislature and Governor might be moving toward a compromise that would permit election officials to start processing absentees before Election Day. Far from a done deal, but some positives signs and I’ve heard the local… Continue reading
Biden Voters Switching to In-Person Voting
In this important Washington Post story about early voting, I was heartened to see this passage:
While polls show that Democrats are more likely to vote by mail this year, there are signs that many are abandoning those plans and… Continue reading
“The Case Against Packing the Court”
At the New Republic, from Jeff Sheshol, one of the leading scholars of the political battle over FDR’s Court-packing plan:
When Roosevelt finally struck against the court, at the start of his second term, his party held 76… Continue reading
I Watched GOP Training Videos for Poll Watchers So You Don’t Have To
CNN story here, titled: “‘Behave yourself’: Trump campaign’s training tapes for poll watchers don’t always align with Trump’s rhetoric”
How FDR’s Court-Packing Plan Ended the New Deal
The confirmation battle over Judge Amy Coney Barrett is bringing the issue of Court-packing into public discussion for the first time since FDR’s failed effort in 1937 — as Adam Liptak’s NYT piece today reflects. If this issue gains traction… Continue reading
“Strong or shaky? Black voter turnout for Biden in these 3 Midwestern cities viewed as key in race vs. Trump”
The Chicago Tribune takes a deep dive into this issue, interviewing 60 Black local elected officials, religious leaders in Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cleveland.
Among the more than 3,000 counties nationwide, the three with the largest drop in Democratic votes between… Continue reading
“One way to modernize Congress is a throwback — more pay for staff, a return of earmarks”
With all the attention focused on the election, this story about an impressive bipartisan congressional report on how to fix Congress, with 97 recommendations, is not likely to get the attention it deserves. This line stood out to me: “That’s… Continue reading
“‘Forgotten’ Pennsylvania region holds key to Trump’s fate”
In 2016, one of the early signals of Donald Trump’s impending victory were the unexpected, extremely long lines to vote in Luzerne County, PA. Politico examines where matters stand in Luzerne County on the eve of the 2020 election:
In… Continue reading
“If Trump Loses the Election, What Happens to Trumpism?”
Tom Edsall published another terrific piece synthesizing political scientists’ analyses, this time on what both political parties might look like after this election. For reasons readers of this blog will know, I was particularly struck by these comments from Sean … Continue reading
“Counties are asking for a change to help them tally votes faster. But as election day nears, Pa.’s legislature hasn’t acted on a bill to make that happen”
Here’s a detailed story from local news in PA about where things stand in the legislature about changing the law to permit the processing of absentee ballots before Election Day.
“It’s been frustrating, observing that there haven’t been really any… Continue reading