Blogging This Week
Thanks to Justin for blogging last week. I’ll be doing that this week, so send any suggestions you might have to me. We should have important cert. decisions and orders from the Supreme Court coming down this week.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
“The first rule in Trump’s Washington: Don’t write anything down”
WaPo’s subhead: “A new culture of secrecy in government is taking root – among career staffers and new political appointees alike.”
Across President Donald Trump’s administration, a creeping culture of secrecy is overtaking personnel and budget decisions, casual social… Continue reading
“Report: Voter confidence in election systems high, but more education needed”
Yesterday, I flagged a discussion in The Conversation about trust in elections focused on cybersecurity, where the remedy recommended was more public education.
Today, Michigan Advance has the report on a Michigan poll with a broader sweep on inputs but… Continue reading
“D.C. elected these noncitizens to office. Congress could oust them.”
WaPo on three green-card holders elected to “nonpartisan, unpaid positions in D.C.’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions,” whose eligibility to hold office is tied to their eligibility to vote in local elections. DC law currently allows noncitizens to vote in local elections,… Continue reading
Calling the Court’s Actions in the Louisiana Racial Redistricting Case a “Punt” Underestimates the Stakes
The Court’s decision to set the case involving the interaction between the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment, Louisiana v. Callais, for re-argument came as a surprise. The supplemental order we will soon get identifying the new issues the… Continue reading
Election as a Distinct Sphere Under the First Amendment
The Balkinization blog is running a symposium, based on an earlier in-person conference, on “Free Speech in Crisis and the Limits of the First Amendment“. My contribution is an excerpt from an essay I published in a book… Continue reading
The Court Recognizes that Universal Relief is Required in At Least Some Election-Law Contexts
In response to this recent post from Justin, I would just briefly flag note 12 in the majority opinion: “There may be other injuries for which it is all but impossible for courts to craft relief that is complete and… Continue reading
Was Mamdani the “Condorcet Winner” in NYC mayoral primary?
We will need to wait to see the cast vote records from the primary (they were available last time, so presumably—and hopefully—they will be again this time), but it’s conceivable that Mamdani was not the Condorcet Winner. In an election… Continue reading
The Supreme Court, The Political Parties, and the SuperPacs
This post is co-written with Bob Bauer, NYU Professor of Practice who formerly represented in private practice national and state Democratic Party committees:
Later this week, the Supreme Court will consider hearing a case next Term on whether the First… Continue reading
A Few Points about the Structure of NYC’s Democratic Primary for Mayor
Proponents of ranked-choice voting often say the system will lead to more moderate candidates being elected. I don’t think that’s correct or the right way to put things. RCV makes it more likely that candidates who are the preference of… Continue reading
Me again
Hi, all. It’s Justin again. With profound thanks to Tabatha for wrestling with the news fire hose for the last week, I’m afraid you’re stuck (mostly) with me for the next week or so. Tips / suggestions / scandalous gossip… Continue reading
Yale Youth Poll of 18-29 year-olds offers some interesting findings
Yale Youth Poll
The most intriguing finding is about partisanship (framed not as party-identification but as party-vote):
“When asked whether they would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in the 2026 congressional elections in their district, voters aged 22–29… Continue reading
Since the Shift to Primary Elections for Choosing the Parties’ Presidential Nominees, Experience in DC Has Changed from Being a Plus to a Minus
Bruce Mehlman, at Mehlman Consulting, has put together this data showing a dramatic shift that takes place in the late 1960s/1970s about whether lengthy prior experience in Washington, DC appears to be an advantage or a disadvantage in presidential elections.… Continue reading
June and July ELB Bloggers
Here’s the revised schedule. Please send your tips and queries to the ELB contributor on duty that week:
Week of June 16, 2025Tabatha Abu El-HajWeek of June 23, 2025Justin LevittWeek of June 30, 2025Rick PildesWeek of July 7, 2025Guy CharlesWeek… Continue reading