Category Archives: court decisions

“Judge: Minnesota 2nd District election to take place Nov. 3”

October 9, 2020, 3:55 pmcourt decisionsRick Hasen

AP: A federal judge ruled Friday that the election for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District should proceed in November as originally scheduled, despite the recent death of a third-party candidate.Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig asked the judge to require that the… Continue reading

“The Trump campaign can’t have poll watchers at Philly satellite election offices, judge says”

October 9, 2020, 9:55 amcourt decisionsRick Hasen

Philly Inquirer: A Philadelphia judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s campaign does not have the right for poll watchers to observe activities inside the city’s new satellite election offices.The campaign sued the city last week, arguing its representatives… Continue reading

Federal District Court, While Excoriating Florida for Its Incompetence, Won’t Extend Registration Deadline After Last-Day System Crash

October 9, 2020, 7:00 amcourt decisions, voter registrationRick Hasen

The court found that the burden on the state in keeping the system going outweighed the risk of disenfranchisement. The court’s order concludes: The state could have extended the registration deadline until midnight on October 6th, which would have given… Continue reading

Eleventh Circuit, on 2-1 Vote, Reverses District Court Order That Would Have Extended Time for Receipt of Absentee Ballots

October 2, 2020, 2:56 pmabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

You can find a majority, concurring, and dissenting opinion here. The judges broke along the party lines of the president that appointed them.

“Federal judge rules against voting-rights activists’ challenge of Ohio signature-matching rules on absentee ballot applications”

September 28, 2020, 8:48 pmabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: A federal judge has ruled Ohio’s system of verifying signatures on absentee ballot applications is not burdensome enough to be struck down as illegal, rejecting arguments made by a coalition of voting-rights groups that sued the state.U.S. District Judge… Continue reading

The list of COVID-19 election cases hits 250

September 21, 2020, 10:46 amcourt decisions, election administration, election law and constitutional law, Election MeltdownJustin Levitt

Justin here. I’m tracking the litigation over election issues related to COVID-19 … and the list of cases just hit 250. (The Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project also has a really useful sortable database of these cases, with more info.)… Continue reading

“Mississippi justices: No broad absentee voting amid COVID-19”

September 18, 2020, 4:27 pmabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

AP: Mississippi law does not allow absentee voting by all people who have health conditions that might make them vulnerable to COVID-19, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.A majority of justices reversed a Sept. 2 decision by Hinds County… Continue reading

Breaking and Analysis: Federal Court Steps Aside for Now in Dispute over Drop Boxes and Other Pennsylvania Election Rules

August 23, 2020, 12:05 pmabsentee ballots, court decisions, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

In a thoughtful 37-page opinion, in one of the most closely watched pieces of litigation surrounding the conduct of the 2020 election, a federal court (Trump appointee Judge Nicholas Ranjan) has used Pullman abstention to decline to consider the… Continue reading

Federal District Court Rejects Challenges to Indiana’s Excuse-Only Absentee Ballot System for November

August 21, 2020, 9:04 amabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

A federal district court has rejected arguments that the system violates equal protection or the 26th amendment (which was made on the grounds that older voters can vote without an excuse but others cannot). It will not issue a preliminary… Continue reading

Federal District Court (Same Judge Who UPHELD Indiana’s Strict Voter ID Law in Crawford) Holds Indiana Cannot Reject Mail-in Ballots for a Purported Signature Mismatch Without Giving Voter Notice and a Chance to Cure

August 20, 2020, 4:20 pmabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

A very important and correct ruling on both due process and equal protection grounds.

7th Circuit Affirms Order Easing Way for Libertarian Party and Others Onto the Illinois Ballot, After Illinois Elections Board Changed Its Mind

August 20, 2020, 11:33 amballot access, court decisions, third partiesRick Hasen

From the unsigned order: Once again in its appellate briefs the Board asks this court to reverse the district court’s decisions and permit the Board to determine the best options for balancing the, plaintiffs’ interests with the statutory ballot… Continue reading

Alabama: “Absentee voting lawsuit against state dismissed by judge”

August 7, 2020, 10:50 amcourt decisions, election administrationRick Hasen

AL.com: A state judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit by disability advocates challenging provisions of Alabama’s absentee ballot laws, saying his court lacked jurisdiction and the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.The lawsuit, initially filed in May in Montgomery… Continue reading

“Fear of COVID-19 will not be reason to vote absentee in November, Tennessee Supreme Court rules”

August 6, 2020, 7:16 amabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

Tennesseean: Fear of COVID-19 will not be a reason to vote by mail in the November general election, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. Absentee ballots filed for Thursday’s primary will remain valid, according to the court.The high… Continue reading

“NC must give voters a chance to fix mail-in ballots before they’re thrown out, judge rules” (Link to ruling)

August 4, 2020, 8:37 pmabsentee ballots, court decisions, election administrationRick Hasen

News & Observer: Fears of coronavirus endangering voters in North Carolina this fall — or potentially lowering voter turnout — aren’t enough to force the state to change many of its elections laws, a federal judge has ruled.However, U.S.… Continue reading

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