Category Archives: Voting Rights Act

“Black Democrats, Conflicted on a Voting Rights Push, Fear It’s Too Late”

April 26, 2021, 6:53 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: Now, as Republican state lawmakers across the country push new restrictions on voting, Democrats are hitting back. In Congress, the party is pushing a colossal elections system overhaul that would take redistricting out of the hands of politicians, introduce… Continue reading

“Black Democrats urge party to shift its voting rights push”

April 22, 2021, 7:34 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Politico: Democrats have spent months touting an expansive proposal that would reshape U.S. elections. But with the bill’s Senate prospects growing more dire, key members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing to narrow their strategy.The massive election reform… Continue reading

“Kristen Clarke faced abuse for taking on Trump. Now she’s poised to lead Justice Department’s civil rights team.”

April 13, 2021, 8:08 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

WaPo: On Wednesday, Clarke will appear at a Senate confirmation hearing as President Biden’s nominee to lead the Justice Department’s civil rights division. She is poised to become the first woman confirmed to helm what former attorney general Eric H.… Continue reading

“An under-the-radar voting rights bill in Congress could prevent the election fight in Georgia from happening again”

April 8, 2021, 7:39 amThe Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Jon Ward for Yahoo News: The political battles over voting laws are at a new fever pitch, with Democrats accusing Republicans of trying to suppress participation by minority voters, and Republicans accusing Democrats of hyperbole and bad-faith objections.Voting experts say… Continue reading

“Judge rules against much of Georgia voting lawsuit over 2018 election”

April 7, 2021, 8:13 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

AJC reports.

“If It’s Not Jim Crow, What Is It?”

April 6, 2021, 6:40 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Jamelle Bouie NYT column: The laws that disenfranchised Black Americans in the South and established Jim Crow did not actually say they were disenfranchising Black Americans and creating a one-party racist state.I raise this because of a debate among… Continue reading

“Virginia, the Old Confederacy’s Heart, Becomes a Voting Rights Bastion”

April 2, 2021, 6:53 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: Georgia has sharply limited voting access, making drop boxes less available and forbidding anyone to hand out water to voters in line. Florida and Texas are poised to advance similar legislation. Alabama’s strict voter identification law is being … Continue reading

“N.Y. School Board Owes NAACP $5 Million in Voting Case Fees”

April 2, 2021, 6:48 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Bloomberg Law: The East Ramapo Central School District in New York must pay more than $5 million in attorneys’ fees, expert witness fees, and costs to a local branch of the NAACP and four voters who successfully sued it for… Continue reading

Doug Spencer: A Rare Purposive Reading of the Voting Rights Act

April 1, 2021, 7:02 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Doug Spencer: There has been a lot of attention lately on the impending narrowing of Section 2 of the VRA, from redistricting to vote denial cases. Thus, I wanted to flag yesterday’s opinion… Continue reading

“In Georgia, will courts leave the fox in charge of the hen house?”

April 1, 2021, 6:57 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Josh Douglas CNN oped.

Federal District Court Rejects More Challenges as Part of Fair Fight Action’s Large Attack on Georgia Voting Laws; Other Voting Challenges Remain Pending

April 1, 2021, 6:37 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

You can find the court’s opinion at this link. (I had high hopes for this litigation.)

UCLA Voting Rights Project Publishes Model Code for State Voting Rights Act

March 31, 2021, 1:25 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Release: The UCLA Voting Rights Project has just released to the public its Model State-level Voting Rights Act for voting rights advocates, state legislators, and others involved in the law-making process to utilize in advocating for and drafting pro-voting rights… Continue reading

“Court fight against Georgia voting overhaul no sure thing”

March 28, 2021, 4:12 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Mark Sherman for AP: Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine law school, said the outcome is hard to predict. “Many of the things that the bill does are in line with what other… Continue reading

“How the Supreme Court laid the path for Georgia’s new election law”

March 28, 2021, 4:07 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Joan Biskupic for CNN: Georgia’s voter restrictions were dashed into law Thursday by Republicans shaken over recent election losses and lies about fraud from former President Donald Trump, yet the measures also developed against a backdrop of US Supreme Court… Continue reading