Category Archives: Voting Rights Act

Breaking News: Supreme Court To Consider Constitutional Challenge to Voting Rights Act; Reading Between the Lines in The Cert Grant

November 9, 2012, 2:17 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

[with apologies for the delay in posting as the Election Law Blog server was down.] The Supreme Court’s order today (coming, probably not coincidentally right after, rather than right before the election), was hardly unexpected. We’ve all been expecting the… Continue reading

“Alaska Native Voters Defend the Constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act”

November 8, 2012, 2:06 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

See this press release.

“Home Florida, still counting votes, winds up not counting in 2012 presidential election”

November 7, 2012, 10:27 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Sun-Sentinel: “In the end, Florida didn’t actually matter at all. And that’s a good thing. Because even though President Obama got more than enough electoral votes to win reelection Tuesday, Florida is still officially up for grabs.”

“Voter Fraud In District 23 Congressional Race?”

November 7, 2012, 7:37 amelection administration, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Keep your eye on this important Texas district—tied up in voting rights/redistricting challenges.

“Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and the ‘Aggregate Powers’ of Congress over Elections”

November 1, 2012, 8:51 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Jack Chin has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: In NAMUDNO v. Holder, the Supreme Court suggested that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. The Court explained that Section 5, requiring preclearance… Continue reading

“”Above Politics: The Supreme Court is keeping a low profile this election year by deftly choosing cases that avoid the hot-button issues.”

October 30, 2012, 7:54 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Emily Bazelon writes at Slate. Interestingly, the Court has relisted the Shelby County case involving the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act for this week’s conference, meaning a decision on whether or not to hear the case could come the… Continue reading

Supreme Court Assures It Won’t Inject Itself Further into Election through Voting Rights Case

October 29, 2012, 7:44 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

At least one Justice has requested the record in the Shelby County Voting Rights Act case, meaning any decision on whether or not to hear the case—raising the question whether the section 5 preclearance provisions is constitutional—won’t come until after… Continue reading

“High court weighs new look at voting rights law”

October 28, 2012, 10:42 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP reports on the expected cert. decision in Shelby County, which is expected tomorrow morning at 9:30 am despite the storm. I’ve been strongly predicting a cert. grant.

“6 Reasons Why the Supreme Court Should Not Review the Constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act”

October 25, 2012, 1:40 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Gerry Hebert: “It has been widely predicted that the US Supreme Court will grant certiorari in Shelby County, Alabama’s challenge to the constitutionality of Section 5 of the VRA. The case is set for conference tomorrow and we could… Continue reading

“The Most Fundamental Right: Contrasting Perspectives on the Voting Rights Act”

October 24, 2012, 11:12 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Daniel McCool has edited this new book with an ideologically broad collection of authors: Preface Section I: The Political and Legal Context of the Voting Rights Act 1. Meaningful Votes \Daniel McCool 2. The Constitutional Foundations of the “Pre-Clearance” Process:… Continue reading

“AG questions voting act’s constitutionality”

October 19, 2012, 9:07 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The San Antonio News-Express reports.

Texas Files SCOTUS Brief Asking for It to Restore its Redistricting Plan Blocked under Voting Rights Act

October 19, 2012, 12:54 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

You can read the brief (Paul Clement, counsel of record) here. It makes statutory arguments the Court is likely to consider about the meaning of the Voting Rights Act’s section 5 preclearance provision and it raises the issue of… Continue reading

“Campaigns See Latino Voters as Deciders in 3 Key States”

October 19, 2012, 8:10 amcampaigns, voting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“New Rule Leads to Old School Politics in South Carolina, Critics Say”

October 16, 2012, 5:48 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: “What began as a gap between the digital revolution and the way South Carolina’s candidates had long filed for office has blown up into a legal battle that many say reflects a state whose politics have been raucous since… Continue reading