Category Archives: Voting Rights Act

“Eric Cantor’s Defeat Is Bad News for the Voting Rights Act”

June 11, 2014, 11:10 amVoting Rights Act, VRAARick Hasen

Of course Ari Berman is right on this. But his column also contains something I had not heard: The bill was written specifically with Cantor in mind, watered down on the key issue of voter ID to attract GOP support.… Continue reading

Voting Rights Opponents Press Majority Leader Cantor on VRAA

June 9, 2014, 7:18 pmThe Voting Wars, Voting Rights Act, VRAARick Hasen

See here and here. Not that it is likely to matter.

“Attorney General Holder Suggests New Proposal to Boost Voting Access for American Indians and Alaska Natives”

June 9, 2014, 12:32 pmDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

DOJ press release.

“Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Committee On The Judiciary, On The Department Of Justice’s Initiative To Ensure Access To Voting For Native Americans and Alaska Natives”

June 9, 2014, 12:01 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Press release.

Repealing the “Voter Rights Act?”

June 9, 2014, 8:15 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

An early draft of the Texas GOP platform called for repealing the entire Voting Rights Act (misnamed the Voter Rights Act). Anyone know if this got passed? The platform got attention for other reasons. UPDATE: So apparently this has… Continue reading

“Judge Orders Palmdale To Pay $3.5M For Voting Rights Act Violation”

June 8, 2014, 12:27 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

According to the article, Palmdale is considering a Petition for Review to the California Supreme Court. Apparently the original attorneys fees request was for $5.2 million.

“Feds say state election officials wrong on Native language rules”

June 5, 2014, 12:29 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Anchorage Daily News: “A federal judge on Wednesday overruled state election officials and said the constitutional right to vote requires Alaska to translate all election materials into Native languages for voters with limited English skills.”

Larry Tribe on (Non-)Lessons of Schuette for Same Sex Marriage Cases

June 5, 2014, 10:13 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Fascinating build on idea Justices’ talk about democratic process often just rhetoric: It would therefore be ill-advised for casual readers of these opinions to make too much of the justices’ language celebrating or denigrating democratic process. Substantive beliefs about equality… Continue reading

“Voting in America” Event at Library of Congress June 11

June 5, 2014, 9:45 amThe Voting Wars, voting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

This looks great.

VRAA DOA?

June 5, 2014, 6:49 amVoting Rights Act, VRAARick Hasen

It is sure looking that way. And it is no surprise. As I wrote the day the bill dropped in January: The politics and path dependence. Despite these constitutional issues, I would bet that the VRAA would have passed… Continue reading

DOJ Files Statement of Interest in Alaska VRA Section 203 Case

June 4, 2014, 1:51 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

See here.

How is the SCOTUS Opinion in Bond Like NAMUDNO?

June 3, 2014, 12:16 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Richard Re: The doctrine of one last chance holds that the Court must stay its hand once — but just once — before issuing immediately disruptive decisions. This precept most obviously arose in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No.… Continue reading

Shelby County Appeals Loss of $2 Million Attorney Fee Request to DC Circuit

June 3, 2014, 7:33 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Following up on this post, in which I said that the lower court’s denial of fees “seems a sensible result to me, but it raises a number of issues of first impression, so there could be an appeal,” there is… Continue reading