Category Archives: political parties

The Problem with Plurality-Winner Elections

November 3, 2021, 5:21 pmalternative voting systems, political parties, political polarization, primariesranked choice votingNed Foley

Election Law at Ohio State is pleased to present a one-hour webinar on the issue of electoral system design: The Problem with Plurality-Winner Elections – And Can Requiring Majority Winners Help Save Democracy? It’s scheduled for Friday, November 19, at… Continue reading

How best to safeguard democracy? Two conflicting views on recent display.

October 17, 2021, 11:01 amelection subversion risk, political parties, political polarizationNed Foley

I am struck by how forcefully two very different strategies for defending democracy have been advocated this past week. First, Ian Bassin on The Bulwark podcast emphasized (and I’m paraphrasing here) that the advice he heard from Europeans combatting rising… Continue reading

Democrats, democracy, and “the Portman problem”

September 16, 2021, 9:40 amalternative voting systems, election subversion risk, political parties, primaries, theoryNed Foley

Can one party save democracy by itself? I don’t think so, but that seems to be the view of some, as nicely captured by Ed Kilgore in responding to my blog post How Best to End “Electoral McCarthyism”? Kilgore acknowledges:… Continue reading

How best to end “Electoral McCarthyism”?

September 13, 2021, 8:49 amelection subversion risk, political parties, political polarizationNed Foley

As regular ELB readers know, I’ve characterized the problem of Trump’s “Big Lie” about a “stolen” 2020 election as an electoral version of the kind of “paranoid” strain of American politics that Hofstadter classified the Red Scare version of McCarthyism… Continue reading

Details on the RNC’s future election litigation strategy

August 12, 2021, 5:38 amelection administration, political parties, The Voting WarsDerek Muller

Breitbart (ed.: not often linked on the pages of ELB?) interviews Justin Riemer, chief counsel at the Republican National Committee: The Republican Party has built a “permanent” structure to battle the left nationwide on election integrity over the last eight… Continue reading

Gerrymandering the Presidency Without a Coup

August 5, 2021, 9:47 pmelection subversion risk, electoral college, political parties, political polarizationNed Foley

As much as I’m concerned about the risk that on January 6, 2025 there will a successful subversion of the popular vote caused by an abuse of the procedures set forth in the Electoral Count Act, I’m concerned about other… Continue reading

Michigan Mess: Internecine War in GOP

July 30, 2021, 5:52 amelection subversion risk, political parties, political polarization, primariesNed Foley

Politico has a fascinating read on the infighting among Michigan Republicans between Trump supporters, for whom belief that 2020 election was stolen from Trump remains the focus of attention, and traditional Republicans who (like Bill Barr) recognize that this stolen… Continue reading

NJ redistricting: 13 is an unlucky number this time

July 19, 2021, 12:18 pmpolitical parties, political polarization, redistrictingNed Foley

“This is the first time the two parties haven’t agreed on a 13th member for congressional redistricting.” That, for me, is the key quote from this report on the need for the state’s Supreme Court to pick the thirteenth member… Continue reading

“A partisan battle in an overreach of a case”: Minority voters are caught between the political parties at the Supreme Court, with the Voting Rights Act hanging in the balance (My SCOTUSBlog Preview of Brnovich)

February 22, 2021, 8:02 ampolitical parties, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I have written this analysis for SCOTUSBlog. It begins: Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee is a strange voting rights case. Rather than the typical case, in which a voting rights group representing minority voters sues a state or locality for… Continue reading

“10 Months Later, Iowa Democrats Blame National Party for Caucus Meltdown”

December 12, 2020, 3:39 pmpolitical partiesRick Hasen

NYT reports. With Iowa’s closely watched presidential caucuses more endangered than ever after a disastrous showing in February that delayed results for days, the Iowa Democratic Party on Saturday sought to shift blame for the meltdown onto the Democratic National… Continue reading

“Local Political Parties as Networks: A Guide to Self-Assessment”

May 28, 2020, 7:00 ampolitical partiesRick Hasen

New white paper from SSN working group: The 2020 election season offers extraordinary opportunities for local parties to welcome new members, grow their ranks, and serve as networks of civic connection. This self-assessment document provides a set of diagnostic questions… Continue reading

Second Circuit Unanimously Affirms District Court Order Requiring New York to Conduct a Presidential Primary

May 19, 2020, 7:29 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

The order is here. An opinion to follow is promised. “After reviewing the record, we affirm the order granting the application for preliminary injunction for substantially the reasons given by the District Court in its thorough May 5, 2020… Continue reading

“Democrats move to allow remote voting or a virtual summer convention”

May 11, 2020, 8:51 pmpolitical partiesRick Hasen

WaPo: The Democratic Party plans to adopt new rules Tuesday to narrow the scope of its presidential nominating convention, potentially paving the way for either a limited in-person gathering or a virtual event this August.The proposed changes, which are… Continue reading