Category Archives: political parties

Two members of ABA Task Force highlight fusion’s potential to break political polarization and empower the center, as New Jersey Supreme Court considers the state’s ban on fusion

July 10, 2025, 2:03 pmpolitical parties, political polarization, third partiesstate constitutions, state courtsTabatha Abu El-Haj

In an exceptionally clear piece in Newsweek, William Kristol and Tom Rogers, members of the ABA cross-partisan Task Force for American democracy, explain fusion voting and how relegalizing it could “break political polarization and empower the center.” The authors… Continue reading

“Three archetypes define American politics. Reading this article suggests which one might apply to you”

June 29, 2025, 11:39 ampolitical parties, political polarizationinformation environmentJustin Levitt

This won’t be novel for many on the list, but the latest CNN poll on Americans’ attention to political news has some implications for the role that political parties are playing in our democracy.

Roundup of stories on the Louisiana congressional redistricting case

June 27, 2025, 6:35 pmpolitical parties, redistricting, Voting Rights ActJustin Levitt

You can read about the punt from (so far): Me, AP, Times-Picayune, Louisiana Illuminator, NPR, CBS, NYT, WaPo, SCOTUSblog, The Hill, Politico, CNN, Cook Political Report, Washington … Continue reading

More evidence of the Trump mobilization of lower-frequency voters

June 26, 2025, 10:30 pmelection administration, political parties, The Voting Warsvoter turnoutJustin Levitt

The NYT headline is “If Everyone Had Voted, Harris Still Would Have Lost.” Which, of course, is impossible to know, unless you assume that demographics is inevitably destiny. But the broader point of the outcome of this new Pew study… Continue reading

“Independent and third-party voter registration growing, largely at the expense of Democrats”

June 25, 2025, 10:06 pmpolitical parties, voter registrationJustin Levitt

An NBC report with the lede: The number of registered independents and third-party members is growing as voters are breaking from the two-party system at increasing rates, according to an NBC News analysis of voter registration data. As of 2025,… Continue reading

“Recovering from Rucho: How States Can Create National Partisan Fairness”

June 24, 2025, 1:16 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, redistrictingpartisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

Jamie Piltch and Aaron Goldzimer have a new piece in the Wash. U. L. Rev. Online: Rucho v. Common Cause and the failure to pass H.R. 1 have left national gerrymandering reform on life support. At present, however, states committed… Continue reading

“NJ Moderate Party and Voters Ask State Supreme Court to Take Fusion Voting Case”

June 24, 2025, 8:55 amballot access, political partiesFusion, state constitutionsTabatha Abu El-Haj

Insider NJ reports that the New Jersey Moderate Party and voters today filed briefs with the NJ Supreme Court asking it to review the constitutionality of New Jersey’s anti-fusion laws. The party argues that the fusion ban violates its right… Continue reading

“Amid upcoming redistricting deadline, massive changes could soon be coming for Ohio’s congressional map”

June 22, 2025, 5:12 pmconflict of interest laws, election law and constitutional law, political parties, redistrictingpartisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

Ohio’s redistricting process has been, charitably, a mess. WLWT in Ohio focuses on the coming summer redraw of Ohio’s congressional lines, which were valid only for 2022 and 2024 under Ohio’s constitution, because they were passed by a… Continue reading

“Two Top Union Leaders Quit D.N.C. Posts in Dispute With Chairman”

June 16, 2025, 8:30 ampolitical partiesTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. Times Conflict with DNC Chair Ken Martin leads Randi Weingarten, leader of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, to resign their positions in the Democratic… Continue reading

“2024 Broke the Democrats. Can They Put Themselves Back Together?

June 16, 2025, 5:43 ampolitical parties, primaries, voting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

Fascinating episode from Reveal that speaks to a range of issues of interest to readers of this Blog, from the NYC mayoral race to the appeal of Donald Trump among Latino voters to the future of VRA and the political… Continue reading

“The Real Problem With the Democrats’ Ground Game”

June 10, 2025, 7:13 amcampaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

Russell Berman in The Atlantic: They called it the “Big Send.” Democrats gathered in living rooms, libraries, and coffee shops across the country to write letters to millions of potential voters in swing states and competitive congressional districts, urging them to… Continue reading

“CNN Poll: A record share of Americans want the government to get more done. Few trust either party to do it”

June 2, 2025, 8:09 ampolitical parties, political polarizationDerek Muller

Sobering polling as detailed by Ariel Edwards-Levy.

“Why stricter voting laws no longer help Republicans”

June 1, 2025, 9:15 amelection administration, political parties, The Voting Wars, voter registrationvoter turnoutJustin Levitt

The Economist, making my point from yesterday.

“Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare Speaks on Redistricting Effort, Partisanship Claims”

May 31, 2025, 11:09 amelection law and constitutional law, political parties, redistrictinglocal redistricting, partisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

A coming vote on new mid-decade maps for Tarrant County, Texas (where Ft. Worth is the county seat) has been quite controversial, with charges of racial and partisan impropriety, and likely litigation on the horizon. County Judge Tim O’Hare has… Continue reading