Category Archives: Department of Justice

Pitts: DOJ’s Letter to Pa. on Voter ID Law Was Unusual

July 24, 2012, 9:02 amDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

Mike Pitts, a former DOJ attorney who worked on voting rights issues, and now a professor at Indiana, sent the following interesting post to the election law listserv, which I reprint below by permission: There are a couple of… Continue reading

“Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Voter ID Laws”

July 23, 2012, 4:47 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Important ProPublica Q&A.

“Justice Department Investigates Pennsylvania Voter ID Law”

July 23, 2012, 2:45 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

TPM reports.

“Shelby County files Voting Rights Act appeal with U.S. Supreme Court”

July 20, 2012, 2:02 pmDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Birmingham News: “Shelby County took its challenge of the Voting Rights Actto the U.S. Supreme Court today, asking the justices to declare part of the 1965 law an unfair burden on states such as Alabama where the federal government… Continue reading

“Section 5 challenges reach Court”

July 20, 2012, 9:15 amDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

SCOTUSBlog’s Lyle Denniston: [updated]: “Attorneys for challengers to the constitutionality of the 1965 voting rights law’s key provision for federal regulation of state and local election laws urged the Supreme Court on Friday to settle the issue in the… Continue reading

“Democrats at DOJ: Why Partisan Use of the Voting Rights Act Might Not Be So Bad After All”

July 19, 2012, 3:44 pmDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Ellen Katz has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Stanford Law and Policy Review). Here is the abstract: Partisan use of the Voting Rights Act has long been viewed as distasteful and destructive. This short Essay challenges that view, arguing… Continue reading

“Texas’ poll tax in disguise A law requiring a photo ID to vote attacks a key achievement of the civil rights era.”

July 15, 2012, 8:30 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, voting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Bruce Ackerman and Jennifer Nou have written this LA Times oped.

“Voter IDs on Trial”

July 13, 2012, 8:59 pmDepartment of Justice, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Important NYT editorial.

“Judges Scrutinize Texas Voter-ID Law”

July 13, 2012, 5:35 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

WSJ: “One of the judges, Rosemary Collyer, signaled her doubt about the Texas expert’s findings, saying they ‘took enormous hits’ during cross-examination. Another judge, Robert Wilkins, questioned how it could be fair to require people in certain remote parts… Continue reading

“Judges Seem Ready To Mess With Texas’ Voter ID Law”

July 13, 2012, 1:01 pmDepartment of Justice, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

TPM reports.

“Texas Voter ID Law Now In Hands Of Three-Judge Panel”

July 13, 2012, 12:58 pmDepartment of Justice, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

NPR’s Pam Fessler: “Two of the judges on the panel — Robert Wilkins and David Tatel — were appointed by Democratic presidents. The third — Rosemary Collyer — was appointed by a Republican. But all three were critical of… Continue reading

“Texas Voter ID trial: closing arguments”

July 13, 2012, 10:52 amDepartment of Justice, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

This Dallas Morning News report makes me think it is almost certain that Texas will lose this round before the trial court, and pretty quickly. But that’s not the end of the story.

“Texas Voter ID Clown Show Ends Today”

July 13, 2012, 7:52 amDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Christian Adams on the DC trial for Texas voter id.

Texas Voter ID Trial Ending

July 12, 2012, 7:46 pmDepartment of Justice, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

My SA: “Four days of testimony ended Thursday in a federal trial on the legality of a new Texas voter ID law that was rejected by the Justice Department under the Voting Rights Act. The case is being watched… Continue reading