Billy Penn: While the locally owned coffee chain’s altruism is admirable, it’s also illegal under federal law. “In elections in which federal candidates are on the ballot, no one can offer any kind of benefit or reward for voting,” UC … Continue reading
Category Archives: vote buying
AP: The Pennsylvania Republican Party wants an investigation into a promotion by Fayette County Democrats at the recent county fair to get people to register as Democrats or change party affiliation. The GOP says the offer of Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia … Continue reading
Daily Camera reports. The no-no would be if it was intended to get someone to vote one way or another. In federal elections, goodies for turnout would be clearly illegal. … Continue reading
Ew. I prefer the illegal ice cream. … Continue reading
Philadelphia Inquirer on some absentee ballot vote buying allegations: Voice recorder in his pocket, Rodney Cotton, 51, got out of the private detectives’ car and headed for the Gilliam for Mayor headquarters on Atlantic Avenue. As the two retired state troopers … Continue reading
NYT reports. … Continue reading
Buffalo News: Sometimes, an election vote that is supposed to be secret really isn’t secret at all. That is what happened last Tuesday, when members of Seneca Nation elected every candidate sponsored by the Seneca Party, according to critics of … Continue reading
From my NYT Room for Debate today: Back in 2008, I noted that Ben and Jerry’s, in an act of civic virtue, promised free ice cream on Election Day to everyone who showed an “I Voted” sticker. But this … Continue reading
McClatchy reports. As I’m quoted saying in the article, I don’t believe the issue of legality is settled, despite the 9th Circuit precedent. … Continue reading
Law Newz reports. … Continue reading
Vote trading ideas are back, this time on the NYT oped page (John Stubbs and Ricardo Reyes): Republican voters who refuse to vote for Donald J. Trump are in a bind. They could vote for Hillary Clinton, but that means … Continue reading
Westlaw’s headnote of the day. … Continue reading
Japan Times: Businesses across the nation used discounts and free services to encourage 18- and 19-year-olds to use their newly granted suffrage to vote in Sunday’s House of Councilors election. The Upper House election is the first national poll since … Continue reading
Daily Mail: Elderly men in South Korea have allegedly been given erectile dysfunction drugs to buy their votes in legislative elections, prosecutors said Tuesday, announcing an investigation into the suspected breach. … Continue reading
$50 a vote. Inflation! … Continue reading
Alex Seitz-Wald has the scoop. It does not appear this is limited to voters, and courts have ruled that providing transportation to the polls does not violate anti vote-buying prohibitions. (There was a case some years ago in Alaska about … Continue reading
WTOC reports. … Continue reading
The Marin Independent Journal reports. On why I think this is a very bad idea, see the Selfie is a Threat to Democracy, Reuters Opinion, Aug. 18, 2015 … Continue reading
WaPo reports. … Continue reading
TIME reports. … Continue reading
Here’s the opinion (via ILB) … Continue reading
The Indiana Law Blog reports. … Continue reading
Erik Eckholm for the NYT: On Aug. 11, in a 42-page opinion that reviewed the history of ballot secrecy and voter intimidation, Judge Paul Barbadoro of Federal District Court in Concord struck down the law. The state provided no evidence … Continue reading
Here’s an interview with me on The Takeaway, about my recent Reuters piece. … Continue reading
I have written this commentary for Reuters Opinion. What could be more patriotic in our narcissistic social-media age than posting a picture of yourself on Facebook with your marked ballot for president? Show off your support for former Secretary of … Continue reading
LAT: An experiment in boosting chronic low-turnout local elections ended Friday when Rojas, a 35-year-old security guard, received a check for winning a lottery that included every voter in District 5 for the Los Angeles Board of Education. “I was … Continue reading
AP reports. … Continue reading
Failed Messiah: The Shas Party is promising voters who vote for Shas “a pidyon hanefesh” (redemption of their soul; essentially a “get out of hell free” card) to be given by top Shas Party rabbis in exchange for the voter’s … Continue reading
Fox News. … Continue reading
Carob for votes? … Continue reading
The LA Times reports. … Continue reading
Medical marijuana dispensary giving out free pot in Sacramento with an I Voted speaker. C’mon folks, this is illegal—especially since you can’t get the free ice cream afterwards! … Continue reading
The new UK elections blog. … Continue reading
UT San Diego: A Sweetwater school board candidate is withdrawing her offer to give a free Subway sandwich to voters today after U-T Watchdog informed her that the offer likely violates federal election law. Dana Toogood — who is running … Continue reading
Reuters: “Trailing in the polls and getting little media coverage, California’s Republican candidate for governor handed out $40,000 in scholarships on Tuesday, just two weeks after offering gift cards to attendees at a campaign event.” … Continue reading
Federal indictment. In The Voting Wars, I talk of one other case of alleged crack cocaine for votes. But I have not heard of any others since I wrote that. … Continue reading
The LA Times reports. I look at the legality and policy arguments surrounding payments for turnout (which are illegal throughout the U.S. in any election in which a federal candidate is on the ballot) in my article Vote Buying. … Continue reading
Clarion Ledger: Attorney General Jim Hood said his office is investigating whether a “political blogger” paid a Meridian man to lie about a vote-buying scheme. During his speech at the Neshoba County Fair, Hood called for more civility and integrity … Continue reading
Clarion Ledger: “A Meridian man has recanted – sort of – his story that he helped the U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran campaign buy votes for $15 each in Lauderdale County.” … Continue reading
Following up on this post, I had not realized that this was for a primary election with federal candidates. As Reuters correctly reports, “A spokesman for San Jose, David Vossbrink, said that the offer appeared to be illegal under federal … Continue reading
Bustle: In an effort to encourage California residents to cast ballots in the state primary elections next week, certain pot clubs in San Jose will be giving voters free weed, as long as they have a medical marijuana card, and … Continue reading
Ah, Kentucky. … Continue reading
Interesting question whether this is getting too close to illegal vote buying. I think it is probably ok because there’s no payment for turnout or voting. … Continue reading
Love this: Showing the finger can get you a punch in the face in many parts of the world. In India, during this general election at least, it can earn discounts at gas stations, restaurants, spas, stores and hospitals after … Continue reading
The Pan American reports. … Continue reading
NYT picks up the vote buying case we’ve been following. … Continue reading
Voter fraud investigation in South Texas takes tragic turn. … Continue reading
Deep dive from the Lexington Herald-Leader. … Continue reading
The University of Alabama sorority vote buying scandal apparently is the tip of a much larger iceberg. The NYT delves in. … Continue reading
Gothamist reports. … Continue reading