Category Archives: absentee ballots

“America’s Electorate is Increasingly Polarized Along Partisan Lines About Voting by Mail During the COVID-19 Crisis,

September 22, 2020, 5:10 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has just published a new paper, “America’s Electorate is Increasingly Polarized Along Partisan Lines About Voting by Mail During the COVID-19 Crisis,” by Mackenzie Lockhart, Seth J. Hill, Jennifer Merolla,… Continue reading

Twenty (Republican-led) States File Amicus Brief Urging 9th Circuit to Stay District Court Order Easing Missing Signature Cure Provisions for Absentee Ballots

September 22, 2020, 5:01 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

The states make an argument on the merits under Anderson-Burdick balancing and argue it is too late to make changes to election rules under the Purcell Principle. I expect Purcell to be invoked more and more as we proceed… Continue reading

“Republican Party seeks to reverse Georgia absentee deadline ruling”

September 22, 2020, 1:27 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

AJC: The Republican National Committee is getting involved in an appeal over absentee ballot deadlines in Georgia, making it the 20th state where the Republican Party is fighting election lawsuits.The RNC and the Georgia Republican Party filed a motion… Continue reading

“Has the President Handicapped His Own Party’s Efforts on Absentee Voting?”

September 22, 2020, 7:52 amabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

NYT: The North Carolina Republican Party spent $213,000 on glossy mailers sent out in August to voters believed to be supporters of President Trump.“Urgent Notice,” the mailers warned, alongside a photo of the president. On the flip side, voters found… Continue reading

Tweet of the Day (Penn Profs That Didn’t Have Their Absentee Ballots Count in PA Because of Voter Error)

September 22, 2020, 7:12 amabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Jonathan Lai: https://twitter.com/Elaijuh/status/1308406061561511940?s=20

“How ‘naked ballots’ in Pennsylvania could cost Joe Biden the election”

September 21, 2020, 2:12 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Jonathan Lai for the Inquirer: The state Supreme Court in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state that’s seen as increasingly likely to determine who wins the White House, last week ordered officials to throw out what’s known as “naked ballots”… Continue reading

Ohio SOS LaRose Argues Courts Should Defer to His “Reasonable” Interpretation of Ohio Law to Allow Only One Drop Box for Absentee Ballots Per County; He Should Favor an Interpretation Enfranchising Voters

September 21, 2020, 1:59 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

You can find the brief at this link. This is disappointing from Secretary LaRose. The brief argues that to the extent the statute is ambiguous, the courts should give his interpretation deference. Yet Secretary LaRose has said he favored … Continue reading

“Swing State Hurdle: Returning Absentee Ballots to Election Day Polls”

September 20, 2020, 7:07 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Steven Rosenfeld: Across the country, the past week has seen the Democratic Party and voting rights groups win legal victories to make it easier to vote in the presidential election. But no victory addresses what some experienced election officials… Continue reading

“Postal Service says voter registration, vote-by-mail materials permitted in Houston post offices”

September 20, 2020, 6:54 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Houston Chronicle: There’s been a breakthrough in the weeks-long standoff over the availability of voter registration materials in Houston post offices with just weeks to go before the election.Word came in a letter Friday to two Houston Democrats from… Continue reading

“Mississippi justices: No broad absentee voting amid COVID-19”

September 18, 2020, 4:27 pmabsentee ballots, court decisionsRick Hasen

AP: Mississippi law does not allow absentee voting by all people who have health conditions that might make them vulnerable to COVID-19, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.A majority of justices reversed a Sept. 2 decision by Hinds County… Continue reading

“New York Expands Options for Absentee Voters to Have Their Vote Counted”

September 18, 2020, 8:10 amabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Release: Today, a settlement agreement for the November election has been reached between attorneys representing New York voters and state attorneys with the New York State Board of Elections and Office of the New York Attorney General, addressing issues… Continue reading

Michigan Court Allows Third Party Collection of Absentee Ballots (So-Called “Ballot Harvesting”) in the Weekend Before Election Day, and Requires States To Accept Ballots Arriving Up to 2 Weeks After Election Day if Postmarked the Day Before

September 18, 2020, 7:52 amabsentee ballots, election administrationRick Hasen

You can find the opinion here. I expect this will be appealed as have other Michigan fights over the ballot rules. One notable finding: One of the issues in this case concerns evidence—or lack thereof—of voter fraud and threats… Continue reading

“As Courts Back Broad Mail-In Voting, DeJoy Apologizes for Missteps”

September 17, 2020, 8:48 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

NY Times: Courts on both sides of the United States issued rulings on Thursday that could expand mail-in voting in the election in November, as the postmaster general privately apologized to state officials for missteps in his agency’s efforts to… Continue reading

“Trump’s bluster and millions hasn’t stopped universal mail-in voting plans”

September 17, 2020, 8:40 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Politico: President Donald Trump has spent $20 million of his political war chest to stop it. He riffs about it at rallies. He tweets relentlessly about it.Yet six months into a crusade to stop universal mail-in voting, Trump hasn’t yet… Continue reading