Category Archives: absentee ballots

Understanding the Pennsylvania GOP Hail Mary Fighting the Extended Deadline for Receipt of Mailed Ballots, and the Awful Pressure that the GOP’s Petition Could Put on Soon-to-Be Justice Barrett

October 24, 2020, 4:45 pmabsentee ballots, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The Pennsylvania GOP has gone back to the U.S. Supreme Court and the state supreme court in an effort to renew its objection to the counting of mail-in ballots that arrive after 8 pm on Election night (as set forth… Continue reading

“A Nonprofit With Ties to Democrats Is Sending Out Millions of Ballot Applications. Election Officials Wish It Would Stop.”

October 23, 2020, 1:43 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

ProPublica: Gerry Cohen had already voted, dropping off his state-issued ballot at his local post office, by the time the unsolicited mail ballot applications started showing up at his house in early September. The first one or two didn’t bother… Continue reading

“In two political battlegrounds, thousands of mail-in ballots are on the verge of being rejected”

October 23, 2020, 1:28 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Herron & Smith: Tens of millions of Americans have already cast their ballots for the 2020 election by mail, building on a historic shift in voting methods that started with primary elections held during the COVID-19 pandemic.Mail-in ballots, however, aren’t… Continue reading

“Voting-rights’ groups end federal fight over drop boxes in Ohio’s presidential election”

October 22, 2020, 3:55 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: A legal fight to add more drop boxes in Ohio counties before Election Day ended Thursday, as voting-rights’ advocates dismissed their federal lawsuit against Secretary of State Frank LaRose.The NAACP of Ohio, the League of Women Voters and… Continue reading

“Trump campaign, North Carolina Republicans ask justices to stop extension of absentee-ballot deadline”

October 22, 2020, 2:32 pmabsentee ballots, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Amy Howe for SCOTUSBlog: Two days after three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit urged them to “take this case up to the Supreme Court immediately,” the Trump campaign and North Carolina Republicans did exactly… Continue reading

Texas Supreme Court, Over One Dissent, Won’t Block Drive-Thru Voting in Harris County

October 22, 2020, 2:21 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Jasper Scherer: News: The Texas Supreme Court has denied @TexasGOP and @HarrisCountyRP's requests for writs of mandamus to block drive-thru voting in Harris County: https://t.co/tn7XtNWUn1 #txlege— Jasper Scherer (@jaspscherer) October 22, 2020 Dissent.

“How Amy Coney Barrett could be key to new lawsuit to block Pa.’s mail-in ballot extension” (and reasons for my skepticism in this particular case)

October 22, 2020, 2:05 pmabsentee ballots, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

VoteBeat: A new federal lawsuit seeks to block Pennsylvania officials from counting mail-in and absentee ballots received within three days after Election Day, an extension approved by the state’s highest court and recently allowed to stand by the U.S. Supreme… Continue reading

“Court ruling could block thousands of Iowa ballot requests”; 4-3 State Supreme Court Ruling

October 21, 2020, 8:44 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

AP: A split Iowa Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a new Republican-backed law that could bar county elections commissioners from mailing absentee ballots to thousands of people who omitted information on their applications.The 4-3 ruling means that voters who… Continue reading

“Court lets North Carolina keep absentee deadline extension” (12-3 En banc 4th Circuit Vote)

October 20, 2020, 8:38 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

AP: North Carolina can accept absentee ballots that are postmarked by Election Day for more than a week afterward, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block an extension for accepting the ballots… Continue reading

“The scary part of the Supreme Court ruling on Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballots”

October 20, 2020, 6:49 amabsentee ballots, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

New Josh Douglas at CNN.

North Carolina: “Voters will get chance to fix or redo their absentee ballots”

October 19, 2020, 12:25 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

News & Observer: Voters whose absentee ballots have problems with their envelopes can now expect contact from board of elections offices in order to fix their ballots by Election Day. And less than 24 hours after North Carolina added… Continue reading

5th Circuit Reverses District Court Order Which Would Have Made It Easier for Texas Voters to “Cure” Signature Mismatch; Case Shows Danger of Pursing These Cases with Increasingly Conservative Judiciary

October 19, 2020, 9:29 amabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

You can find the opinion by Judge Smith (along with a concurrence by Judge Higgenbotham at this link. This case is a nice illustration of the dangers of bringing these suits seeking federal court orders easing voting during a pandemic.… Continue reading

Florida: “Trump Republicans ask to double-check Broward ballot signatures”

October 18, 2020, 12:53 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

South Florida Sun Sentinel: Teams of lawyers for President Donald Trump and Joe Biden got a rare look Friday at Broward voter signatures, at an event staged to clear up Republicans’ questions about election accuracy.Lawyers for Trump’s presidential campaign had… Continue reading

Retired Republican Member of Congress Jim Gerlach: “Pennsylvania’s election officials should have more time to process absentee ballots”

October 18, 2020, 12:30 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Penn Live oped: Failing to allow election officials to begin processing absentee ballots early will put undue pressure on them on Election Day. Failing to provide more time for processing these ballots also means that it is more likely that… Continue reading

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