Category Archives: campaigns

“White Won. We are still the country that produced George Wallace. We are still the country that killed Emmett Till.”

November 9, 2016, 9:23 amcampaigns, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Jamelle Bouie: Americans are stubbornly, congenitally optimistic. And the millions who backed Trump see something in his visage. Something that gives them hope. Here’s what I see. I see a man who empowered white nationalists and won. I see a… Continue reading

“The Democratic Party Establishment Is Finished”

November 9, 2016, 8:34 amcampaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

Jim Newell: The midterm losses? That was just a bad cycle, structurally speaking; presidential demographics would make up for it. The party establishment made a grievous mistake rallying around Hillary Clinton. It wasn’t just a lack of recent political seasoning.… Continue reading

“How the stampede for big money enabled Donald Trump’s rise”

November 9, 2016, 8:18 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

This Matea Gold piece is spot-on and what I’ve been saying. The money story is the most underappreciated one of 2016.

“Montana legislator threatened with prosecution for talking about ethics complaint against governor”

November 8, 2016, 11:19 amcampaignsRick Hasen

Eugene Volokh blogs.

“A group of political scientists says Trump’s attacks on our democracy are unprecedented and dangerous”

November 7, 2016, 9:25 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Greg Sargent: As a general rule, political scientists tend to shy away from taking public stands for — or against — candidates that might make them appear partisan or somehow lacking in scientific objectivity. So it’s notable that a large… Continue reading

“Spread of Early Voting Is Forging New Habits and Campaign Tactics”

November 7, 2016, 9:24 pmcampaigns, election administrationRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Trump, GOP paying consultant dogged by voter fraud charges”

November 7, 2016, 8:17 amcampaigns, chicanery, election administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

AP: Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee have paid at least $1.8 million to a political operative whose roster of companies include several that have been repeatedly investigated for voter registration fraud, even as Trump has complained that… Continue reading

“Clinton’s super-sized fundraising machine pushes legal boundaries”

November 7, 2016, 8:00 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

CPI : Joint fundraising committees, often called “victory funds,” are not new in federal politics. Candidates routinely raise money through these collaborative operations that, by design, split the funds they collect among a number of beneficiaries, such as national and… Continue reading

“We Hold These Truths to Be Selfie-Evident”

November 6, 2016, 7:38 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Stephen Klein and Patrick Jaicomo WSJ oped.

PA: The Most Important Election-Related Court Ruling Remaining Isn’t About Election Law: It’s About Transit Strikers in Philly

November 6, 2016, 1:05 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

The Philadelphia SEPTA transit strike continues. A judge denied an injunction Friday but will revisit Monday potentially issuing an injunction ordering workers back in light of the election. Getting Philadelphia voters to the polls Tuesday is key to the… Continue reading

Vox Has Oversimplified Debate over the Legality of Vote Trading: Explained

November 6, 2016, 12:15 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Vox says people in swing states should feel perfectly comfortable exchanging votes in people in safe states to help defeat Trump. They quote my friend (and congressional candidate) Jamie Raskin as saying that now that there’s one ninth circuit case… Continue reading

“A Guy In A Trump Shirt Carried A Gun Outside Of A Virginia Polling Place. Authorities Say That’s Fine.”

November 5, 2016, 11:59 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Ryan Reilly: A man wearing a Donald Trump shirt and carrying a weapon stood outside a voting location in Loudoun County, Virginia, on Friday. Authorities in the nation’s richest county are apparently OK with that. Erika Cotti encountered the man… Continue reading

“Lawmaker sues Montana commissioner of political practices”

November 5, 2016, 11:38 amcampaignsRick Hasen

AP: A Montana lawmaker sued Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl on Friday for saying the legislator faces penalties for revealing a confidential ethics complaint he filed against Gov. Steve Bullock, a lawsuit Motl said was timed to sway… Continue reading

“Ohio GOP files election complaint against Democratic Party”

November 4, 2016, 8:30 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Cincinnati Enquirer: The Ohio Republican Party has filed a complaint with federal election officials, claiming the Ohio Democratic Party sent mailers without required disclaimers to identify the source of the brochures or who paid for them. The flyers, encouraging support… Continue reading