Category Archives: campaigns
“Informing Consent: Voter Ignorance, Political Parties, and Election Law”
Chris Elmendorf and David Scheicher has written this draft posted on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
This paper examines what law can do to enable an electorate comprised of mostly ignorant voters to obtain meaningful representation and to hold elected… Continue reading
“Ohio Attorney General DeWine questions constitutionality of state false statements law in court”
False Campaign Speech and the First Amendment: A Hint from the Stolen Valor Oral Argument
Courts have divided on the constitutionality of various laws punishing false campaign speech. The “Campaigns” chapter of the Election Law casebook discusses these cases—I will soon be at work on revising it for the next edition.
So I was… Continue reading
“Challenge to Montana Ban on Ministers’ and Other Group Leaders’ Election-Related Advocacy in Private”
Eugene Volokh explains and links to the complaint.
“David Koch intends to cure cancer in his lifetime and remake American politics”
The Palm Beach Post: “What Scott Walker is doing with the public unions in Wisconsin is critically important. He’s an impressive guy and he’s very courageous,” Koch says after a benefit dinner of salmon and white wine. “If the… Continue reading
Must-Read Tom Goldstein on Montana Case
SCOTUSBlog:
In other words, the opinion strongly suggests that review is going to be granted and that if the state has a real chance at prevailing in the U.S. Supreme Court, it is not going to be at the… Continue reading
“Sheriff Baca admits violating campaign endorsement law”
LA Times: “Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca admitted Friday that he broke state law by making a political endorsement while in uniform. Baca’s acknowledgment of the violation came after inquiries from The Times about a campaign video on… Continue reading
“Newt Gingrich threatens TV stations over ad”
Politico reports:
The ad is a slight variation of one that Restore Our Future has been running heavily in multiple states since December, and the Gingrich campaign did not respond when asked why they were launching the official challenge… Continue reading
“Paul Schurick’s sentence in Ehrlich robocall case meant to send message, judge says”
WaPo: “Former Maryland governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s campaign manager was spared jail time Thursday for approving a controversial robocall to black voters, but he was sentenced to home detention, community service and a lengthy term of probation.”
And… Continue reading
“Did The RNC Consider Mailing Out Illegal ‘Census’ Forms?”
TPM reports.
“We agree with the district court that Plaintiffs have not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their argument that the prohibition of political party designations next to judicial candidates’ names burdens their rights to association and free speech and is not outweighed by Ohio’s interests”
So concludes the Sixth Circuit in an unpublished opinion issued today. Thanks to Michael Solimine, who helps this blog regularly, for the pointer.
“Pro-Romney Group Uses Willie Horton Ad Maker to Attack Presidential Rivals”
Bloomberg reports.
“Pressure mounting for GOP caucus reconsideration”
News from Maine:“The Maine GOP announced Saturday that Romney narrowly edged Ron Paul, 39 percent to 36 percent, in a nonbinding presidential preference poll taken during the caucuses. The margin was fewer than 200 votes. A number of communities… Continue reading