Category Archives: The Voting Wars

Scheduling of special elections

January 3, 2020, 4:36 pmThe Voting WarsJustin Levitt

There’s always a fair amount of controversy around the scheduling of special elections to fill vacancies, particularly when the date seems to create particularly advantageous or disadvantageous terrain. The latest takes shape in New York, for the special election… Continue reading

“Top DFLers, state party defend law that permits Trump-only GOP primary ballots”

January 3, 2020, 4:34 pmelection law and constitutional law, political parties, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

The real story isn’t that state party officials are defending state party associational rights under the First Amendmetn (even if they also benefit opposing parties). The real story is the practical recognition that litigation now begins to creep up on… Continue reading

“Conservatives seek immediate purge of voters in Wisconsin”

January 2, 2020, 1:36 pmThe Voting Wars, voter registrationJustin Levitt

The latest on this saga is a motion seeking to hold the members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission in contempt for failing to remove 200,000 voter registrations pending an appeal of a state trial court’s order. More here.

Quantitative election administration studies: early voting and polling place location

January 2, 2020, 1:30 pmelection administration, legislation and legislatures, political equality, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

Two studies newly published in the latest issue of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics series: Ethan Kaplan and Haishan Yuan, Early Voting Laws, Voter Turnout, and Partisan Vote Composition: Evidence from Ohio We estimate effects of early voting on… Continue reading

“On Va. Democrats’ 2020 to-do list, voting rights seem to top campaign finance reform”

January 2, 2020, 1:28 pmcampaign finance, election administration, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

The Virginia Mercury looks at the legislative session ahead.

Federal court issues preliminary injunction against 2018 NC voter ID law

January 1, 2020, 3:21 pmThe Voting Wars, voter idJustin Levitt

The law, enacted over the Governor’s veto, usually requires a qualifying photo ID to vote. As compared to the previous ID law passed in the wake of Shelby County and invalidated in 2016, it expands the list of acceptable IDs… Continue reading

“Are States Purging Or Cleaning Voter Registration Rolls?”

December 23, 2019, 9:30 amelection administration, NVRA (motor voter), The Voting Wars, voter registrationRick Hasen

NPR’s Pam Fessler.

Must-Read: Trump Advisor in Wisconsin Says “Traditionally it’s always been Republicans suppressing votes in places,” Promises More Aggressive Poll Watching Following Expiration of Consent Decree Against RNC Activities [Now updated with audio]

December 20, 2019, 2:04 pmelection administration, fraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

AP: One of President Donald Trump’s top re-election advisers told influential Republicans in swing state Wisconsin that the party has “traditionally” relied on voter suppression to compete in battleground states but will be able to “start playing offense” in 2020… Continue reading

“22,000 reinstated to voting rolls as Georgia attorneys defend purge”

December 20, 2019, 8:24 amThe Voting Wars, voter registrationRick Hasen

AJC: The Georgia secretary of state’s office announced Thursday that it would reinstate about 22,000 voters that it had removed from the rolls earlier this week.The announcement came two hours before state attorneys returned to federal court to defend the… Continue reading

Interview with Me on the State of American Democracy, from the Producers of the Documentary “Rigged: The Voter Suppression Handbook”

December 17, 2019, 8:09 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

You can watch here: https://vimeo.com/377118923

“Jim Crow As Kafka: Voter Suppression on the Ground”

December 16, 2019, 10:54 amThe Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

Jonathan Zasloff has posted this paper on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Requiring photo identification before voting has generated fiercely contested litigation and scholarly literature. This Article attempts to move the debate forward by examining how precisely Voter ID works… Continue reading

“Judge orders state to purge more than 200,000 Wisconsin voters from the rolls”

December 13, 2019, 7:53 pmThe Voting Wars, voter registrationRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: An Ozaukee County judge on Friday ordered the state to remove hundreds of thousands of people from Wisconsin’s voter rolls because they may have moved. The case is being closely watched because of the state’s critical role in… Continue reading

Wisconsin: “Voter-roll purge would hit Democrat-leaning areas hardest”

December 12, 2019, 7:59 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ten percent or more of registered voters in dozens of communities could be removed from the voter rolls if a lawsuit against the state succeeds.Some of the highest dropoff would occur in Wisconsin’s two largest cities and… Continue reading

“National Democratic groups litigate 2020 in the courts”

December 11, 2019, 9:22 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Roll Call: More than in previous election cycles, national Democratic groups are making litigation over election and voting laws a key part of their 2020 strategy. A handful of Democratic groups are currently litigating about a dozen cases over what… Continue reading