Category Archives: The Voting Wars

Former Wisconsin Senator Tells ProPublica No Sign of Voter Fraud to Support Strict Voter ID Laws

July 3, 2017, 2:47 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

ProPublica interview with former WI legislator Dale Schultz: The Republicans pushing the voter ID effort cited voter fraud as a concern and a reason to tighten voting rules and requirements. Did anyone ever show you compelling evidence of that? No,… Continue reading

“Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Kris Kobach”

July 3, 2017, 1:38 pmconflict of interest laws, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Release: Today, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a formal Hatch Act Complaint against Kris Kobach who appears to have violated the Hatch Act in connection with his role as Vice Chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission… Continue reading

Connecticut SOS Changes Her Mind About Cooperating with Pence-Kobach Commission

July 3, 2017, 9:35 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Celeste Katz: When President Donald Trump’s new Commission on Election Integrity sent out a request for reams of personal information about voters, Denise Merrill was skeptical — but tentatively cooperative. The Connecticut secretary of state released a statement saying that… Continue reading

“Trump launches his opening voter suppression salvo”

July 3, 2017, 9:11 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

WaPo editorial.

“House Republicans Want to Eliminate Federal Election Assistance Agency”

July 3, 2017, 8:46 amelection administration, Election Assistance Commission, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Government Executive: A spending bill from the House Appropriations Committee unveiled Thursday would give the Election Assistance Commission 60 days to terminate itself. The small agency was created after the tightly contested 2000 presidential election. It has an annual budget… Continue reading

“Voting Fights in the States”

July 3, 2017, 8:39 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Miles Rapoport: Well, it’s now the end of June, and while some legislatures are still in session, the great majority have finished their business for the year. Several states have indeed passed bad bills. But, overall, the results are significantly… Continue reading

“Donald Trump just admitted his election integrity commission is a ‘voter fraud panel'”

July 1, 2017, 3:58 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Celeste Katz: He’s calling a spade a spade. President Donald Trump lashed out at critics of his “election integrity commission” on Twitter Saturday, describing the group specifically as a “very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL.”

“Trump voter-fraud panel’s data request a gold mine for hackers, experts warn”

July 1, 2017, 3:49 pmchicanery, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Politico: Cybersecurity specialists are warning that President Donald Trump’s voter-fraud commission may unintentionally expose voter data to even more hacking and digital manipulation. Their concerns stem from a letter the commission sent to every state this week, asking for full… Continue reading

“Asked for Voters’ Data, States Give Trump Panel a Bipartisan ‘No’”

June 30, 2017, 5:43 pmfraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Important Michael Wines in the NYT, rounding up the state of play: ata of the nation’s 200 million voters set off an avalanche of opposition by state leaders in both parties on Friday, as officials from California to Mississippi called… Continue reading

“What does this Trump commission want do with states’ voter information?” Me on the PBS News Hour

June 30, 2017, 5:06 pmfraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Watch.

NPR’s Ari Shapiro Interviews Kris Kobach–Listen for Last Question on Trump’s False Claims of Millions of Illegal Votes

June 30, 2017, 4:50 pmFixing Election Administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Nice job by Ari. You can listen here. Kobach falsely claims he is just asking for publicly available information. But it includes SSNs and other information. He says the Commission will study security of state voter rolls. This is… Continue reading

Quote of the Day: Republican Pushback on Kobach’s Federal Intrusion Edition

June 30, 2017, 4:26 pmfraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

“They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi is a great state to launch from,”….“Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our state’s right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes.”… Continue reading

“Trump’s Voter Fraud Endgame; His ‘election integrity’ investigation is a pretext to repeal the National Voter Registration Act. It won’t work”

June 30, 2017, 10:06 amchicanery, fraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: Donald Trump’s attempt at voter suppression through his “election integrity” commission is a voting rights nightmare that is being enacted so clumsily it just might backfire….. Kobach’s likely going to use… Continue reading

Justin Levitt: Pence-Kobach “Election Integrity” Commission Requests May Violate Federal Law

June 30, 2017, 6:58 amfraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Justin at Take Care on the requests for voter information I expressed concern about yesterday: In the abstract, the information itself isn’t the real problem. There are ways that careful researchers engage voter files that can assist and enlighten. But… Continue reading