Category Archives: The Voting Wars

Judge Leon Puts EAC Chair in Interesting Position: It Has to Say Whether Brian Newby Acted within the Scope of His Authority

February 26, 2017, 8:17 amelection administration, Election Assistance Commission, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Via Josh Gerstein comes news of this latest ruling in League of Women Voters v. Newby, concerning a directive from EAC director Newby allowing states (including SOS Kobach’s Kansas) to require documentary proof of citizenship before using the federal form… Continue reading

Judge Easterbrook Asks in WI Case: Why Can’t Republicans Make “Pro-Republican Changes” to Make It Harder to Vote?

February 24, 2017, 7:07 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

In the oral argument in today’s Wisconsin [corrected] case, around the 29 minute mark, Judge Easterbrook asks plaintiffs’ counsel: “A large part your brief reads as if the argument is: ‘When Democrats are in control they are free to… Continue reading

NAACP LDF: Leaders and Academics Should Not Participate in VP Pence’s “Voter Fraud” Task Force

February 24, 2017, 6:32 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Release: Recent reports confirm that Vice President Mike Pence will lead a task force to investigate President Trump’s unproven voter fraud claims and is gathering names of individuals who will be part of it. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational… Continue reading

Talking “Voting Rights in Trump’s America” in Austin on Thursday March 2 at Univ. of Texas Law School

February 24, 2017, 6:27 pmThe Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Hope to see Austin folks at this ACS event (with cookies!). I’ll be giving a faculty workshop that day too, presenting Race or Party, Party as Race, or Party All the Time: Three Uneasy Approaches to Conjoined Polarization in … Continue reading

“Federal appeals court could reinstate Wisconsin’s early voting limits”

February 24, 2017, 10:56 amelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Patrick Marley for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Three federal judges expressed deep skepticism Friday over claims that Wisconsin Republicans had deliberately made it harder for minorities to vote, raising the prospect they would reinstate limits on early voting. Judge Frank Easterbrook… Continue reading

Breaking: Federal Court Denies Motion to Postpone Texas Voter ID Trial, Putting DOJ in Position to Change Sides in Litigation

February 24, 2017, 8:05 amelection administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

A federal district court, following a remand from the Fifth Circuit, is considering whether Texas acted with racially discriminatory intent when it passed its controversial voter identification law. The district court had already made a finding that Texas had such… Continue reading

“Montana Republicans Attack Their Own Bill Because It Makes Voting Too Easy”

February 23, 2017, 8:18 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

The Daily Banter reports.

NH: “New state Senate GOP voter registration plan tightens proof-of-residency requirements”

February 23, 2017, 8:13 pmelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

WMUR reports.

“Plaintiffs Oppose Texas & Justice Department Effort to Delay Hearing on Photo ID Law”

February 23, 2017, 8:07 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Release: Groups and individuals suing Texas over its strict photo ID law filed a brief in U.S. District Court today in opposition to a joint request by the state and the United States Department of Justice, who asked to delay… Continue reading

NC AG Files Another #SCOTUS Letter, Noting Board of Elections Has No Interest in Voting Case and Asking for Cert. Dismissal

February 23, 2017, 3:40 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

See this filing. So it looks like the Court is very likely to dismiss the case, unless the NC Legislature gets involved and can convince the Court that it can assert the interests of the state of North Carolina.… Continue reading

“Pence filling out voter fraud task force”

February 22, 2017, 7:51 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

The Hill: “He’s announcing that Vice President Mike Pence will lead a task force on this,” Spicer said when asked about Trump’s accusations that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in 2016. The White House so far has… Continue reading

“Texas, Trump administration seek to delay voter ID hearing”

February 22, 2017, 7:36 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP: The U.S. Justice Department joined Texas’ attorney general Wednesday in asking a federal court to delay a hearing on the state’s voter ID law, the latest signal that the federal government might drop its opposition to the law now… Continue reading

NC Voting Case Not Over (Yet) at #SCOTUS? [Corrected post]

February 22, 2017, 3:36 pmSupreme Court, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Note: An earlier version of this post said that there was a party line vote at the North Carolina Board of Elections not to withdraw from the case. That’s correct, but it was not the end of the story. I… Continue reading

“Voter ID bills try to solve problems that don’t exist”

February 22, 2017, 3:30 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

Douglas Hess oped for the Des Moines Register: Iowans should take pride in knowing that our state, like many Midwestern states, has a reputation for relatively even-handed public administration. Unfortunately, some officials are bruising that reputation with proposals to add… Continue reading