Category Archives: direct democracy

“REPORT: ERN’s Groundbreaking Report Identifies Partisan Abuses of Ballot Initiatives and Proposes Nonpartisan Solutions”

February 3, 2025, 4:22 pmdirect democracyRick Hasen

Release: A groundbreaking new report from the Election Reformers Network (ERN) shows how state legislatures and elected officials have manipulated the ballot initiative process to stymie the will of voters in many states across the country. The report, Partisan Control … Continue reading

“Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results.”

December 8, 2024, 9:50 pmdirect democracy, legislation and legislatures, political partiesJustin Levitt

The AP notes a variety of ways in which legislatures may push back.

“Why Voters Rejected Election Reform”

December 8, 2024, 9:50 pmdirect democracy, election administration, political parties, primariesranked-choice votingJustin Levitt

Russell Berman digs in to the reform measures on the 2024 ballot, in The Atlantic.

“The new question ballot-measure pollsters have to ask”

December 3, 2024, 10:14 pmballot access, direct democracyJustin Levitt

Politico highlights something California voters saw for the first time this year: 5 supporters and 5 opponents for each ballot measure, right on the ballot.

6th Circuit Issues Decision in Brown v. Yost

November 22, 2024, 7:57 amcourt decisions, direct democracyTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Sixth Circuit (with one concurrence) has ended the appeal of the district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction on grounds of mootness. Background from the opinion, “This appeal arises from a ballot proposal initiated by Cynthia Brown. In February… Continue reading

“Arizonans Defeat Three GOP Measures That Would Have Restricted Their Voting Power”

November 7, 2024, 3:06 pmdirect democracyRick Hasen

Bolts: Republican lawmakers in Arizona placed a slew of constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall to limit the recourse available to voters to hold politicians and courts accountable and to take matters into their own hands. Arizonans on Tuesday… Continue reading

“Anti-Gerrymandering Groups Warn That Ohio’s Ballot Language Is Misleading Voters”

October 28, 2024, 12:51 pmchicanery, direct democracy, redistrictingRick Hasen

New at Bolts.

Federal District Court Issues TRO Barring the State of Florida from Threatening TV Stations That Air Advertising Supporting Abortion Rights Amendment

October 17, 2024, 4:16 pmdirect democracy, First Amendment theoryRick Hasen

Order: By threatening criminal proceedings for broadcasting a “political advertisement claiming that current Florida law does not allow physicians to perform abortions necessary to preserve the lives and health of pregnant women,” ECF No. 1-1 at 2, Defendant has engaged… Continue reading

“Missouri High Court Restores Abortion Measure to Ballot”

September 11, 2024, 6:44 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

NYT: The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a bid to strike a question on the November ballot that will ask voters whether to establish a right to abortion in the State Constitution. The seven-member court handed down its one-page… Continue reading

“Police are questioning Florida voters about signing an abortion rights ballot petition”

September 10, 2024, 7:10 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

AP: State police are showing up at Florida voters’ homes to question them about signing a petition to get an abortion rights amendment on the ballot in November, and a state health care agency has launched a website targeting the… Continue reading

“They didn’t submit a photocopy that wasn’t required; Why abortion won’t be on the Arkansas ballot in November”

September 3, 2024, 6:43 amballot access, chicanery, direct democracyRick Hasen

I missed this from Adam Unikowsky back on Aug. 25: On August 22, 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court held, by a 4-3 vote, that an abortion-rights ballot initiative would not appear on the 2024 ballot. Why? It’s a confusing… Continue reading

“Morning Digest: The Utah GOP wants the power to overturn citizens’ ballot initiatives”

August 22, 2024, 7:09 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

The Downballot: Utah’s Republican-dominated legislature voted on Wednesday to place a constitutional amendment on the general election ballot that would explicitly allow lawmakers to amend or repeal voter-approved initiatives―including a 2018 measure that could put an end to partisan gerrymandering.… Continue reading

“Direct Democracy Scores a Win in Michigan’s High Court. Can It Survive November?”

August 10, 2024, 9:51 amdirect democracystate supreme courts, threats to democracyTabatha Abu El-Haj

Bolts Magazine: Michigan’s Republican legislature’s seemingly duplicitous strategy to get around progressive ballot measures struck down by the state’s high court. “Michigan progressives gathered enough signatures in 2018 to put two labor measures on the ballot: one to raise… Continue reading

“Legal fight continues with appeals over proposed immigration initiative for Arizona Nov. 5 ballot”

July 21, 2024, 5:39 amdirect democracyDan Tokaji

AP: The fight to keep a proposed border initiative off Arizona’s Nov. 5 ballot is not over yet. Immigrant advocates kept the issue alive this week by filing notice to the state Supreme Court that they will appeal the… Continue reading

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The law of politics and the politics of law