I have posted the following draft article on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Abstract: This article, prepared for a voting rights symposium to appear in the Howard Law Journal, considers congressional power to ban state felon disenfranchisement laws. Although courts… Continue reading

So suggests Mickey Kaus: Anti-gerrymandering reform lost in both California and Ohio. You might say it’s time to take the fight to the courts–and there are valid constitutional arguments to be made, along Baker v. Carr lines, against partisan or… Continue reading

Norm Ornstein offers this Roll Call commentary (paid subscription required). A snippet, for those who have been following the Carter-Baker Commission controversy: Moving Election Day to the weekend is no panacea. It ought to be done in conjunction with a… Continue reading

The Chicago Sun-Times offers this report on the latest of a series of House hearings on renewing the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

AP has this wrap-up. This AP report credits the Judge Wapner ads for the defeat of Proposition 77 in California.

Those who think we made enough improvements in election administration should think again. In California, Gov. Schwarzenegger had to cast a provisional ballot. A report from Virginia says that some voters are having trouble casting their votes for the… Continue reading

Donna Brazile has written a commentary, “Vermont Case Offers Chance to Embrace Spending Limits,” for Roll Call (paid subscription required). A snippet: What’s wrong with reasonable spending limits that leave plenty of cash to run great campaigns but also… Continue reading

The Toledo Blade offers this report, which begins: ” Results of a bipartisan poll released yesterday, the eve of Election Day, found that nearly two-thirds of those surveyed think the American way of voting needs to be changed, but… Continue reading

The San Jose Mercury News offers this report.

See here.

The Ohio State Law Journal is holding a symposium tomorrow, “The Madness in the Shadows of Modern Life: Judicial Security and Politics in the 21st Century.” The second panel is on nominations and judicial politics.

Commissioner Toner’s comments are here and Commissioner Thomas’s response is here. Bob Bauer weighs in here.

Brookings has published Party Lines: Competition, Partisanship, and Congressional Redistricting edited by Tom Mann and Bruce Cain. Here is the description: The legitimacy of the American electoral system depends on sustaining reasonable levels of fairness, accountability, responsiveness, and common sense.… Continue reading

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