Monthly Archives: August 2011

“African American Turnout in Majority-Minority Districts”

August 29, 2011, 7:05 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Luke Keele and Ismail White have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: The 1965 Voting Rights Act has been a central part of Federal efforts to increase minority participation in the U.S. The latest phase of enforcement… Continue reading

“Reciprocity, Denial, and the Appearance of Impropriety: Why Self-Recusal Cannot Remedy the Influence of Campaign Contributions on Judges’ Decisions”

August 29, 2011, 7:02 amcampaign finance, campaigns, conflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Tom Susman has posted this draft on SSRN (Journal of Law and Politics). Here is the abstract: The system of privately financed elections of judges in most states across the country has long been controversial, with both the scholarship and… Continue reading

Quote of the Day

August 28, 2011, 9:05 pmelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

“It’s a whistle to the left saying, ‘We are Project Vote this time’….It’s a signal to the base.” –Thomas Fitton of Judicial Watch, speaking to the Washington Times.

“U.S. States Tighten Voting Regulation With Republicans in Charge”

August 28, 2011, 8:59 pmelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Bloomberg reports as The Voting Wars heat up in advance of 2012.

“Ed FitzGerald says Cuyahoga will fight back”

August 28, 2011, 8:55 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

See here. Some critics have accused Husted of attempting to suppress the vote in large urban counties. Fitzgerald contends Cuyahoga’s vote by mail system should be emulated and not challenged, and feels any move to prohibit the processing of… Continue reading

“Fed decision due for SC’s new voter photo ID law”

August 28, 2011, 1:10 pmDepartment of Justice, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP reports.

“Voter-ID bill awaits action; Pa. Senate will take up whether to require photo identification at the polls.”

August 28, 2011, 9:41 amelection administration, voter idRick Hasen

AP reports that passage in some form seems likely.

“Lines Blur Between Candidates and PACs With Unlimited Cash”

August 27, 2011, 9:06 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

A must-read NYT piece on candidate Super-PACs. Forget such pacs replacing parties. They will partially replace candidate committees.

“Michael Mukasey Pushes to Alter Bribery Law”

August 27, 2011, 4:15 pmbribery, legislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

Josh Gerstein of Politico offers this interesting report on the FCPA.

Amazon Has Already Spent Over $5 Million on CA Tax Referendum

August 27, 2011, 4:02 pmreferendumRick Hasen

Whoa.

Right on Cue

August 27, 2011, 2:48 pmfraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Newest fraudulent fraud squad member Matthew Vadum runs with the Project Vote/ACORN/Obama campaign/Project Vote meme.

“Democrats propose measures to rein in California initiative process”

August 27, 2011, 8:43 ampolitical parties, voter initiativesRick Hasen

The LA Times offers this front-page report. Back in 2000, I wrote this piece for the Columbia Law Review discussing the complex relationship of political parties to the initiative process, especially in California. More recently, Chris Elmendorf and Ethan… Continue reading