I See Dead People (on the Voting Rolls)
In Maryland . . . the Voting Wars continue.
Monthly Archives: June 2012
“With Elections Awash in Cash, There’s Plenty of Blame to Go Around”
The NYT has this story on CU, Super PACs, and the demise of federal public financing.
Opp. Cert. Briefs in Washington State Grange II
Richard Winger has links to the briefs and commentary here.
“Mitt Romney’s Hidden Campaign Cash”
From The Fix at WaPo: “Mitt Romney is quickly closing the cash gap on President Obama. But as of right now, we don’t know exactly how close it is.”
“IRS Questionnaire on 501(c)(4) Advocacy, Other Politically Active Exempts on the Way”
BNA reports here that the IRS “plans to ask social welfare organizations, labor unions, and trade associations a number of questions about their activities and compliance with annual filing requirements in an upcoming questionnaire.”
Election Law Journal 11:2, Symposium on Election Law in India, Now Available; Preview of 11:3
The new issue of Election Law Journal is out now. It features a symposium on Election Law in India, the world’s largest democracy, guest co-edited by Robert Moog and David Gilmartin of North Carolina State University. The symposium includes… Continue reading
Democracy Now on “Dark Money”
A recording of today’s show on outside money in the 2012 election (Pt. 1 of 2) may be found here.
Argument on Florida Voting Law Changes
The AP has this report on yesterday’s argument before a three-judge court, in which the state seeks Section 5 preclearance of portions of a 2011 law (HB 1355) limiting early voting and imposing new voter registration requirements. The Sun Sentinel… Continue reading
An Open Primary Amendment?
David Law has this post on Slate, arguing that the Constitution should be amended to mandate open primaries as a way of dealing with increased partisan polarization. I’m not holding my breath. The polarization problem is real. But would an… Continue reading
Alter on “Republicans’ Voter Suppression Project”
Jonathan Alter has this commentary on Bloomberg View, focusing on a proposed Michigan law that would impomse new rules on private registration efforts. A snippet: “Across the country, the Republicans’ carefully orchestrated plan to make voting harder — let’s call… Continue reading
News and Commentary on Knox v. SEIU
NPR, LA Times, and MSNBC report on yesterday’s decision holding that a public-sector union violated the First Amendment by imposing a special assessment for referendum-related expenses without consent. Heritage praises the decision here, Think Progress criticizes it… Continue reading
“Left Girds for Voting Rights Battle”
Politico has this report on labor unions’ and civil rights groups efforts to register voters and combat laws like voter ID that they say threaten to suppress the vote.
“Chamber’s ‘Independent Expenditures’ for Hatch Ad Bypass Donor Disclosure”
BNA reports here ($).
Wagner on Prison-Based Gerrymandering
Peter Wagner of the Prison Policy Initiative has this article in the Spring 2012 issue of the William Mitchell Law Review, entitled “Breaking the Census: Redistricting in an Era of Mass Incarceration.” He also has this blog post on the… Continue reading