Monthly Archives: November 2015

Legislation and Election Law Writing in Harvard Law Review’s Supreme Court Issue

November 11, 2015, 7:52 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Among the items in the new issue: Imperfect Statutes, Imperfect Courts: Understanding Congress’s Plan in the Era of Unorthodox Lawmaking by Abbe Gluck Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama Williams-Yulee v. … Continue reading

Stephanopoulos on Berman’s Give Us the Ballot

November 11, 2015, 7:13 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Over at the New Rambler: In his new book, Give Us the Ballot, journalist Ari Berman tells the story of these stirring moments, and tells it well. But unlike many civil rights chronicles, his account begins rather than ends… Continue reading

“Ohio Republican Party is baffling feds with its accounting and math”

November 11, 2015, 7:09 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

Cleveland.com reports.

Updated Versions of Some Scholarship

November 11, 2015, 7:08 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

I’ve posted on SSRN revised drafts of some papers in progress: Election Law’s Path in the Roberts Court’s First Decade: A Sharp Right Turn But with Speed Bumps and Surprising Twists (draft in progress, Nov. 2015) Celebrity Justice:… Continue reading

“MBTA Investigating Possible Voter Fraud In Train Design Contest”

November 11, 2015, 6:58 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Tip to online vote fraudsters: don’t use the same IP address over and over to vote.

“Seeing Voting Rights Under Siege, Philip Glass Rewrites an Opera”

November 11, 2015, 6:51 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: Since the first version of “Appomattox” had its premiere in 2007 at the San Francisco Opera, many states have passed laws making it harder to vote, and, in 2013, the Supreme Courteffectively struck down the heart … Continue reading

“New DOJ ‘Servicemembers Legislative Package’ Proposes Changes To UOCAVA”

November 11, 2015, 6:49 amelection administration, military votingRick Hasen

Doug Chapin: Yesterday, the Department of Justice released a legislative package aimed at helping members of the military, veterans and their families. Here’s an excerpt of the press release: When the Justice Department launched the Servicemembers and Veterans… Continue reading

“Virginia Legislative Elections Highlight Problems with Winner-Take-All Elections”

November 11, 2015, 6:46 amalternative voting systemsRick Hasen

FairVote: The most significant possible outcome for Tuesday’s election in Virginia was that the Democrats would win control of the state Senate, which would have made it easier for Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) to pass key agenda items. But,… Continue reading

Floyd Abrams Defends Disclosure in WSJ Letter to the Editor

November 11, 2015, 6:45 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Floyd: With your repeated editorial support for the Supreme Court’s much maligned Citizens United ruling, you have served as a rare journalistic voice in defense of core First Amendment principles. But your opposition to disclosure requirements as reflected in… Continue reading

“Democracy Beats Oligarchy”

November 11, 2015, 6:42 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Katrina vanden Heuvel: Money in politics will pose a significant threat to our democracy for as long asCitizens United remains the law of the land, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make our electoral system fairer and more democratic.… Continue reading

“Dems push Ryan on campaign finance reform”

November 11, 2015, 6:40 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

The Hill: Democrats in both chambers are pressing Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to reform the campaign finance system in the name of transparency. The Democrats, who had no luck moving their Disclose Act under previous Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio),… Continue reading

“State Democrats quietly discussing redistricting amendment”

November 11, 2015, 6:38 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Politico: New Jersey Democrats are in the early stages of considering an amendment to the state constitution that would place new guidelines on how the state redraws its legislative districts. The idea was floated to Democratic members of the… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlocks On Whether Candidates Can Coordinate With Their Own Super PACs”

November 10, 2015, 4:49 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Paul Blumenthal for HuffPo: A request to relax limits on coordination between candidates and super PACs left the Federal Election Commission divided and, at times, confused at a hearing on Tuesday. Marc Elias, lawyer for House Majority PAC and Senate… Continue reading

“Ninth Circuit Rules 2-1 that Tucson Can’t Hold City Council Primaries in Districts, and then At-Large Elections in General”

November 10, 2015, 4:46 pmalternative voting systems, primariesRick Hasen

BAN: On November 10, the Ninth Circuit issued this opinion in Public Integrity Alliance v City of Tucson, 15-16142. By a vote of 2-1, the decision says that Tucson’s system of electing city council members violates Equal Protection. Tucson… Continue reading