Monthly Archives: September 2016

“NC Supreme Court election could change ideological tilt”

September 18, 2016, 8:47 pmjudicial elections, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

News and Observer: It was not until May that it became clear Edmunds would face any challengers in his campaign to keep his seat. In 2015, the Republican-led General Assembly passed a law that changed how sitting justices could be… Continue reading

“Meet the man at the center of the battle over the Texas voter ID law”

September 18, 2016, 8:33 pmelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Extensive profile of Texas SOS Carlos Cascos, apparently the only person in Texas without a stated opinion on whether Texas’s voter id law is necessary to stop voter fraud or is really a pretext for suppressing likely Democratic votes:… Continue reading

“Donald Trump’s Anything-Goes Campaign Sets an Alarming Political Precedent”

September 18, 2016, 8:21 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Important Jonathan Martin NYT news analysis: In fact, this past week offered a vivid illustration of how little regard Mr. Trump has for the long-held expectations of America’s leaders. He is not only breaking the country’s political norms, he and… Continue reading

“In major shift, Koch consolidates network of advocacy groups into Americans for Prosperity”

September 17, 2016, 12:32 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Matea Gold for WaPo: Billionaire Charles Koch is consolidating the array of conservative advocacy groups financed by his donor network, merging all the organizations into the main political arm, Americans for Prosperity, officials announced Friday. Network leaders cast the surprising… Continue reading

“Prosecutor hadn’t seen some Doe documents”

September 17, 2016, 12:25 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Interesting development in WI John Doe investigation reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The prosecutor who headed an investigation into Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign said Friday he had not previously seen some of the probe documents leaked this week, including ones… Continue reading

“DNC Hacker Is Targeting States Trump Most Needs To Win”

September 17, 2016, 12:22 pmcampaigns, chicanery, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Vocativ reports.

“Republicans For Clinton Launch Vote Trading Website … Is that Even Legal?”

September 17, 2016, 12:19 pmcampaigns, vote buyingRick Hasen

Law Newz reports.

“Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton’s Bodyguards Should Disarm to ‘See What Happens to Her’”

September 17, 2016, 12:08 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Chilling NYT lede: Donald J. Trump once again raised the specter of violence against Hillary Clinton, suggesting Friday that the Secret Service agents who guard her voluntarily disarm to “see what happens to her” without their protection. “I think that… Continue reading

“How a woman’s dead cat was asked to register to vote”

September 16, 2016, 7:58 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Martin Wisckol reports for the OC Register.

“Some Republicans Acknowledge Leveraging Voter ID Laws for Political Gain”

September 16, 2016, 7:45 pmchicanery, fraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Must-read Michael Wines NYT: A senior vice president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce, Steve Baas, had a thought. “Do we need to start messaging ‘widespread reports of election fraud’ so we are positively set up for the recount… Continue reading

2d Circuit Files Written Order in Candidate Ballot Case

September 16, 2016, 12:49 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Following up on this post about an oral order at the end of a Second Circuit argument, see this written order.

“Tuning In and Turning Out: Millennials are active but not voting; what’s stopping them and how can they make their voices count?”

September 16, 2016, 12:40 pmvotingRick Hasen

Common Cause event Sept. 20.

“Increasing Los Angeles’ Matching Funds Likely to Have a Big Impact on the Role of Small Donors; The Current Two-Tiered System Does Not”

September 16, 2016, 9:06 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

CFI: The Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) has released a major new study of public campaign financing in the City of Los Angeles, co-authored by Michael J. Malbin and Michael Parrott. Malbin is CFI’s co-founder and executive director as… Continue reading

“Senate Dysfunction Blocks Bipartisan Criminal Justice Overhaul”

September 16, 2016, 7:19 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: A major criminal-justice overhaul bill seemed destined to be the bipartisan success story of the year, consensus legislation that showed lawmakers could still rise above politics and take on a serious societal problem. Then the election got in… Continue reading