Monthly Archives: November 2017

“Menendez could remain in Senate even if he’s convicted”

November 6, 2017, 7:31 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Politico: But expelling Menendez — even if he is convicted of a felony — might not be that easy. Republicans need a two-thirds majority in the Senate to agree to expel a member, which means they would need Democratic votes.… Continue reading

“As Voters Prepare for Virginia Election, Data Helping Reduce Lines”

November 6, 2017, 7:13 amelection administrationRick Hasen

John Fortier and Don Palmer for the BPC.

“Voting access is under attack as the countdown to Election Day 2018 begins”

November 5, 2017, 9:01 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

McClatchy: Not since the death of poll taxes and literacy tests in the 1960s has access to the ballot box been so under siege. And as the march toward Election Day 2018 begins, the forces that helped abolish those… Continue reading

“Russia tried to corrupt the 2016 election. Could it do the same Tuesday?”

November 5, 2017, 8:56 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: There’s no evidence that Russians were able to change any votes after they were cast, but at the very least, they succeeded in raising questions about the U.S. voting process — questions that James Norton, a homeland security expert… Continue reading

“At least nine people in Trump’s orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition”

November 5, 2017, 8:48 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: While Trump has sought to dismiss these Russia ties as insignificant, or characterized the people involved in them as peripheral figures, it has now become clear that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III views at least some of them… Continue reading

“Trump’s voter fraud commission appears to have gone dark”

November 5, 2017, 8:31 pmfraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

USA Today reports.

“Russia funded Facebook and Twitter investments through Kushner associate”

November 5, 2017, 8:27 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

The Guardian: Two Russian state institutions with close ties to Vladimir Putin funded substantial investments in Twitter and Facebook through a business associate of Jared Kushner, leaked documents reveal. The investments were made through a Russian technology magnate, Yuri… Continue reading

“U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Delay Trial in Pennsylvania Gerrymandering Case”

November 5, 2017, 7:53 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

BAN reports.

“The Right to Vote Is Never Safe”

November 4, 2017, 6:41 pmvotingRick Hasen

Jon Grinspan NYT oped: One hundred and fifty years ago this month, ex-slaves lined up across the South, clutching their ballots, joining the first elections in which large numbers of black Southerners participated. One year ago, on Nov. 8, Americans… Continue reading

“Barring People’s Veto, Ranked-Choice Voting Implementation Delayed Until 2021”

November 4, 2017, 6:34 pmalternative voting systemsRick Hasen

Maine Public Radio reports.

New Yorker Radio Hour Interviews John Fund, Lori Minnite on Voter Fraud Myth

November 4, 2017, 6:31 pmfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

David Remnick does a devastating interview with John Fund. Description: Donald Trump memorably claimed, without a shred of evidence, that millions of votes cast by undocumented immigrants had given Hillary Clinton the popular vote in the 2016 election. More circumspect… Continue reading

Washington State Court Rejects First Amendment Challenge to Seattle Campaign Finance Voucher Program

November 3, 2017, 12:43 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

A good, and expected, result.

“Report: Many 2016 voting sites lacked full disability access”

November 3, 2017, 10:36 amvoters with disabilitiesRick Hasen

AP: Fewer than one in five polling places were fully accessible to voters with disabilities during the 2016 general election, a government report shows — a finding that has prompted federal officials to recommend the Justice Department adopt stricter compliance… Continue reading

“Trump Says Justice Dept. and F.B.I. Must ‘Do What Is Right’ and Investigate Democrats”

November 3, 2017, 8:00 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Banana republic territory: Frustrated with the Justice Department’s reluctance to investigate his political opponents, President Trump on Friday said he would like the agency to run itself, but he and “a lot of people” are disappointed in the top… Continue reading