Monthly Archives: January 2019

“Court decision in N.J. voter intimidation case could bring ‘new wave of voter suppression’ in 2020 election, expert says”

January 12, 2019, 12:04 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Jonathan Salant for NJ.com: A federal appeals court has refused to bring back restrictions on Republican National Committee voter activities set in motion 36 years ago by a New Jersey gubernatorial race, a decision that an election law expert warned… Continue reading

“An Idea for Electoral College Reform That Both Parties Might Actually Like”

January 12, 2019, 7:57 amelectoral collegeRick Hasen

Ned Foley in Politico Magazine (based on his forthcoming Oxford UP book, Presidential Elections and Majority Rule): Americans have heard for years that the Electoral College is broken—just look at the presidential elections of 2000 and 2016, when the winner… Continue reading

“Documents Show NRA and Republican Candidates Coordinated Ads in Key Senate Races”

January 11, 2019, 9:44 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Mother Jones: The National Rifle Association appears to have illegally coordinated its political advertising with Republican candidates in at least three recent high-profile US Senate races, according to Federal Communications Commission records. In Senate races in Missouri and Montana in… Continue reading

“Older People Shared Fake News on Facebook More Than Others in 2016 Race, Study Says”

January 11, 2019, 8:19 amcampaignsRick Hasen

NYT: When it came to sharing fake news on Facebook during the 2016 election, no age group was quite as active as those aged 65 and older, according to a new study. The study, published Wednesday in Science Advances,… Continue reading

“Will 2019 bring an end to partisan gerrymandering?”

January 11, 2019, 8:16 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Tony Pugh for The Newsroom.

“Trump’s Whataboutism on Campaign Finance”

January 11, 2019, 8:06 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy blogs.

“Commission recommends machine-marked ballots for Georgia”

January 10, 2019, 5:47 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: After Georgia’s 2018 elections focused stinging criticism on the state’s outdated election system, a study commission voted Thursday to recommend the use of machines that record votes and print a record. Members of the panel tasked with considering… Continue reading

“Early Voting and Other Election Reforms Coming to New York”

January 10, 2019, 5:36 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

NYT: But with Democrats now in control of both chambers of the State Capitol and the governor’s office, things are about to change. Legislative leaders said they intend to pass a voting reform package on Monday to overhaul the state’s… Continue reading

“Trump Campaign in Legal Jeopardy Over Manafort’s Sharing Data with Russian Agent”

January 10, 2019, 9:19 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Paul Ryan: According to a court filing earlier this week, former 2016 Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared presidential campaign polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian citizen with ties to Russian intelligence. If the data Manafort shared with… Continue reading

“New ‘Testing the Waters’ Report Examines How Presidential Candidates Ignore Campaign Finance Laws & Regulators Let Them”

January 10, 2019, 8:55 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Release: Today, Common Cause released a new report on the many ways presidential candidates bend and break campaign finance laws as they barnstorm early primary states, fundraise, evade contributions limits, and build their campaign teams while denying they are… Continue reading

“Doug Jones Seeks Inquiry Into Misinformation Efforts in Alabama Senate Race”

January 10, 2019, 8:34 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Senator Doug Jones, the Democrat who was an unwitting beneficiary of misinformation tactics during a special election in Alabama in 2017, asked the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday to investigate the episodes. Mr. Jones made his formal request for… Continue reading

“Here’s Trump Allies’ Plan To Meddle In The 2020 Democratic Primary”

January 10, 2019, 8:31 amcampaignsRick Hasen

BuzzFeed: The pair of outside groups tied closely to President Donald Trump has retained the top Republican opposition group in an effort to smother Democrats seeking to challenge him — and perhaps even help pick his 2020 challenger. The early… Continue reading