Monthly Archives: February 2020

“NC Court of Appeals throws out voter photo ID for now, says law likely passed with discriminatory intent”

February 18, 2020, 9:40 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NC Policy Watch: A three-judge North Carolina Court of Appeals panel has ruled unanimously that the state’s voter photo ID law will not stand pending a trial on the merits of the underlying lawsuit. The 45-page ruling, written by… Continue reading

“The new thing for California politicians? Sweet charity”

February 18, 2020, 9:36 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Lauren Rosenhall for CalMatters: In California, their numbers, as well as their donations, are surging. According to a CalMatters analysis, the number of nonprofits affiliated with California legislators or caucuses grew from at least three in 2010 to at least… Continue reading

“Kansas elections chief’s security plan causes local unease”

February 18, 2020, 9:35 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: Kansas’ elections chief is pushing to make the state’s central voter registration database more secure by changing how counties tap into it, but some officials are nervous about what they see as a big project in a busy election… Continue reading

“Quasi Campaign Finance”

February 18, 2020, 6:34 amUncategorizedNicholas Stephanopoulos

I just posted this new article, which is forthcoming in the Duke Law Journal. It tackles what I call “quasi campaign finance” — money spent on non-electoral politics that nevertheless relies on an electoral connection to be effective. The… Continue reading

Political Brands by Prof. Torres-Spelliscy (Post 2 of 4)

February 18, 2020, 6:00 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The following is the second of four guest posts by Prof. Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, writing about her new book, Political Brands. Professor Hasen offered me the opportunity to excerpt my new book Political Brands on ELB. My publisher Edward … Continue reading

“How can the United States fix its democracy? Look to the north.”

February 17, 2020, 10:43 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

In this Washington Post piece on how the Canadian system of elections is structured so differently from ours, I particularly enjoyed this line: Contrary to the impulse of the uber-democrat who believes that democracy means chaining each element of the… Continue reading

Political Brands by Torres-Spelliscy (Post 1 of 4)

February 17, 2020, 6:00 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The following is the first of four guest posts by Prof. Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, writing about her new book, Political Brands. Professor Hasen offered me the opportunity to excerpt my new book Political Brands on ELB. My publisher Edward … Continue reading

“‘A complete disaster’: Fears grow over Nevada caucus malfunction; Volunteers complain of poor training for a vote-reporting system that was adopted on the fly.”

February 16, 2020, 11:11 amElection MeltdownRick Hasen

Politico: Anxiety is rising over the possibility of another tech-induced meltdown at the Nevada Democratic caucuses on Saturday. In interviews, three caucus volunteers described serious concerns about rushed preparations for the Feb. 22 election, including insufficient training for a newly-adopted… Continue reading

Election Meltdown Podcast Bonus Episode 4: Interview with Dale Ho about Fish v. Kobach Trial

February 16, 2020, 11:02 amElection Meltdown, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Here it is for Slate plus members (free two week trial): My conversation with Dale Ho on his case against Kris Kobach who had a “show me your papers” Kansas law for voter registration

“Facebook Says Political Candidates Can Use Sponsored Memes”

February 16, 2020, 10:55 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: Facebook announced on Friday that it would allow political campaigns and candidates to pay creators for sponsored content on Instagram and Facebook, so long as the posts follow the company’s disclosure guidelines.Each piece of sponsored political content must use… Continue reading

“‘Something has to be done’: Trump’s quest to rewrite history of the Russia probe”

February 16, 2020, 10:48 amchicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: The U.S. intelligence community long ago produced evidence of Russia’s illegal interference in the 2016 presidential election to try to boost Donald Trump’s candidacy. Then the special counsel investigating the matter detailed myriad ways President Trump sought to stymie… Continue reading

“Trump Is Already Making Stuff Up About Voter Fraud”

February 16, 2020, 10:35 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Frank Wilkinson for Bloomberg View: While candidates jostle for advantage in the Democratic presidential primary, and the news media play the odds, President Donald Trump already knows the identity of his opponent. Indeed, his campaign, with the full support of… Continue reading