Monthly Archives: March 2020

Charles: “Meltdown? On Rhetoric and Causation” (Balkinization Symposium on Election Meltdown)

March 5, 2020, 9:33 amElection MeltdownRick Hasen

Guy Charles: Rick Hasen is a prolific scholar (and a wonderful interlocutor). He is not only one of the most thoughtful scholars in the field of election law, he seems to write a book every other year. He has… Continue reading

“Trump’s DOJ Has Not Filed A Single New Voting Rights Act Case”

March 5, 2020, 9:31 amDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Tierney Sneed for TPM: The apparent refusal of President Trump’s Justice Department to engage in any meaningful, public enforcement of the Voting Rights Act has taken Republicans’ general hostility to the law to a whole new level. The DOJ has… Continue reading

“Report: Russian social accounts sow election discord – again”

March 5, 2020, 9:28 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

AP: Four years after Russia-linked groups stoked divisions in the U.S. presidential election on social media platforms, a new report shows that Moscow’s campaign hasn’t let up and has become harder to detect.The report from University of Wisconsin-Madison professor… Continue reading

“The Supreme Court’s Pro-Partisanship Turn”

March 4, 2020, 8:29 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Georgetown Law Journal Online). Here is the abstract: The United States Supreme Court’s conservative majority has taken the Court’s election jurisprudence on a pro-partisanship turn which gives political actors freer range to… Continue reading

“L.A. County supervisors want answers to widespread voting problems”

March 4, 2020, 8:18 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

LAT: Inadequate staffing, poor communications and balky technology turned election day in Los Angeles County into an anxious quagmire for many voters, whose complaints triggered calls Wednesday by one member of the Board of Supervisors for a “forensic autopsy”… Continue reading

Texas: “Harris County’s cascade of election day fumbles disproportionately affected communities of color”

March 4, 2020, 8:16 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: Not even 24 hours later, a university forged during segregation would instead become the epicenter of the challenges and complications often faced by communities of color when they attempt to make themselves heard in Texas. Too few… Continue reading

“Lawyer warned Georgia county on dumping new voting system”

March 4, 2020, 8:12 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

AP: A Georgia county has opted to ditch the state’s new voting machines and switch to hand-marked paper ballots during early voting for the March presidential primary, despite a warning from the county’s attorney that the decision could result in… Continue reading

“Daughter of late GOP redistricting expert releases trove of documents”

March 4, 2020, 8:08 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

CBS News reports.

“Sick: Trolls Exploit Coronavirus Fears for Election Fun”

March 4, 2020, 12:16 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Daily Beast: Accounts from self-identified supporters of Bernie Sanders’ candidacy also joked that Biden voters, who tend to be older and presumably more at risk of serious illness from coronavirus, should stay away from polling places. In tweets now deleted… Continue reading

“‘Rigged’ rhetoric makes a comeback after Trump’s comments and Sanders’s losses — and gives Russia just what it wants”

March 4, 2020, 12:14 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Aaron Blake for WaPo.

“Trey Trainor’s nomination to the FEC will only make matters worse”

March 4, 2020, 9:59 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

Issue One: In response to the news that Senate Republicans will hold a confirmation hearing next week for Federal Election Commission (FEC) nominee Trey Trainor, Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee released the following statement:“It is unacceptable that the… Continue reading

“L.A. elections chief apologizes for long voting lines, chaotic balloting as voters vent”; What Needs to Happen Next

March 4, 2020, 8:32 amelection administrationRick Hasen

LAT: Los Angeles County’s new voting system was marked by long lines, snafus and growing anger among voters, with some waiting hours to cast ballots that continued well into the night.“This was a challenging day for a lot… Continue reading

“Michael Bloomberg Quits Democratic Race, Ending a Brief and Costly Bid”

March 4, 2020, 8:11 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: In an unprecedented effort to self-finance a presidential campaign — which some rivals derided as an attempt to buy the White House — Mr. Bloomberg’s bid cost him more than half a billion dollars in advertising alone. He… Continue reading

“The Cybersecurity 202: Here are the serious tech glitches that frustrated voters on Super Tuesday”

March 4, 2020, 7:58 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WaPo: The scenario election officials feared – Russians hacking the vote – did not come to be on Super Tuesday. But the mega-primary day was bedeviled by a slew of serious technical glitches that frustrated voters. Voting machines shut… Continue reading