Monthly Archives: June 2021

“Trump’s grip on GOP sparks fears about democratic process”

June 3, 2021, 3:45 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

AP: Seven months after Election Day, former President Donald Trump’s supporters are still auditing ballots in Arizona’s largest county and may revive legislation that would make it easier for judges in Texas to overturn election results.In Georgia, meanwhile, the… Continue reading

“New Hampshire Election Audit, part 1”

June 3, 2021, 2:21 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Andrew Appel: Based on preliminary reports published by the team of experts that New Hampshire engaged to examine an election discrepancy, it appears that a buildup of dust in the read heads of optical-scan voting machines (possibly over several years… Continue reading

“The GOP’s ‘Off the Rails’ March Toward Authoritarianism Has Historians Worried”

June 3, 2021, 10:57 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Ben Jacobs for Vice: Her concern is echoed by an increasing number of scholars who study American history and the rise of authoritarianism around the globe. While republics are often fragile, they see the United States in a unique position… Continue reading

WaPo: Postmaster DeJoy Being Investigated for Making Illegal Conduit Campaign Contributions

June 3, 2021, 9:30 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WaPo: The FBI is investigating Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in connection with campaign fundraising activity involving his former business, according to people familiar with the matter and a spokesman for DeJoy.FBI agents in recent weeks interviewed current and former… Continue reading

“Push polls increase false memories for fake news stories”

June 3, 2021, 9:09 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

New article in the journal Memory by Gillian Murphy, Laura Lynch, Elizabeth Loftus & Rebecca Egan. Abstract: Push polls are an insidious means of disseminating information under the guise of a legitimate information-gathering poll (e.g., “Would you… Continue reading

“Experts Call It A ‘Clown Show’ But Arizona ‘Audit’ Is A Disinformation Blueprint”

June 3, 2021, 8:39 amchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Miles Parks for NPR: To Matt Masterson, the review of 2020 ballots from Maricopa County, Ariz., that’s underway is “performance art” or “a clown show,” and definitely “a waste of taxpayer money.”But it’s not an audit.“It’s an audit in name… Continue reading

“Harris Asked to Lead on Voting Rights. She Has Her Work Cut Out for Her.”

June 3, 2021, 7:45 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: Vice President Kamala Harris did not come to her role with a list of demands. She wanted to be a generalist, in large part to learn the political rhythms of a president she was still getting to know. In… Continue reading

“Trump has grown increasingly consumed with ballot audits as he pushes falsehood that election was stolen”

June 2, 2021, 5:30 pmchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

WaPo: Former president Donald Trump remains relentlessly focused on the false claim that the November election was stolen from him and is increasingly consumed with the notion that ballot reviews pushed by his supporters around the country could prove that… Continue reading

“‘Up is down and down is up.’ Report examines misinformation on Miami Spanish talk radio”

June 2, 2021, 5:22 pmfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Miami Herald: Thousands of dead people and noncitizens voted in the 2020 presidential election. There were more votes cast than registered voters. Black Lives Matter and Antifa infiltrated the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.Those are just some of the… Continue reading

“Republicans and Democrats alike are abandoning one of their favorite — and bogus — fundraising gimmicks. A Vegas scammer’s guilty plea has them spooked.”

June 2, 2021, 3:08 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Dave Levinthal: Amid late May’s crush of hyperbolic and histrionic political fundraising solicitations, a familiar gimmick, widely used just days ago, has all but disappeared: those messages promising to magically “triple match” or “quadruple match” contributions.What gives?A line buried in… Continue reading

“Dems’ dark-money bid aimed to paint Josh Hawley as an anti-gun lefty”

June 2, 2021, 2:34 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Axios: A dark-money group aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer helped pay for deceptive ads aimed at depressing Republican general election turnout in 2018, newly released records show.Why it matters: These contests were decided more than two years ago,… Continue reading

June 9 Event: “Should we amend or abolish the Electoral Count Act?”

June 2, 2021, 2:17 pmelectoral collegeRick Hasen

This AEI event looks great: The Electoral Count Act of 1887 was adopted to ensure Congress counted only valid slates of electors during a presidential election. But scholars and election experts have warned that it was poorly drafted and invited… Continue reading

“Legislative Focus Shifts from Voter Experience to Everything Else”

June 2, 2021, 2:14 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Very useful recap of legislative efforts to change voting rules from NCSL’s The Canvass.

“Pressure mounts on Manchin as ‘panic’ sets in among Democrats over voting rights”

June 2, 2021, 10:52 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WaPo: Democratic leaders and activists are urgently stepping up pressure on Sen. Joe Manchin III to support legislation to fight Republican-led voting restrictions across the country, with party officials increasingly concluding that the battle over voting rights could come down… Continue reading