“Faulty ballots and frustration: Texans confront ‘nightmare’ effects of new election law as early voting kicks off”
Fredreka Schouten for CNN.
“Democrats in battleground states zero in on a midterms pitch: Defending elections”
NBC News reports.
Democrats seeking high office in battleground states this year are increasingly pitching themselves to voters as a bulwark against any efforts that Republican allies of former President Donald Trump might make to subvert the next presidential… Continue reading
“Who Can Throw Madison Cawthorn Out?”
I have this piece over at the Wall Street Journal today. It begins:
The U.S. Constitution doesn’t allow states to invent qualifications for serving in Congress and exclude candidates from the ballot for failing to meet them. Yet that is… Continue reading
Tolson on Amicus, On the Issues Podcasts
This week, I joined Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick on the Amicus podcast to talk about the Alabama redistricting decision, Merrill v. Milligan. The episode, “Politics Masquerading as Law” is available here.I also had the pleasure of talking Supreme Court appointments… Continue reading
How Party Leaders Respond to Fragmented Parties
The title on this LA Times story is With Biden’s agenda hanging by a thread, Democrats question Schumer-Klain strategy. Here are some excerpts:
For all the ire directed by liberal activists at two moderate senators who in recent weeks… Continue reading
“America faces greater division as parties draw safe seats for congressional districts”
From Sam Levine at the Guardian:
When millions of American voters head to the polls this autumn to vote for congressional candidates, the vast majority of their votes won’t matter at all.It’s an idea that’s anathema to the very idea… Continue reading
“Congress is passing a wave of bipartisan bills as Biden’s big plans stall”
From NBC News:
President Joe Biden‘s signature Build Back Better Act has stalled and his voting rights ambitions have fizzled. But Congress is suddenly racking up modest yet consequential victories, from protecting victims of sexual abuse and improving… Continue reading
“Candidate Ideology and Vote Choice in the 2020 US Presidential Election”
New empirical paper from David Brockman et al:
A prominent literature argues that moderate candidates perform better in general elections, but a competing literature that emphasizes voters’ partisan loyalties contests these predictions. The 2020 Democratic Presidential primary represented an opportunity… Continue reading
“Texas ban on encouraging mail-in votes likely unconstitutional, judge rules”
Texas Tribune:
A new Texas law that keeps local election officials from encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots likely violates the First Amendment, a federal judge ruled late Friday.Following a testy three-hour hearing earlier in the day, Federal District Judge… Continue reading
The New York Gerrymander That Wasn’t (That Extreme)
New York’s new congressional plan has attracted attention as one of the most aggressive Democratic maps of this cycle. So I was curious to see how it scores along various metrics. First, its projected efficiency gap of 5% pro-Democratic is… Continue reading
“Wisconsin Supreme Court allows lower court’s ban on the use of ballot drop boxes for April election”
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
A closely divided state Supreme Court ruled Friday that it would allow a lower court decision to go into effect that will ban the use of ballot drop boxes for the April election. Drop boxes can still… Continue reading
Must-Read Adam Serwer: “The Supreme Court Seems to Think Discrimination Is When You Try to Remedy Discrimination”
Adam Serwer for the Atlantic:
I have a hard time believing that anyone sincerely thinks that drawing districts that limit the political influence of Black voters in a state where Black people comprise more than a quarter of the… Continue reading
“Dismantling the Wisconsin Elections Commission was on agenda for Ron Johnson meeting at state Capitol, text messages show”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
When U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson paid a rare visit to the Wisconsin State Capitol last fall to meet with legislative leaders, the expected agenda was to discuss dismantling the state elections commission, newly released text messages… Continue reading
“US cybersecurity agency reviews hacking risk to Georgia voting system”
AJC:
A confidential report alleging Georgia’s voting touchscreens could be hacked is now being reviewed by the federal government.The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency wrote in a court filing late Thursday it will assess potential vulnerabilities and decide… Continue reading