Unanimous California Supreme Court in Santa Monica Case Adopts Compromise Reading of California Voting Rights Act, Remands Case to Appeals Court for Further Proceedings

August 24, 2023, 12:29 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

You can find the opinion here. The court rejected the plaintiffs’ argument that proof of racially polarized voting in an at-large system was enough to show a violation of the CVRA. The court also rejected the City of Santa Monica’s… Continue reading

Cal. Supreme Court decides CVRA case

August 24, 2023, 12:19 pmalternative voting systems, redistrictingJustin Levitt

The California Supreme Court is out with an important opinion today in Pico Neighborhood Ass’n v. City of Santa Monica: a ruling on the California Voting Rights Act and some of the ways in which it’s distinct from (and… Continue reading

“Announcing MIT Election Lab’s new Election Data Analytics Group”

August 24, 2023, 10:24 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Electionline: Today, based on suggestions made by state and local election staff who conduct data analysis, the MIT Election Data + Science Lab is proudly launching the “Election Data Analytics Group,” a supportive community for data analysts working for federal, state,… Continue reading

“Louisiana First in the Nation to Vote on Banning Private Elections Funding”

August 24, 2023, 10:23 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Bolts: Louisiana’s Ascension Parish stores its voting machines in a warehouse without climate control, says Bridget Hanna, the parish’s elected clerk of court and top elections official. This worries her on days like these, when temperatures routinely hit 100 degrees,… Continue reading

“Republican debate divides on Trump with Christie leading attacks: ‘Have to stop normalizing this conduct'”

August 24, 2023, 7:53 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

The Independent: Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie attacked former president Donald Trump for the multiple legal investigations the latter faces during the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday as other candidates defended the former president. Debate moderators asked… Continue reading

“Federal judge rejects bids to halt Georgia prosecution of Trump aides over 2020 election”

August 24, 2023, 7:43 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Politico: A federal judge quickly shot down bids Wednesday by two former Trump administration officials — Mark Meadows and Jeffrey Clark — to derail the criminal proceedings against them in Fulton County, where they’re charged alongside Donald Trump with a… Continue reading

“Defendant in Trump Georgia case was earlier charged with attacking FBI agent”

August 24, 2023, 7:36 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WaPo: A Trump supporter indicted last week in Fulton County, Ga., for allegedly harassing an election worker was charged earlier this year with attacking an FBI agent working on the Justice Department’s parallel investigation of efforts to overturn the… Continue reading

“Trump praises Jan. 6 crowd, repeats election lies in online interview while skipping GOP debate”

August 24, 2023, 7:34 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

AP: In the most inflammatory exchange, Trump seemed to indulge a suggestion from Carlson that Trump’s political opponents might try to end his life. “They’re savage animals. They are people that are sick. Really sick. You have great people in… Continue reading

“Your State-by-State Guide to Every State Supreme Court”

August 24, 2023, 7:28 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Bolts: Every state and territory has its own supreme court and every supreme court has tremendous power over legal cases and public policy within its borders—but the resemblances end there. No two courts are exactly the same. Each has its… Continue reading

“How Jack Smith May Charge Trump PAC with Fraudulent Fundraising Within the Bounds of First Amendment”

August 24, 2023, 7:25 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy at Just Security.

Secretary of State Benson on section 3 of 14th Amendment

August 23, 2023, 3:18 pmUncategorizeddisqualification, Section 3Ned Foley

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was one of three guests on Nicole Wallace’s Deadline White House today discussing procedural issues relating to litigating whether Trump is constitutionally disqualified to hold the presidency again. What stood out to me as… Continue reading

“RNC launches ‘Bank your Vote’ ad blitz ahead of debate to push Republicans to vote early in 2024 elections”

August 23, 2023, 10:22 amabsentee ballots, election administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Quite notable from Fox News: The Republican National Committee says it’s going “all in” ahead of Wednesday’s first GOP presidential nomination debate to encourage voters to turn in ballots early. The recently-launched “Bank Your Vote” campaign seeks to motivate pre-Election… Continue reading

Announcing the Fall Webinar Series for UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project (Each event free but registration required)

August 23, 2023, 8:24 amelection subversion risk, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Very excited to announce this lineup for the Safeguarding Democracy Project’s Fall 2023 webinar series (each event free but registration required): September 5, 12pm-1pm – The Trump Indictments, the 2024 Elections, and Public Peace Webinar Ruth Ben-Ghiat (NYU) Benjamin … Continue reading

“Where the 2024 candidates stand on elections, democracy and Jan. 6”

August 23, 2023, 8:17 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

WaPo: As former president Donald Trump seeks a return to the White House, he is promoting false claims about the 2020 election, championing violent offenders who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and refusing to commit to abiding by… Continue reading