“Close mayoral race wasn’t bought with cinnamon rolls, court rules”

January 23, 2023, 7:50 amvote buyingRick Hasen

WaPo: The political row embroiling the British Columbia village of Pouce Coupe had been baking for months. At the center: six cinnamon rolls that a candidate alleged had been used to butter up voters during the tight mayoral race in… Continue reading

“Supreme Court Puts Off Considering State Laws Curbing Internet Platforms”

January 23, 2023, 7:46 amcheap speech, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: The Supreme Court asked the Biden administration on Monday for its views on whether the Constitution allows Florida and Texas to prevent large social media companies from removing posts based on the views they express. The practical effect of… Continue reading

“Even after New Mexico shootings, little GOP reckoning over election denialism”

January 23, 2023, 7:43 amelection subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

WaPo: Republican officials in New Mexico knew that Solomon Peña, the man police accused last week of orchestrating shootings into the homes of four Albuquerque Democrats, had served nearly seven years in prison forhis role in smash-and-grab thefts before he… Continue reading

“Fox News’ defense in defamation suit invokes debunked election-fraud claims”

January 23, 2023, 7:41 amFirst Amendment theoryRick Hasen

David Folkenflik for NPR: Fox News’ attorneys have set out the starkest defense yet against the accusation the network defamed an election-technology company when it broadcast false claims that the company had cheated then-President Donald Trump of victory in the… Continue reading

“How many Republican voters in Maricopa County chose Katie Hobbs over Kari Lake?”

January 23, 2023, 7:39 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: When Kari Lake lost the Arizona governor’s race in November, political experts generally agreed it was because she alienated Republican-leaning voters. A new analysis puts hard numbers on that phenomenon, showing Maricopa County voters who backed GOP candidates… Continue reading

“Promoters of Election Lies Also Hyped a Hospital for Ukraine. That Never Happened Either.”

January 23, 2023, 7:32 amchicaneryRick Hasen

ProPublica/Dallas Morning News: Gregg Phillips and Catherine Engelbrecht are best known as the election deniers behind True the Vote, a Texas-based nonprofit responsible for amplifying conspiracies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. But soon after Russia invaded Ukraine… Continue reading

Arizona: “Former head of AG’s Election Integrity Unit joins challenge of Kris Mayes’ election”

January 22, 2023, 2:19 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: The former head of the Arizona Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit has joined a legal fight to overturn the results of the closest election in the state’s history. About three weeks after leaving office, Jennifer Wright announced she… Continue reading

Read the 122-Page Draft January 6 Committee Report on Social Media Companies and Post-2020 Election Violence

January 22, 2023, 11:07 amcheap speech, election subversion riskRick Hasen

The report is here. (It is now linked in this earlier WaPo report that I linked to earlier this week.)

“Three Active-Duty Marines Charged in Jan. 6 Attack”

January 22, 2023, 7:39 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: Three active-duty Marines assigned to intelligence-related jobs were charged this week with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court records, which showed that one of the Marines said that he was waiting… Continue reading

” Arizona’s new attorney general to use election fraud unit to boost voting rights”

January 22, 2023, 7:37 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The Guardian: A unit created under the former Republican attorney general of Arizona to investigate claims of election fraud will now focus on voting rights and ballot access under the newly elected Democratic attorney general. The Democratic attorney general, Kris… Continue reading

“Lawmakers seek to bar insurrectionists from holding office”

January 22, 2023, 7:34 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: Democratic lawmakers in a handful of states are trying to send a message two years after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol: Those who engage in an attempted overthrow of the government shouldn’t be allowed to run… Continue reading

Elections Task Force Report Finds Problems with Allegheny County and PA Election Administration in 2022

January 20, 2023, 8:35 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Read the “Problems That Can Be Solved” report at this link.

“The American Law Institute Launches Restatement of the Law, Election Litigation”

January 20, 2023, 7:33 amcourt decisions, election administrationDerek Muller

I’m thrilled to share the details about this new project from the ALI: The American Law Institute’s Council voted today to approve the launch of a Restatement of the Law project on Election Litigation. The project will be led… Continue reading

“States Push for New Voting Laws With an Eye Toward 2024”

January 20, 2023, 6:26 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

NYT: The tug of war over voting rights and rules is playing out with fresh urgency at the state level, as Republicans and Democrats fight to get new laws on the books before the 2024 presidential election. Republicans have pushed… Continue reading