“Corporate America has largely abandoned its post-January 6 promises on democracy”

July 31, 2025, 9:46 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

CREW: Since the January 6 insurrection, over 2,000 corporate and industry group PACs have given over $174 million to members of the Sedition Caucus—those 147 lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election as well as Donald Trump and… Continue reading

“Shifting Attention to Internal Administrative Law in the States”

July 31, 2025, 8:54 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Chris Walker at Jotwell, reviewing Kevin M. Stack, The Internal Law of Democracy, 77 Vand. L. Rev. 1627 (2024): In The Internal Law of Democracy, Professor Stack examines how internal administrative law has shaped election administration. After Part I… Continue reading

Wice: “Congressional bills threaten equal representation, census accuracy”

July 31, 2025, 8:52 amcensus litigation, redistrictingRick Hasen

Jeff Wice Newsday oped: Fair representation in Congress is under attack. Several bills aim to limit the population used for allotting the 435 congressional districts among the states. …These current efforts threaten equal representation, and census accuracy, for Long… Continue reading

The Downballot on Why the Texas Gerrymander is Likely to be Effective and Not a “Dummymander”

July 31, 2025, 8:47 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Downballot: Texas Republicans unveiled a congressional redistricting proposal on Wednesday that would, as Donald Trump asked, further gerrymander the state’s map by making five Democratic-held seats more likely to flip in next year’s elections. The plan, which could change… Continue reading

Michael Li Answers Reader Questions about Texas Gerrymandering at Bolts

July 31, 2025, 8:45 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Read here.

As redistricting eyes turn again to California

July 31, 2025, 7:06 amelection law and constitutional law, redistrictingindependent redistricting commissions, state constitutionsJustin Levitt

Justin here. I find much of the work of the UCLA Voting Rights Project to be really valuable — but I have to say, I agree with Rick’s take on their read of the California Constitution‘s provisions on redistricting.… Continue reading

“[County Executive] Sam Page indicted on election and theft charges over St. Louis County proposition mailer”

July 31, 2025, 6:47 amcampaign finance, direct democracyTravis Crum

STLPR reports: A St. Louis County grand jury on Wednesday indicted County Executive Sam Page on charges involving the use of public money to campaign against Proposition B ahead of the April election. The measure would have allowed the St.… Continue reading

UCLA Voting Rights Project Experts Argue, Wrongly in My View, that the California Legislature Could Engage in Re-Redistricting California’s Congressional Districts without Voter Approval

July 30, 2025, 4:22 pmdirect democracy, redistrictingRick Hasen

What a difference half a day makes. Contrary to the earlier reporting from Politico that California Democrats might try to call a special election to get voter approval for a Democratic gerrymander of congressional districts (to counter the expected… Continue reading

Georgia: “State Election Board accuses Lyft of violating the law by offering discounted rides to the polls”

July 30, 2025, 2:28 pmvote buyingRick Hasen

News from the States: Georgia’s State Election Board has accused the rideshare company Lyft of violating Georgia’s election law by offering discounted rides to users who were heading to the polls. At a Tuesday meeting, the board voted 3-1 to… Continue reading

“Despite grand claims, a new report shows noncitizen voting hasn’t materialized”

July 30, 2025, 10:56 amchicanery, election administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Miles Parks for NPR: After President Trump and many other Republicans warned that vast numbers of non-U.S. citizens would influence last year’s election, states and law enforcement have devoted more resources than ever before to root out those ineligible voters.… Continue reading

“How Conservative Christians Cracked a 70-Year-Old Law”

July 30, 2025, 8:44 amtax law and election lawRick Hasen

NYT deep dive: Earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service reinterpreted the ban, known as the Johnson Amendment, saying for the first time that churches could endorse candidates from the pulpit. The change, which came via a legal settlement, functionally… Continue reading

“Texas House Republicans unveil new congressional map that looks to pick up five GOP seats”

July 30, 2025, 8:32 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: Texas GOP lawmakers released their first draft of the state’s new congressional map Wednesday, proposing revamped district lines that attempt to flip five Democratic seats in next year’s midterm elections. The new map targets Democratic members of… Continue reading

“How Newsom could redraw career ambitions”

July 30, 2025, 7:58 amredistrictingRick Hasen

California Playbook: MAPPING IT OUT: The potential contours of a snap California redistrict are coming into focus (more on the politics of that exercise below). Attorney General Rob Bonta suggested yesterday that lawmakers could put a new, fully realized map before voters… Continue reading

Ellen Katz: “Redistricting Texas Now is Illegal and the U.S. Department of Justice is the Reason Why”

July 30, 2025, 7:53 amchicanery, direct democracy, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Ellen Katz has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to the Texas Governor and Attorney General that claims four Texas congressional districts violate the Voting Rights Act and the… Continue reading