On remand, divided Michigan Court of Appeals allows 2020 political robocall prosecution to proceed

January 2, 2025, 7:38 amcampaignsDerek Muller

Back in June, the Michigan Supreme Court narrowed the construction of its “voter intimidation statute.” Five justices agreed the case should be remanded, while two would have held the conduct outside the statute. I blogged about that case here,… Continue reading

“Legal challenges delay election result for North Carolina Supreme Court seat”

January 2, 2025, 6:52 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

PBS News Hour reports.

“Democrats rage as Johnson restricts their ability to oust him”

January 2, 2025, 6:47 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Axios: House Democrats are pushing back furiously against a proposed change to House rules that would allow only Republicans to force a vote on removing the speaker of the House. Why it matters: Top Democrats are arguing the move would… Continue reading

“U.S. sanctions Russian and Iranian entities over attempted election interference”

January 1, 2025, 4:18 pmcheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

NBC News: The U.S. announced Tuesday that it is leveling sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia over attempted election interference. The Treasury Department said the entities — a subordinate organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a… Continue reading

“Chief Justice Roberts Condemns Threats to Judicial Independence”

December 31, 2024, 4:28 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: Judicial independence is under grave threat on several fronts, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote on Tuesday in an unusually urgent and somber year-end report on the state of the federal judiciary. “Violence, intimidation and defiance directed at… Continue reading

“What did US election officials learn about our democracy from 2024’s vote?”

December 31, 2024, 10:52 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Sam Levine for The Guardian: Until the 2020 election, local election officials worked in obscurity and anonymity, ensuring that the election was fairly administered and complied with state and federal laws. But ever since the president-elect’s loss in… Continue reading

“How Elon Musk Has Planted Himself Almost Literally at Trump’s Doorstep; For much of the period since Election Day, the billionaire has been staying at a $2,000-a-night cottage at Mar-a-Lago, giving him easy access to the president-elect.”

December 31, 2024, 6:36 amcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

NYT: Elon Musk plays many roles with President-elect Donald J. Trump. He is Mr. Trump’s most important donor, most influential social media promoter and a key adviser on policy and personnel. For most of the time since Election Day, he… Continue reading

“Vote-swapping returned in 2024 amid protest movement, but fell short of its aims again”

December 31, 2024, 6:29 amvote buyingRick Hasen

Votebeat: Progressives determined to defeat Donald Trump but unsatisfied with Kamala Harris’s position on the war in Gaza were offered an 11th-hour voting option this year: In October, a group called Swap Your Vote began offering to match voters in… Continue reading

REN webinar on new book

December 30, 2024, 6:15 pmUncategorizedNed Foley

Reform Elections Now hosted a webinar on Electoral Reform in the United States:Proposals for Combating Polarization and Extremism (edited by Larry Diamond, Rick Pildes, and me.). This webinar offers a useful introduction and overview of the book’s content and includes… Continue reading

“State Law and Federal Elections After Moore v. Harper”

December 30, 2024, 4:11 pmlegislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Carolyn Shapiro has written this article for the NYU Law Review. Here is the abstract: In Moore v. Harper, the Supreme Court rejected the extreme proposition that state legislatures operate free from state constitutional constraints and judicial review when they… Continue reading

“Elon Musk’s Political Influence Wears Down Global Resistance to Starlink”

December 30, 2024, 4:06 pmPlutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

Bloomberg reports.

“The 118th Congress passed the fewest laws in decades”

December 30, 2024, 3:54 pmlegislation and legislatures, political polarizationRick Hasen

Axios: If measured by the number of bills signed into law, the 118th Congress was by far the most unproductive since at least the 1980s, according to data from public affairs firm Quorum. Why it matters: That is not the… Continue reading

Remembering Jimmy Carter and His Legacy for Election Law

December 30, 2024, 7:48 amelection administration, election law bizRick Hasen

President Jimmy Carter died at 100. He was a moral, decent man, committed to the cause of justice. One of his passions was for democracy. His work with the Carter Center helped to ensure fair elections around the world. He… Continue reading

“Some Justice Department Lawyers Look for Protection—and the Exits”

December 30, 2024, 7:33 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WSJ: ustice Department lawyers who have angered President-elect Donald Trump and his allies are facing tough decisions about whether to stay in government—and how to best protect themselves from threats of retribution after Inauguration Day. Dozens of prosecutors and agents… Continue reading