“Election officials say democracy is still at risk in 2024: ‘The gun is still loaded'”

February 2, 2023, 9:13 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Jane Timm for NBC News: The November midterms gave election officials and pro-democracy advocates their first sigh of relief in years: The election system they’d spent years defending and shoring up operated almost seamlessly, and most of the election deniers… Continue reading

Does Michigan’s decision to move up its presidential primary violate the state’s new constitutional right to vote?

February 2, 2023, 7:56 amlegislation and legislatures, primariesDerek Muller

The Democratic National Committee recently approved changes to the presidential primary calendar. One of those changes permits Michigan to move into February for its presidential primary. Michigan just changed its primary to February. But the Republican National Committee… Continue reading

“Lawmakers Call for Inquiry Into Durham’s Review of Russia Investigation”

February 2, 2023, 6:49 amchicanery, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: Two House Democrats urged the Justice Department’s independent inspector general on Wednesday to open an investigation into the special counsel review of the Russia inquiry, citing “alarming” disclosures in a recent New York Times article. The article, which showed… Continue reading

“Nonpartisan in name only. Wisconsin Supreme Court race has political overtones.”

February 2, 2023, 6:31 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz is focusing her campaign for the state Supreme Court on her belief that women should be able to choose whether to continue pregnancies and has characterized the state’s Republican-written legislative maps as … Continue reading

ELB Podcast Episode 4:5: Rachel Maddow: What “Ultra” Can Teach Us About Threats to Democracy Today

February 1, 2023, 5:57 pmELB Podcast, election subversion riskRick Hasen

New ELB Podcast: Can an attempt an election subversion in the 1940s teach us how to handle current threats to American democracy? Do failed attempts to hold Nazi sympathizers in the American government accountable through criminal litigation show the… Continue reading

“Election officials ready themselves for the next wave of Trump followers”

February 1, 2023, 7:45 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Politico: Hundreds of local election officials across the country are about to confront a political challenge putting their management skills and their campaign chops to the test: Administering the 2024 presidential vote while running for reelection themselves. Donald Trump acolytes… Continue reading

“The Future of Redistricting”

February 1, 2023, 7:43 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Andrew Taylor defends the independent state legislature theory in National Affairs.

“Bias and Human Error Played Parts in F.B.I.’s Jan. 6 Failure, Documents Suggest”

February 1, 2023, 7:39 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: Days before the end of the 2020 presidential race, a team of F.B.I. analysts tried to game out the worst potential outcomes of a disputed election. But of all the scenarios they envisioned, the one they never thought of… Continue reading

“GOP report shows plan to ramp up focus on disproven election fraud claims”

January 31, 2023, 4:23 pmfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

WaPo: A new internal report prepared by the Republican National Committee proposes creating a permanent infrastructure in every state to ramp up “election integrity” activities in response to perceptions within GOP ranks of widespread fraud and abuse in the… Continue reading

“Statewide Investigation of California’s 2020 Local Redistricting Cycle Finds Widespread Gerrymandering to Protect Incumbents, Underscores Benefits of Independent Commissions”

January 31, 2023, 9:09 amcitizen commissions, redistrictingRick Hasen

New Common Cause report.

“A conservative judge helped stop Trump on Jan. 6. He wants to finish the job.”

January 31, 2023, 9:08 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Judge Luttig profile in WaPo.

“What are Andy Ogles’ financial ties? Freshman GOP congressman ignores federal disclosure law”

January 31, 2023, 7:35 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

NewsChannel5: Tennessee’s newest congressman, Rep. Andy Ogles, quickly became a key player in the battle for control of the House, demanding concessions in exchange for his support for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But a NewsChannel 5 investigation discovered the freshman… Continue reading

“RELEASE: Fixing the Dysfunction in American Politics Through Electoral Reform”

January 31, 2023, 7:33 amalternative voting systemsRick Hasen

CAP: A new report from the Center for American Progress examines some of the most fundamental problems with the nation’s electoral system and recommends better ways to promote effective, representative government. The report describes how states and localities—from Alaska and… Continue reading