“Survey shows Californians want ballots in more languages”
The LA Times reports, as we near the 50th anniversary in August of the expansion of language protections under the federal Voting Rights Act.
“Colorado has been expanding some of its privacy protections, but how do they work, and who qualifies?”
Colorado Public Radio has a story on privacy protections (and concerns) with respect to the voter rolls, the state’s campaign finance database, and beyond.
A Few Points about the Structure of NYC’s Democratic Primary for Mayor
Proponents of ranked-choice voting often say the system will lead to more moderate candidates being elected. I don’t think that’s correct or the right way to put things. RCV makes it more likely that candidates who are the preference of… Continue reading
“Minnesota assassination prompts many lawmakers to wonder: Is service worth the danger?”
From the Alabama Reflector, with the subhead based on a Brennan Center report:
Nearly 9 in 10 state lawmakers reported facing insults and 4 in 10 facing harassment and threats.
And these threats aren’t evenly distributed:
Women were… Continue reading
DOJ weighs in in Alabama preclearance
In the Alabama redistricting case, readers will recall the May 8 unanimous 571-page-opinion from one judge first appointed by Reagan and two judges appointed by Trump; the opinion said, inter alia, “try as we might, we cannot understand the… Continue reading
“N.Y.C. Mayoral Primary May Hinge on Early Voters as Heat Wave Looms”
Yet another reminder that early and mail voting options help mitigate the degree to which a system of voting only on one day is subject to anomalies on that day that don’t really have anything to do with accurately conveying… Continue reading
“Amid upcoming redistricting deadline, massive changes could soon be coming for Ohio’s congressional map”
Ohio’s redistricting process has been, charitably, a mess.
WLWT in Ohio focuses on the coming summer redraw of Ohio’s congressional lines, which were valid only for 2022 and 2024 under Ohio’s constitution, because they were passed by a… Continue reading
“Hawaiʻi Senator Didn’t Disclose Possible Conflict Of Interest Before Voting”
From the Honolulu City Beat article:
Donovan Dela Cruz voted four times in favor of passing a bill designed to protect māmaki tea, even though he owns a māmaki tea business.
. . .
The Senate’s rules require that members… Continue reading
Me again
Hi, all. It’s Justin again. With profound thanks to Tabatha for wrestling with the news fire hose for the last week, I’m afraid you’re stuck (mostly) with me for the next week or so. Tips / suggestions / scandalous gossip… Continue reading
“The Myth of the Gen Z Red Wave”
Jean M. Twenge at the Atlantic, using data from the Cooperative Election Study (Tufts) rather than the Yale Youth Poll, offers evidence that the Democratic Party’s immediate post-election handwringing about Gen Z conversion was overstated: “the youth-vote shift in… Continue reading
“GOP Limit on Judges Power Doesn’t Clear Senate Procedural Hurdle”
Bloomberg Law
Senate Parliamentarian rules that the Senate Republican proposal to restrict the ability of judges to hand down initial rulings against the federal government is subject to the Byrd Rule, requiring a 60-vote threshold.
“Trump undermines Watergate laws in massive shift of ethics system”
Washington Post article enumerates in concrete terms the post-Watergate guardrails that are under attack, including:
10-year term for FBI directors created in 1976: (“Trump has forced out two FBI directors.”).
“The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 aimed to prevent presidents… Continue reading
Election of the Week: NYC Mayoral Primary
There are lots of reasons to watch the NYC Democratic primary this week. It will be another opportunity to see whether rank-choice voting moderates who emerges out of a party’s primary. It is also just amusing to see the consternation … Continue reading
“Political Violence Is Here, and It’s Working”
N.Y. Times Opinion Piece by Tressie McMillan Cottom:
One critical fact cutting against the risk that “President Trump’s second administration . . . [would] fit the definition of fascism” was that “the president did not have and probably would… Continue reading