“Ranked choice voting and open primaries retained in Alaska after final ballot count”

November 20, 2024, 8:15 pmprimariesAlaska, rank-choice voting, RCVTabatha Abu El-Haj

An update on the Alaska ballot initiative from the Anchorage Daily News. The total ballot count in the end was 340,510. The repeal effort appears to have failed by 664 votes. “A coalition of left-leaning and moderate legislators in the… Continue reading

“Mandate? Fuller election results increasingly show GOP gains were small.”

November 20, 2024, 3:20 pmvoting2024 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

Aaron Blake (Washington Post) argues that more information about the 2024 Election adds nuance to the overall picture. “[A] more holistic look — at races not just for president and the Senate but also for the House and… Continue reading

“Republicans in North Carolina pass sweeping changes to consolidate power”

November 20, 2024, 3:09 pmelection administration, legislation and legislatures, provisional ballotsNorth CarolinaTabatha Abu El-Haj

Washington Post. North Carolina Republicans are back at it! The North Carolina legislature (controlled by Republicans) is seeking “last-minute inclusions” in a hurricane relief bill that “will strip the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general of significant authority before… Continue reading

“Reckoning with Our Rights: The Evolution of Voter Access in California, Part II”

November 20, 2024, 1:55 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

New in the California Supreme Court Historical Society Review. (Here‘s Part I.)

“Californians turn down minimum-wage increase”

November 20, 2024, 6:57 amUncategorized2024 Election Cycle, Ballot InitiativesTabatha Abu El-Haj

Politico “The defeat of an initiative to raise the minimum wage to $18 an hour makes California the first state to reject a statewide minimum-wage increase at the ballot in almost 30 years, an outcome likely to reverberate across organized… Continue reading

“Ranked choice voting repeal now trailing by 45 votes ahead of final Alaska ballot count and tabulation Wednesday”

November 20, 2024, 6:29 amprimariesAlaska, rank choice voting, RCVTabatha Abu El-Haj

From the Anchorage Daily News. Approximately 5,800 ballots remain to be counted.

“DNC layoffs with no severance leave staffers scrambling, union says”

November 20, 2024, 6:22 ampolitical partiesTabatha Abu El-Haj

Washington Post has this intriguing story. DNC layoffs appear to go beyond the normal cycle of scaling back the political organization after an election. The article reports: “Those laid off included people who had been with the organization for 40… Continue reading

Election Update: House of Representatives might be at 217(R)-215(D)

November 20, 2024, 5:04 amUncategorized2024 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

Given the new vote tallies in the five outstanding races, Politico estimates that the House will be down to a very narrow margin after cabinet appointments. From the morning feed: “GOP Rep. JOHN DUARTE’s lead dwindled yesterday while fellow Republican… Continue reading

“Gov. Josh Shapiro defends Sen. Bob Casey’s recount choice and points to Dave McCormick’s own failed recount”

November 20, 2024, 4:56 amrecounts2024 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the costs of accuracy in the vote are causing political fallout. Governor Shapiro reiterates that PA law provides for an automatic recount where the margin is below 0.5% in statewide races and that McCormick himself… Continue reading

New Paper–“An Internet Voting System Fatally Flawed in Creative New Ways”

November 20, 2024, 4:38 amvoting technologyNew ScholarshipTabatha Abu El-Haj

Andrew W. Appel (Princeton, Computer Science) and Philip B. Stark (UC Berkeley, Statistics) have a new paper cautioning about a new software designed to accelerate the count for overseas votes by relying on the internet. . . . .… Continue reading

Call for Papers: Democracy Works-in-Progress Conference, April 10-11, 2025

November 20, 2024, 4:22 amUncategorizedcall for papers, ConferencesTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Michigan State University College of Law will be hosting a Democracy Works-in-Progress Conference on April 10-11, 2025. For purposes of the conference, “democracy” is broadly defined. The organizers hope to draw those who write and research in areas that fall under… Continue reading

Want a Jump Start to Follow the Election Law Community on Bluesky? Josh Douglas Has Created an “Election Law Starter Pack”

November 19, 2024, 3:07 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Follow everyone there, or whomever you choose, with just one click. Thanks Josh!

“End the Criminal Cases Against Trump,” says Thomas Goldstein

November 19, 2024, 12:52 pmUncategorizedTabatha Abu El-Haj

Thomas Goldstein (SCOTUS Blog) offers his views on the criminal cases against Trump. The people have spoken; it is time to drop the cases: “Democracy’s ultimate verdict on these prosecutions was rendered by voters on Election Day.” I am not… Continue reading