Party v. Public Opinion: The Remnants of a Politics Past

May 8, 2023, 3:35 pmpolitical partiespolarization, responsivenessTabatha Abu El-Haj

These days when a partisan official chooses to break with the party to represent the interests of his constituents it really is news. Last week, Merv Riepe, a Republican State Senator in Nebraska cast the vote that blocked the passage… Continue reading

“Under the Radar, Right-Wing Push to Tighten Voting Laws Persists”

May 8, 2023, 3:34 pmThe Voting Wars, votingnew vote denial, rank-choice votingTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. Times article bout a second, concerted wave of republican-sponsored legislative efforts to restrict voting, funded by “billionaire-backed advocacy groups” allied with Trump. The key point is that this new wave is based on a strategy of “radical incrementalism”–an effort… Continue reading

Georgia Statute Requires Time-Off for Early Voting

May 8, 2023, 12:15 pmelection administration, votingearly votingTabatha Abu El-Haj

Returning to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story from last week: Georgia has passed a law that entitles workers up to two hours off to cast a ballot during early voting. The statute also establishes routine audits of primary, runoff, and special… Continue reading

“Wisconsin election officials want to revive ‘critical’ plan”

May 8, 2023, 9:42 amelection administration, Uncategorizedrestoring public trustTabatha Abu El-Haj

Harm Venhuizen (Associated Press): The Republican chair of the Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission remains determined to restore confidence in Wisconsin’s elections. This despite a set back last week for a bipartisan plan that would have funded a new… Continue reading

Electing Women Could Reduce Polarization

May 8, 2023, 5:14 ampolitical parties, political polarizationNew ScholarshipTabatha Abu El-Haj

A thanks to Lee Drutman for resurfacing a 2022 article in the American Political Science Review, based on an original dataset of political parties in 20 Western democracies, suggesting that having more elected officials who are women associated with… Continue reading

Richard Bernstein: Time to Unanimously Dismiss Moore v. Harper on Jurisdictional Grounds

May 7, 2023, 6:23 pmlegislation and legislatures, redistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Richard Bernstein, who wrote an amicus brief supporting affirmance in Moore v. Harper but who expresses his own views here: Whatever your view of the Elections Clause issues in Moore v. Harper, the… Continue reading

You’re in Tabatha’s Hands Now

May 7, 2023, 4:48 pmUncategorizedJustin Levitt

and that’s bound to be an upgrade. Please send tips her way.

“We Just Want Someone Sane”

May 7, 2023, 4:47 pmchicanery, election administration, election subversion riskJustin Levitt

Frank Wilkinson in Bloomberg, in a piece with a Howitzer of a subheader: Washington County, Pennsylvania, was never known as Crazytown. Then election deniers decided to run for local office.

“Why so many women are on the way out after making historic gains in N.J. Legislature”

May 7, 2023, 4:46 pmpolitical parties, primaries, redistrictingJustin Levitt

Redistricting and the “party line” in New Jersey primaries receive some (but not all) of the blame.

“In Trump Case, Bragg Pursues a Common Charge With a Rarely Used Strategy”

May 7, 2023, 4:45 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

The NYT works through the details of a falsifying business records charge and – despite the fact that there’s apparently no legal requirement to do so – the rarity of not making clear the underlying crime to convert the misdemeanor… Continue reading

“Three Cases in North Carolina, Decades of Democracy Undone”

May 7, 2023, 4:45 pmelection administration, election law and constitutional law, felon voting, judicial elections, redistricting, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

Gene Nichol spitting fire in Slate.

“Try again on no-excuse mail voting”

May 7, 2023, 4:44 pmabsentee ballotsJustin Levitt

Henry Berger, of the New York City Bar’s Election Law Committee and the state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct, and Kathy Boockvar, former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, urge New York to return no-excuse mail balloting to the permanent policy… Continue reading

“There’s only one way to fix gerrymandering (and it’s not through the courts)”

May 7, 2023, 4:44 pmlegislation and legislatures, redistrictingJustin Levitt

In The Hill, Grant Tudor and Beau Tremitiere highlight their report on the congressional single-member-district statute. I think various institutions in several states might want a word about the “only one way” in the headline (which op-ed columnists usually… Continue reading

“A group offered cities money to opt in to ranked choice voting. State elections office warns accepting that is likely illegal”

May 7, 2023, 4:42 pmalternative voting systems, election administration, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

In response to a question at a city council meeting, an advocacy organization’s representative apparently noted that one county’s implementation of RCV might cost an extra $36,000 for software licensing, ballot design, and the like … and that the… Continue reading