“Michigan Republicans ask Justice Department to monitor next year’s elections”

November 14, 2025, 7:23 amDepartment of Justice, election administrationRick Hasen

Michigan Public: A group of 22 Republican state lawmakers sent a letter Thursday asking the U.S. Department of Justice to supervise Michigan’s elections next year. The letter escalates ongoing tension between legislative Republicans and Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn… Continue reading

“GardnerFest: A Festschrift in Honor of Jim Gardner”

November 14, 2025, 7:22 amelection law biz, theoryRick Hasen

A fitting event today for the great Jim Gardner, whose scholarship is exceeded only by his decency and generosity as a colleague. I’m sorry to miss this: Jim Gardner is a distinguished scholar of constitutional law, election law, and comparative… Continue reading

“Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech”

November 14, 2025, 7:20 amcampaign finance, campaigns, cheap speechRick Hasen

Important new report from CDT: A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influencer ranted in a video that other creators… Continue reading

Pa.: “Williamsport City Council seat to be determined by a drawing due to tie vote”

November 13, 2025, 5:52 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Williamsport Sun-Gazette: After the post-election canvas of votes revealed a tie between Williamsport City Council candidates Republican Eric Beiter and Democrat April Line, the winner of the seat will be determined with a drawing as dictated by state law, according… Continue reading

“The Stakes in the Supreme Court Mail Ballot Case; It is a weak case, but it is best seen as part of a larger strategic effort to change how election rules are made.”

November 13, 2025, 4:47 pmabsentee ballots, election administration, Supreme Court, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Bob Bauer on the Watson cert. grant. See also my earlier Slate piece on the case.

“Unilateral Election Administration”

November 13, 2025, 12:26 pmUncategorizedNicholas Stephanopoulos

John Martin has posted this article, which is forthcoming in the NYU Law Review and was awarded the AALS Election Law Section’s Distinguished Scholarship Award: Election administration in the United States is fragmented. Instead of having one uniform system,… Continue reading

“Will People Trust Voting by Phone? Alaska Is Going to Find Out.”

November 13, 2025, 7:34 amvoting technologyRick Hasen

NYT: The largest city in Alaska is about to undertake an experiment that feels both inevitable and impossibly futuristic in an era of pervasive mistrust toward elections: allowing all voters to cast ballots from their smartphones. Anchorage, home to… Continue reading

Tabatha Abu el-Haj is Primary ELB Blogger the Week of November 17

November 13, 2025, 7:25 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Send your tips and comments her way. Thanks Tabatha!

“Kansas Redistricting Was on the Fast Track. Then Some Republicans Said No.”

November 12, 2025, 7:25 amredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: The top Republicans in Kansas were ready to join President Trump’s redistricting push and redraw the state’s political map to deliver another seat in Congress to Republicans. Democrats feared that a special session to pass new district lines… Continue reading

“Johnson to Seat Grijalva, Seven Weeks After She Was Elected”

November 12, 2025, 7:21 amchicanery, legislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

NYT: Speaker Mike Johnson plans to swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona as a member of Congress on Wednesday, according to his office, 50 days after her election, as the House returns from an extended recess. Ms. Grijalva, a… Continue reading

“Texas Latino civic group sues to block AG Ken Paxton from shutting it down”

November 12, 2025, 7:19 amchicanery, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: Jolt Initiative, a nonprofit that aims to increase civic participation among Latinos, is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block his efforts to shut them down. Paxton announced Monday that he was seeking to revoke the nonprofit’s… Continue reading

At NYU Democracy Project, an International Perspective on Immigration

November 12, 2025, 5:10 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

Niels Petersen is Professor of Public Law, International Law, and EU Law at the University of Münster. His essay is titled Supporting Democracy by Fixing the Asylum System: The Alternative for Germany (AfD), a right-wing populist party, was founded… Continue reading

“Spending Bill Would Pave Way for Senators to Sue Over Phone Searches”

November 11, 2025, 3:40 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: A spending package expected to be approved as part of a deal to reopen the government would create a wide legal avenue for senators to sue for as much as half a million dollars each when federal investigators… Continue reading