“The first rule in Trump’s Washington: Don’t write anything down”

June 29, 2025, 11:43 amUncategorizeddemocratic backsliding, public records lawsJustin Levitt

WaPo’s subhead: “A new culture of secrecy in government is taking root – among career staffers and new political appointees alike.” Across President Donald Trump’s administration, a creeping culture of secrecy is overtaking personnel and budget decisions, casual social… Continue reading

“How Zohran Mamdani Brought New Voters to the Polls”

June 29, 2025, 11:42 amvoter registrationvoter turnout, young votersJustin Levitt

The NYT covers Mamdani’s electoral coalition for the primary, and the combination of new registrations and younger voters is noteworthy. The 18-24 and 25-29-year-old figures represent a particularly staggering departure from the norm.

“Voting Rights Litigation: A Blueprint for Strategic Investment in America’s Polarized Political Landscape”

June 29, 2025, 11:40 amThe Voting Warsinvestment adviceJustin Levitt

I’m can’t-look-away-from-the-train-wreck fascinated by the guidance on how investors can profit off of civil rights struggles: The Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which gutted the Voting Rights Act’s (VRA) preclearance protections, has unleashed a wave of litigation… Continue reading

“Three archetypes define American politics. Reading this article suggests which one might apply to you”

June 29, 2025, 11:39 ampolitical parties, political polarizationinformation environmentJustin Levitt

This won’t be novel for many on the list, but the latest CNN poll on Americans’ attention to political news has some implications for the role that political parties are playing in our democracy.

“How Successful Were We in Running the 2024 Elections?”

June 28, 2025, 6:02 pmelection administration, Election Assistance CommissionJustin Levitt

John Fortier is moderating an AEI panel next Tuesday, July 1, keyed to Monday’s release of the EAC’s latest Election Administration and Voting Survey data, which includes a huge amount of valuable information about how we did what we did… Continue reading

Local election officials warily eyeing the EAC’s action on voting systems guidelines

June 28, 2025, 5:59 pmElection Assistance Commission, voting technologyExecutive OrdersJustin Levitt

Votebeat’s weekly newsletter reports on the upcoming meeting of the EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee, and some local anxiety about whether plans are in the works to change direction on voluntary voting systems guidelines, in line with the President’s (unlawful)… Continue reading

“Republicans push for election skeptics to oversee Atlanta-area voting”

June 28, 2025, 5:58 pmelection administration, election subversion risk, The Voting WarsThe Big LieJustin Levitt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covers a distressingly familiar fight that’s now hit the courts: The Democrat-controlled Fulton County Commission in May voted along party lines to reject the GOP’s nominees. That led the Georgia Republican Party to sue earlier this month… Continue reading

“Report: Voter confidence in election systems high, but more education needed”

June 28, 2025, 5:57 pmUncategorizedvoter trustJustin Levitt

Yesterday, I flagged a discussion in The Conversation about trust in elections focused on cybersecurity, where the remedy recommended was more public education. Today, Michigan Advance has the report on a Michigan poll with a broader sweep on inputs but… Continue reading

“Jocelyn Benson vs. GOP: What is this fight over Michigan election manuals really about?”

June 28, 2025, 5:37 pmcampaigns, election administration, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

I agree with Votebeat’s topline description of the latest tiff in the Wolverine State: Michigan’s top election official is locked in a clamorous legal battle with Republican lawmakers over access to election training materials, a conflict that likely has less… Continue reading

“Where the Voting Rights Act stands after the Supreme Court punts on a Louisiana case”

June 28, 2025, 5:37 pmelection law and constitutional law, redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActgerrymanderingJustin Levitt

Hansi Lo Wang, looking ahead for NPR.

“D.C. elected these noncitizens to office. Congress could oust them.”

June 28, 2025, 5:36 pmUncategorizedhome rule, local elections, noncitizensJustin Levitt

WaPo on three green-card holders elected to “nonpartisan, unpaid positions in D.C.’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions,” whose eligibility to hold office is tied to their eligibility to vote in local elections. DC law currently allows noncitizens to vote in local elections,… Continue reading

“Pierce County Auditor asks young voters to update their signatures”

June 28, 2025, 5:33 pmelection administration, voter registrationsignature verification, young voteresJustin Levitt

PBS reports on a signature verification issue that’s long been a matter of interest for younger voters, but particularly for Zoomers whose primary interactions are online or on touchscreens, rather than paper: Elections officials in Pierce County are contacting all… Continue reading

Calling the Court’s Actions in the Louisiana Racial Redistricting Case a “Punt” Underestimates the Stakes

June 28, 2025, 7:23 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

The Court’s decision to set the case involving the interaction between the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment, Louisiana v. Callais, for re-argument came as a surprise. The supplemental order we will soon get identifying the new issues the… Continue reading

“This Year’s Election Bills Focus On Citizenship, Ranked Choice Voting”

June 27, 2025, 6:37 pmelection administration, legislation and legislatures, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

NCSL’s election bill roundup notes the shift of this year’s crop: With most legislatures having adjourned, the number of election bills introduced was 3,160, with 331 of them enacted into law across 43 states, according to NCSL tracking. Although this… Continue reading