Don’t Despair—Mobilize for Institutional Change

January 15, 2024, 6:25 amUncategorizedNed Foley

A new Common Ground Democracy column with this subtitle: Even smart scholars think nothing can be done to solve the problem of polarization, but they’re unduly pessimistic: there are institutional reforms that would work if we muster the will to… Continue reading

“Super PACs have broken records with their spending in Iowa”

January 14, 2024, 8:12 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Politico: utside groups have poured tens of millions of dollars into Iowa to boost — or knock — the Republican presidential candidates. Since the start of 2023, super PACs have spent more than $85 million on TV ads across the… Continue reading

“Caucuses leave many Iowans out in the cold – and not just in bad weather”

January 14, 2024, 8:10 pmprimariesRick Hasen

Patrick Marley for WaPo: To some here, the Iowa caucuses are an exemplar of democracy, binding communities together and allowing everyday voters to connect with candidates who, a year from now, may be running the country. To others, they are… Continue reading

“Subzero Temperatures Are Set to Make Iowa’s Caucuses the Coldest in History” (Yet Another Reason to Kill the Caucuses)

January 13, 2024, 6:46 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: When Iowa voters brave frigid weather to caucus on Monday, they will be participating in one of the coldest caucuses in decades — perhaps ever. A brutal combination of prolonged, below-freezing temperatures and strong winds have created conditions for… Continue reading

“3 people mistakenly eat laundry detergent in Taiwan election giveaway gone awry”

January 13, 2024, 6:43 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: At least three people were hospitalized after mistakenly eating colorful pods of liquid laundry detergent that were distributed as a campaign freebie in Taiwan’s presidential race, according to Taiwanese media reports. One of the victims said she… Continue reading

‘Wisconsin Supreme Court receives 7 sets of proposed legislative maps in gerrymandering case”

January 13, 2024, 6:40 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The Wisconsin Supreme Court is now considering a handful of proposed changes to the state’s legislative boundaries after Republicans, Democrats, university professors and partisan law firms submitted options as part of a lawsuit aimed at making the state’s… Continue reading

“Bill would allow Georgia election investigations of Raffensperger”

January 12, 2024, 11:11 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

AJC: A Republican-sponsored bill introduced Friday would empower the State Election Board to investigate Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a response to the board’s decision last month not to open an inquiry. The measure would also remove Raffensperger, a… Continue reading

“Americans divided on how SCOTUS should handle Trump ballot access: POLL”

January 12, 2024, 10:36 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

ABC News: Americans are divided on how the U.S. Supreme Court should handle former President Donald Trump’s ballot access, but a majority in a new ABC News/Ipsos poll say they would support the court either barring Trump from presidential… Continue reading

Governor Sununu of NH Pledges to Support Trump if He’s the Republican Nominee, Even if Trump is Convicted of a Felony

January 12, 2024, 7:09 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

State of the Republican Party today: Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, who has been a vocal critic of former President Donald J. Trump, nonetheless committed on Wednesday to supporting him if he won the Republican nomination, even if he… Continue reading

“Former Maryland elections official charged in January 6 case”

January 11, 2024, 12:39 pmchicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

CNN: A member of Maryland’s Board of Elections has resigned after being charged with taking part in the mob during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and jabbing an officer during the melee with a flagpole. Carlos… Continue reading

“Amending the Constitution Is Impossible Until Suddenly It’s Not”

January 11, 2024, 8:35 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Larry Schwarzol and Justin Florence in The Atlantic: The American experiment with constitutional democracy is in grave peril. If Donald Trump becomes president again, fighting to preserve U.S. constitutional democracy through his second term will require the courage, commitment, and… Continue reading

“Trump seeks info on Fulton prosecutor’s meetings with feds”

January 11, 2024, 7:09 amchicaneryRick Hasen

AJC: Among the documents included alongside a bombshell court filing this week alleging misconduct by Fulton County’s top prosecutor were billing statements that caught the eye of former President Donald Trump’s legal team. Theyshowed contact between Nathan Wade, the… Continue reading

“Republicans Are Making ‘Dark Money’ Even Darker for 2024”

January 11, 2024, 6:45 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Roger Sollenberger for The Daily Beast: For years, dark money groups have enjoyed certain advantages that offer donors anonymity—putting the proverbial “dark” in “dark money.” But late last month, one small outside group quietly told election law regulators to shove… Continue reading

“Power for the People: Recognizing the Constitutional Right to Vote for President”

January 11, 2024, 6:43 amvotingRick Hasen

Charlie Martel has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This article is an argument for a federal constitutional right to vote for president at a time when voting rights are under grave threat. The Supreme Court has… Continue reading