“Why are U.S. courts afraid of the 14th Amendment? Because it’s radical.”

November 25, 2023, 10:34 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Sherrilyn Ifill for WaPo oped: The 14th Amendment is treated as a suggestion but rarely imposed in full measure when the status quo will be upended. This was perhaps most famously on display in 1955, in the case of Brown II,… Continue reading

Eleventh Circuit Reverses District Court Holding that Georgia’s At-Large Elections to State Public Service Commission Violates the Voting Rights Act; Ruling If Upheld Would Make It Very Difficult to Challenge Statewide At-Large Systems

November 24, 2023, 2:35 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Another conservative court reading section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in ever narrower ways. The ruling is here: The Georgia General Assembly determined that the State’s PSC—a constitutionally created state commission with statewide authority and statewide responsibilities—should be… Continue reading

“Your Local Newspaper Might Not Have a Single Reporter; Rise of ‘ghost newsrooms’ spawns effort by local news startups to fill the void”

November 24, 2023, 7:43 amcheap speechRick Hasen

WSJ: The Gleaner, the local newspaper in Henderson, Ky., has sections focused on features, sports, news and opinion. What it doesn’t have: a single reporter on staff. The publication is one of the “ghost newsrooms” that increasingly dot the… Continue reading

“Op-ed: The Thanksgiving table approach to fixing American politics”

November 24, 2023, 7:39 amabsentee ballots, alternative voting systemsRick Hasen

Ben Raderstorf and Mindy Finn Miami Herald oped.

“Johnson’s Release of Jan. 6 Video Feeds Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories”

November 23, 2023, 9:32 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to publicly release thousands of hours of Capitol security footage from Jan. 6, 2021, has fueled a renewed effort by Republican lawmakers and far-right activists to rewrite the history of the attack that day and… Continue reading

Louisiana, Seeking to Capitalize on 8th Circuit Ruling that Private Parties Cannot Sue for Violation of the Voting Rights Act, Plans to Ask En Banc Fifth Circuit to Reconsider Ruling Requiring Creation of Additional Black Congressional District

November 22, 2023, 4:07 pm#2DaysOut, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Should have seen this one coming: https://twitter.com/SIfill_/status/1727474839374491957?s=20

Nevada Judge Rules Single Subject Violation Will Keep Abortion Rights Ballot Measure Off 2024 Ballot [Corrected Headline]

November 22, 2023, 12:45 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Nevada Independent: A Carson City judge has struck down an effort from reproductive rights groups to place a question on the 2024 ballot that aimed to establish a state constitutional right to abortion. District Court Judge James Russell ruled Tuesday… Continue reading

“Donor allegedly offered $20M to recruit a Tlaib primary challenger”

November 22, 2023, 11:44 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: A Michigan businessman called Democratic Senate candidate Hill Harper to offer $20 million in campaign contributions if he agreed to drop out and instead mount a primary challenge to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, according to a source with direct knowledge of the… Continue reading

First Circuit affirms dismissal of Section 3 case against Trump on ground that plaintiff lacked standing

November 22, 2023, 11:25 amelectoral collegeDerek Muller

The unanimous opinion in Castro v. Scanlan is here. It’s worth noting the appellate court only reached the standing issue. It did not address the political question doctrine issue, which I noted here that the district court reached. And… Continue reading

“For Election Workers, Fentanyl-Laced Letters Signal a Challenging Year”

November 22, 2023, 8:42 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Michael Wines in the NYT: For the people who run elections at thousands of local offices nationwide, 2024 was never going to be an easy year. But the recent anonymous mailing of powder-filled envelopes to election offices in five… Continue reading

“How the Voting Rights Act, Newly Challenged, Has Long Been Under Attack”

November 22, 2023, 7:06 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: The Voting Rights Act, a landmark law that has for decades protected Black Americans from attempts to erode their political power, was dealt one of its most significant challenges this week when a federal appeals court moved to strike … Continue reading

“Kari Lake digs in on ‘rigged’ election claims in court despite softer campaign rhetoric”

November 22, 2023, 7:02 amfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: Republican Kari Lake is attempting a rebrand as she ramps up her campaign for U.S. Senate, even as she continues to litigate her 2022 loss in Arizona’s governor’s race. In recent weeks, the conservative firebrand has extended olive … Continue reading

“Latino Business Advocate Stung by Misconduct Claims Resurfaces With ‘No Labels’”

November 22, 2023, 7:01 amthird partiesRick Hasen

NYT: No Labels, the centrist organization that is vying to gain ballot access for the 2024 presidential election, has joined forces with Javier Palomarez, an advocate of Hispanic-owned businesses with a history of allegations of workplace financial misconduct and sexual… Continue reading

Iowa: “Woodbury County supervisor’s wife found guilty of 52 counts of voter fraud”

November 22, 2023, 6:58 amabsentee ballots, chicaneryRick Hasen

Iowa Public Radio: A jury spent about five hours deliberating before convicting Kim Phuong Taylor on 52 counts of voter fraud in federal court Tuesday in Sioux City. Taylor faces up to five years in prison on each count. A… Continue reading

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