“At least eight Trump electors have accepted immunity in Georgia investigation”

May 6, 2023, 7:42 amelection subversion riskJustin Levitt

WaPo with the news of an immunity deal for some of the fake Georgia electors. The attorney for the electors has said that “The electors who accepted immunity did so without any promise that they would offer incriminating evidence in… Continue reading

“Ad makers seek to nip ‘deep fake’ campaign ads in the bud”

May 5, 2023, 9:53 amcampaigns, cheap speechJustin Levitt

From Politico: The trade association representing Washington political consultants wants to curb the use of “deep fakes” in political advertising before it gets the chance to take off, as political campaigns become the latest space scrambling to respond to… Continue reading

Deeeeeeeep dive into Pinal County 2022 election counting

May 5, 2023, 9:52 amelection administration, recountsJustin Levitt

The final tally in the 2022 Arizona Attorney General’s race showed a margin of 280 votes out of more than 2.5 million cast — and any race that close is going to get an awful lot of scrutiny. That’s a… Continue reading

Minnesota Governor signs “Democracy for the People” law

May 5, 2023, 9:51 amcampaign finance, election administration, election subversion risk, voter registrationJustin Levitt

The bill, signed Friday morning, includes (among other provisions) opt-out voter registration, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds, expanded language access, protections against interfering with the election process, and prohibitions against spending in state races by corporations in which… Continue reading

“Bipartisan election bills address worker safety, poll closures, campaign finance and more”

May 5, 2023, 9:50 amcampaign finance, election administration, election law bizJustin Levitt

One of the pieces of the “and more” finding some initial bipartisan support in Wisconsin: Kenosha News notes a welcome provision to let the state pick up the tab for special elections for state offices. Local elections departments need all… Continue reading

“A GOP claim that Michigan purposely tried to encourage voter fraud doesn’t fit with facts”

May 5, 2023, 9:49 amelection administration, NVRA (motor voter), voter registrationJustin Levitt

News from the States: Republicans at a recent congressional hearing accused Michigan’s chief election official of deliberately leaving tens of thousands of dead voters on the rolls in order to encourage illegal voting. Even at a time of intense… Continue reading

“How to Police Gerrymanders? Some Judges Say the Courts Can’t.”

May 5, 2023, 9:48 amelection law and constitutional law, political parties, redistrictingJustin Levitt

The NYT “teaches the controversy” about policing partisan gerrymandering. I have to say, I agree with some of the line-drawing concerns when it comes to deciding how much is too much. Which is why I’ve argued for a… Continue reading

No Labels co-founder warns against No Labels’ impact on presidential race

May 5, 2023, 9:47 ampolitical parties, third partiesJustin Levitt

William Galston with an op-ed in the WSJ.

“The Impact of COVID-19, Election Policies, and Partisanship on Voter Participation in the 2020 U.S. Election”

May 5, 2023, 9:47 amabsentee ballots, election administrationJustin Levitt

New from Paul Herrnson and Charles Stewart: The COVID-19 pandemic had the potential to wreak havoc on elections. Democracies initiated varied policies to minimize health risks to voters and election workers. This study assesses the impact of voting policies,… Continue reading

“A Critical and Historical Analysis of Ohio’s Post-Millennium Regression to Major-Party Monopoly”

May 5, 2023, 9:46 amballot access, political equality, political parties, third partiesJustin Levitt

New in the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, from Capital’s Mark Brown: a review of recent ballot access battles in Ohio. I suspect there’s even more to add to the “major-party monopoly” argument if you add the legislature’s all-out gerrymandering… Continue reading

Two election-related state budget stories

May 5, 2023, 9:45 amcampaign finance, fraudulent fraud squadJustin Levitt

In New York, the new public financing system (with a 6-1 match for small local contributions) gets some cash. And in Florida, DeSantis’s election investigations office gets a 20% increase (though not the 280% increase DeSantis requested).

Two important discussions on Wednesday next week

May 5, 2023, 9:44 amelection administration, election law biz, election subversion riskJustin Levitt

On May 10, Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs is hosting The Profession of Democracy: Election Administration and State Associations. Elections administrators, the people who referee our democracy, are literally and figuratively under threat. Long hours, harassment, malicious open… Continue reading