Kris Kobach Committee Agrees to Pay $30,000 Fine, Admits to Taking Illegal in-Kind Corporate Contribution from the “We Build the Wall Foundation” During U.S. Senate Run

December 30, 2022, 9:27 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Documents. Others involved in the “We Build the Wall Foundation” have been convicted of crimes.

Cleta Mitchell, in Jan. 6 Committee Deposition, Expresses View that (Old) Electoral Count Act is Unconstitutional and Legislatures Have Absolute Power over Electors; The People’s Vote for President is Just “Advisory”

December 30, 2022, 8:07 amelection subversion risk, electoral collegeRick Hasen

Amazing from the Cleta Mitchell deposition transcript, at pp. 20-21:

“Santos, a Suburban House and $11,000 in Campaign Payments for ‘Rent'”

December 30, 2022, 6:54 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: The company was called Cleaner 123, and over the course of four months, it received nearly $11,000 from the campaign of George Santos, the representative-elect from New York who appears to have invented whole swaths of his life story.… Continue reading

Arizona: “Pinal County election results: 500-vote discrepancy was ‘human error'”

December 30, 2022, 5:59 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: Three months after a disastrous primary, Pinal County seemed to pull off a smooth Election Day in November. But the county made errors in counting some ballots, officials said as a 500-vote discrepancy between certified election tallies and… Continue reading

My 2022 Opeds and Commentaries

December 29, 2022, 5:21 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Here they are, in reverse chronological order: I’ve Been Way More Worried About American Democracy Than I Am Right Now, Slate, November 14, 2022 The Courts are the Only Thing Holding Back Total Election Subversion, The Atlantic, November 2,… Continue reading

“COVID-19 and Voter Turnout and Methods in the 2020 US General Election”

December 29, 2022, 4:08 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

Paul Hernnson and Charles Stewart have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: COVID-19 caused worldwide disruption to virtually every aspect of human life, including elections. This study assesses the impact of COVID death rates, convenience voting policies,… Continue reading

President Biden Signs Into Law the Electoral Count Reform Act

December 29, 2022, 3:36 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

BFD, as Biden might say.

“Arizona: ‘Assessing our options’: Hamadeh calls for hand count, explores legal avenues in AG race”

December 29, 2022, 2:12 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: Republican candidate for attorney general Abe Hamadeh and his attorneys are continuing to question results and exploring legal options after a statewide recount showed a significant vote gain in his favor. With almost 2.51 million votes cast in… Continue reading

“Century-old law let voters file baseless recount petitions and delay Pa.’s election certification; Election experts and advocates say Legislature should update 1927 statute that was written for an era of machine politics.”

December 29, 2022, 10:12 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

VoteBeat: Good-government advocates and voting experts say Pennsylvania should change a recount law that was weaponized by activists and delayed the state’s certification by several weeks. A Votebeat and Spotlight PA review of historical legislative records and news articles… Continue reading

Arizona Recount Results Announced, Narrowing Democrat’s Win in AG Race

December 29, 2022, 9:41 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The margin went from 511 to 280 votes. Hamadeh, the Republican who is behind, still might pursue legal action. No details yet on where the numbers changed in the counties.

“George Santos, Lester Chang and Legislative Exclusion”

December 29, 2022, 9:39 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Goldfeder’s latest.

“Democratic dark money juggernaut behind Biden-allied group targeting House GOP”

December 29, 2022, 9:07 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Washington Examiner: A President Joe Biden-allied nonprofit group aiming to investigate House Republicans next Congress has been almost completely bankrolled by an influential Democratic-linked dark money organization, records reveal. The Democratic strategist-led Congressional Integrity Project has raked in $1.5 … Continue reading

“New year expected to bring more changes to state voting laws”

December 29, 2022, 8:31 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

AP: States routinely make adjustments in their voting laws — some subtle, some dramatic. But experts have never seen an explosion of legislation like that which followed the 2020 presidential election, when more than 3,600 election bills were introduced, according… Continue reading