SELF-DISTRICTING: The Ultimate Antidote to Gerrymandering

January 18, 2023, 9:13 amUncategorizedNed Foley

I have posted this new paper on SSRN. Here’s the abstract: It is possible to end gerrymandering by removing the power to draw district lines from government officials and giving this power to the voters themselves. In a self-districting… Continue reading

“Allen announces withdrawal from voter registration group”

January 18, 2023, 8:42 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: Alabama’s new secretary of state announced the state’s withdrawal Tuesday from a 32-state voter registration partnership, a data-sharing effort that was designed to maintain accurate voter rolls but has sometimes become the target of conservative ire and conspiracy theories.… Continue reading

“Special elections for two Pa. state House vacancies will be held Feb. 7, court rules”

January 18, 2023, 7:40 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Philly Inquirer: The special elections to fill two vacant seats in the Pennsylvania state House — the subject of a contentious fight between Democrats and Republicans — will be held Feb. 7, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Friday. That’s a… Continue reading

“Trump’s Former Lawyer Meets With Prosecutors About Hush Money”

January 18, 2023, 7:32 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: The Manhattan district attorney’s office on Tuesday took a significant step forward in its investigation of Donald J. Trump, meeting with his former personal lawyer about hush money paid to a porn star who said she had an affair… Continue reading

“Donald Trump prepares for his return to Facebook and Twitter”

January 18, 2023, 7:30 amcheap speechRick Hasen

NBC News: Mounting a comeback for the White House, Donald Trump is looking to regain control over his powerful social media accounts. With access to his Twitter account back, Trump’s campaign is formally petitioning Facebook’s parent company to unblock his… Continue reading

“Democracies in the Age of Fragmentation”

January 18, 2023, 6:07 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

The California Law Review has now published this article of mine with the above title. It was also gratifying to see Tom Edsall quoting from this piece in his essay in today’s NYTimes. The article is part of a Symposium… Continue reading

“Appeals Court UPHOLDS Arizona’s Mail-In Voting Laws, Blasts AZGOP/Kelli Ward Arguments (READ Decision)”

January 17, 2023, 12:07 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

AZ Law: Arizona’s mail-in voting system is not unconstitutional, the Court of Appeals ruled today, blasting a lawsuit filed last year by the Arizona Republican Party and Chairwoman Kelli Ward. The unanimous decision upholds the previous dismissal of the case.… Continue reading

“Google Didn’t Show Bias in Filtering Campaign-Ad Pitches, FEC Says”

January 17, 2023, 10:24 amcheap speech, federal election commissionRick Hasen

WSJ: The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint from Republicans that Google’s Gmail app aided Democratic candidates by sending GOP fundraising emails to spam at a far higher rate than Democratic solicitations. The Republican National Committee and others contended… Continue reading

“Issue One reveals who profited from election denialism in 2022”

January 17, 2023, 10:20 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Release: As election-denying secretary of state candidates spouted rhetoric that eroded people’s faith in our free and fair elections, political operatives behind the scenes were raking in the dough. A new Issue One review of state campaign finance filings highlights… Continue reading

“The Constitution Should Not Be a Suicide Pact w/ Rick Hasen”

January 17, 2023, 7:38 amcheap speech, election subversion riskRick Hasen

I spoke to the Democracy Nerd podcast about my Cheap Speech book and ongoing threats to democracy. Listen here.

Announcing the Free Spring Webinar Series for the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law, Opening with Rachel Maddow Event Jan. 26

January 17, 2023, 7:01 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

I’m very pleased to announce the Spring 2022 webinar series for UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project. All events are free and online, but require registration. Details: January 26 – What “Ultra” Can Teach Us About Threats to American Democracy… Continue reading

“Republicans have already filed dozens of bills to restrict voting in 2023”

January 17, 2023, 6:52 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Kira Lerner for The Guardian: Republican lawmakers across the country have already filed dozens of bills that would restrict voting, including proposals in Texas that would increase criminal penalties on people who violate voting laws and enact a new law… Continue reading

Today’s Must-Read: “What the Jan. 6 probe found out about social media, but didn’t report”

January 17, 2023, 6:46 amcheap speech, election subversion riskRick Hasen

WaPo: The Jan. 6 committee spent months gathering stunning new details on how social media companies failed to address the online extremism and calls for violence that precededthe Capitol riot. The evidence they collected was written up in a 122-page … Continue reading

“Billions at stake as online fundraising practices turn off voters”

January 17, 2023, 6:38 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Politico: That advice reflects a recognition among digital campaign staffers that text and email programs have gone from innovative to out of hand, to the point that it’s harming the campaign ecosystem. The rate of return on individual appeals is… Continue reading