“A Democracy Crisis In The Making: August 2022 Edition”

August 24, 2022, 10:52 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

States United updated report: “As of July 31, 2022, with most state legislative sessions having drawn to a close, there have been at least 244 bills introduced in 33 states that would interfere with election administration—and 24 of this… Continue reading

“The Truly Scary Part of the $1.6 Billion Conservative Donation; It’s not about the legality. It’s about the loop.”

August 23, 2022, 6:00 pmcampaign finance, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I have written this piece with Dahlia Lithwick for Slate. It begins: On Monday, the New York Times broke the news that last year conservative mastermind Leonard Leo had obtained control over $1.6 billion through something called the “Marble Freedom… Continue reading

“To Fight Election Falsehoods, Social Media Companies Ready a Familiar Playbook”

August 23, 2022, 7:23 amcheap speechRick Hasen

NYT: The election dashboards are back online, the fact-checking teams have reassembled, and warnings about misleading content are cluttering news feeds once again.As the United States marches toward another election season, social media companies are steeling themselves for a… Continue reading

“Court filings detail dramatic near encounter between Schumer and Proud Boys member on January 6”

August 23, 2022, 7:21 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

CNN: Court filings have shed further light on the dramatic moment when Proud Boy Joshua Pruitt nearly came face to face with the then-Senate minority leader during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.Pruitt pleaded guilty … Continue reading

“Can computer simulations help fix democracy?”

August 23, 2022, 7:10 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo: After the release of the 2020 Census, legislatures across the country redrew their states’ congressional district maps, just like they do every decade. And, just like every decade, aggrieved citizens sued them for gerrymandering — the process whereby… Continue reading

“McConnell says voter fraud is rare and he isn’t worried about threats to democracy”

August 23, 2022, 7:07 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

NBC News: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that he isn’t worried about threats to American democracy after a national NBC News poll revealed voters ranked it as the top issue facing the country.The Republican Senate leader… Continue reading

“Activists in Florida say Black voters have seen their political power curtailed”

August 23, 2022, 7:03 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

NPR: A combination of new election laws and congressional redistricting has made it harder for Black communities in Florida to organize and vote, activists say.Florida, which concludes its primary elections on Tuesday, is among various Republican-led states that have… Continue reading

“Michigan election officials demanded change after 2020. Their calls so far have gone unmet.”

August 23, 2022, 7:02 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Detroit Free Press: As voters across the country prepare for the upcoming midterm elections, many will contend with a whole new set of election rules from lawmakers who ushered in major changes in the wake of 2020. But… Continue reading

“A change to Florida’s election law creates headaches for local officials”

August 23, 2022, 7:00 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NPR reports.

“Arkansas violated the Voting Rights Act by limiting help to voters, a judge rules.”

August 22, 2022, 8:04 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: A federal judge ruled that Arkansas violated the Voting Rights Act with its six-voter limit for those who help people cast ballots in person, which critics had argued disenfranchised immigrants and people with disabilities.In a 39-page ruling issued on… Continue reading

“Inside The Right’s Historic Billion-Dollar Dark Money Transfer”

August 22, 2022, 1:55 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

The Lever/ProPublica: An elderly, ultra-secretive Chicago businessman has given the largest known donation to a political advocacy group in U.S. history — worth $1.6 billion — and the recipient is one of the prime architects of conservatives’ efforts to… Continue reading

“Files copied from voting systems were shared with Trump supporters, election deniers”

August 22, 2022, 1:32 pmchicanery, election subversion risk, voting technologyRick Hasen

WaPo: Sensitive election system files obtained by attorneys working to overturn President Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat were shared with election deniers, conspiracy theorists and right-wing commentators, according to records reviewed by The Washington Post.A Georgia computer forensics firm hired… Continue reading

“Skewtube: New breed of video sites thrive on misinformation and hate”

August 22, 2022, 10:28 amcheap speechRick Hasen

Reuters: A day after a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York last May, the video-sharing website BitChute was amplifying a far-right conspiracy theory that the massacre was a so-called false flag operation, meant to discredit gun-loving Americans.Three of the… Continue reading

My Interview on NPR’s Morning Edition: “Candidates who deny the 2020 presidential election results are winning races”

August 22, 2022, 7:05 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

You can listen here.

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The law of politics and the politics of law