GAO Report on 2020 Elections

July 11, 2022, 4:27 pmabsentee ballots, Election Assistance CommissionDan Tokaji

From GAO’s summary of the report, entitled “2020 Elections: State and Local Perspectives on Election Administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic”: GAO surveyed state election offices and local election jurisdictions about steps they took to prepare for and conduct the… Continue reading

“Senator Warren, Rep. Williams to Introduce Bill to Expand Youth Access to Voting”

July 11, 2022, 4:18 pmUncategorized, voter registrationDan Tokaji

You can find a media release and summary here.

The Free 2022 Supplement to Lowenstein, Hasen, Tokaji, and Stephanopoulos, Election Law–Cases and Materials (7th Edition) is Now Available

July 11, 2022, 10:11 ampedagogyRick Hasen

You can download the free Supplement here. The Supplement is current through the Supreme Court’s October 2021 term ending June 30, 2022, and includes excerpts from the district court’s recent decision in Eastman v. Thompson, involving potential criminal charges… Continue reading

“Election Deniers Got Nearly $2 Million in May From Corporate PACs”

July 11, 2022, 9:03 amcampaign finance, election subversion riskDan Tokaji

Bloomberg on a report from Accountable.US: “Some of the US’s largest corporations and their trade associations in May poured $1.9 million into the campaign coffers of Republicans who voted against certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Donald Trump, according… Continue reading

“Strongest Evidence of Guilt: Chart Tracking Trump’s Knowledge and Intent in Efforts to Overturn the Election”

July 11, 2022, 8:59 amelection subversion riskDan Tokaji

From Just Security, a chart that “presents key factual findings – concerning evidence of Trump’s knowledge and beliefs when trying to overturn the election – based primarily on the [House Jan. 6] Committee’s work to date.”

The Independent State Legislature Doctrine and Election Subversion: Avoiding Misunderstanding

July 11, 2022, 8:58 amUncategorizedNed Foley

Dan linked to Jessica Levinson’s MSNBC’s opinion piece with the unfortunate title How the Supreme Court could make it legal to steal the next presidential election. While there is ample and justified reason to be concerned about how SCOTUS will… Continue reading

“She won a local election in a landslide. A conservative activist launched a recount anyway”

July 11, 2022, 8:55 amelection administration, recounts, UncategorizedDan Tokaji

From the LA Times, yet another example of the difficulties that come with serving as an election official these days: Last month, Natalie Adona won her race to become the clerk-recorder and registrar of voters in rural Nevada County… Continue reading

“The Case That Could Blow Up American Election Law”

July 11, 2022, 6:50 amelection subversion risk, legislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Tom Wolf and Ethan Herenstein of the Brennan Center in the Atlantic: Members of the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority just last week took the next step in a little-noticed, but extremely dangerous, project: attempting to jam into law a radical… Continue reading

Lawsuit Challenging FEC’s Dismissal of Administrative Complaint on Alleged Violations by Trump’s 2020 Campaign

July 11, 2022, 6:42 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

From Campaign Legal Center’s release: Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has filed a lawsuit in District of Columbia federal court, challenging the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) recent dismissal of an administrative complaint that CLC filed against the campaign committees of… Continue reading

“How the Supreme Court could make it legal to steal the next presidential election”

July 11, 2022, 6:32 amelection subversion risk, legislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Jessica Levinson in MSNBC on Moore v. Harper: “Our conservative Supreme Court stands ready to allow states to legally steal presidential elections by blessing a right-wing legal theory called independent state legislature doctrine. It is not an overstatement to… Continue reading

“Jan. 6’s Tangled Web Of Extremism”

July 11, 2022, 6:27 amelection subversion riskDan Tokaji

538 on a database maintained by Mike Jensen of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START): In what he calls a “very active” year, Jensen says he might end up adding 300 individuals to… Continue reading

Bannon Agrees to Testify to Jan. 6 Panel

July 11, 2022, 6:17 amelection subversion riskDan Tokaji

NYT has this report. With his criminal trial for contempt of Congress approaching, Stephen K. Bannon, an ally of former President Donald J. Trump’s who was involved in his plans to overturn the 2020 election, has informed the House… Continue reading

Google’s Request for an FEC Advisory Opinion on Political Spam

July 11, 2022, 5:51 amcampaign finance, UncategorizedDan Tokaji

Business Insider reports on the July 1 request, on which public comments are reportedly due July 16: Google wants to ease its Gmail spam filters when political candidates and committees email you for donations or otherwise try contacting you… Continue reading