DC Council Funds Ranked-Choice Voting

July 15, 2025, 5:01 amalternative voting systemsDan Tokaji

WaPo: “By a vote of 8-4, the council agreed to fund ranked-choice voting in the budget, implementing one part of Initiative 83 that voters passed last year, though they declined to fund the other portion allowing independents to vote… Continue reading

Court Denies Motion to Reopen Testimony in Texas Redistricting Cases

July 14, 2025, 5:22 pmredistrictingDan Tokaji

Michael Li has today’s order from the three-judge federal district court here.

“Two-thirds of the DOJ unit defending Trump policies in court have quit”

July 14, 2025, 5:12 pmDepartment of JusticeDan Tokaji

Reuters: “Sixty-nine of the roughly 110 lawyers in the Federal Programs Branch have voluntarily left the unit since President Donald Trump’s election in November or have announced plans to leave, according to the list compiled by former Justice Department… Continue reading

“Pennsylvania redesigns envelopes for provisional ballots to cut down on rejections”

July 14, 2025, 5:01 pmprovisional ballotsDan Tokaji

Votebeat: “The new design makes it clearer where voters and poll workers must sign the envelope. It more clearly delineates which section is to be filled out by the voter or poll workers, officials said, and it provides clearer… Continue reading

Douglas: “A Month After the Minnesota Shootings, We’re Normalizing Political Violence”

July 14, 2025, 2:44 pmelection administration, political polarizationDan Tokaji

Josh Douglas has this commentary in Washington Monthly. A snippet: Way too many Americans think that political violence is a necessity. A 2023 survey reported that almost a quarter of respondents agreed that “because things have gotten so far off… Continue reading

Note on Mid-Decade Redistricting and Climate Change

July 14, 2025, 2:37 pmredistrictingDan Tokaji

Here’s the abstract to “Disaster Districts: Mid-Decade Redistricting in the Face of Climate Change,” by J. Gray Whitsett, a recent graduate of William & Mary Law School: This Note argues that judicial and legislative efforts to constrain redistricting… Continue reading

Free 2025 Supplement To Laycock & Hasen, Modern American Remedies (6th edition and Concise 6th Edition 2025) Now Available

July 14, 2025, 9:02 amRemediesRick Hasen

Even though the 6th edition of Laycock & Hasen, Modern American Remedies (2025) just published last month, we have prepared a free 2025 supplement. The supplement includes an edited version of a new principal case, Trump v. CASA, Inc., on… Continue reading

“Jan. 6 Rioters Are the New Hot Event in Town for Republicans”

July 14, 2025, 5:41 amcampaign finance, election subversion risk, political partiesDan Tokaji

Where campaign finance meets election subversion. WSJ reports: Former Jan. 6 defendants are the new draw at local Republican fundraisers, helping to fill seats at normally sleepy events while getting a platform to tell their version of the Capitol… Continue reading

“Clarence Thomas has long tried to undercut the Voting Rights Act. Now, he may finally have the numbers”

July 14, 2025, 5:25 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActDan Tokaji

Joan Biskupic has this analysis at CNN.

“Leader of pro-Eric Adams super PAC banking on crypto cash”

July 14, 2025, 5:18 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico, with a story that probably will not surprise people who follow money in politics: A leader of the super PAC supporting New York City Mayor Eric Adams hopes to raise upwards of $10 million from the cryptocurrency community… Continue reading

“Musk says he wants a new political party, and many agree. Can he pull it off?”

July 14, 2025, 5:11 ampolitical partiesDan Tokaji

Dan Balz in the Washington Post, on Musk’s stated interest in starting a new party: What could make Musk’s effort different from past attempts? The obvious answer is money. He’s the world’s richest person, with a net worth variously… Continue reading

Lawsuit on Alleged “Irregularities” in Rockland County

July 14, 2025, 5:05 amfraudulent fraud squadDan Tokaji

Votebeat has this piece on the alleged voting irregularities, which Charles Stewart debunks: The case against Rockland County, New York, claims that there were irregularities in the county’s vote tallies, judging in part by what the plaintiffs characterize as statistical… Continue reading

Tokaji’s Fortnight

July 14, 2025, 4:52 amelection law bizDan Tokaji

Dan Tokaji here. Thanks to Guy Charles for doing such a great job guest-blogging over the past week. I’m starting my annual two-week stint at the helm, so please feel free to send your suggestions my way (preferably with a… Continue reading

Emil Bove’s Troubling Answers

July 13, 2025, 12:56 pmUncategorizedGuy Charles

CBS news reports here that Emil Bove, the current Deputy Attorney General and President Trump’s nominee to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, has “declined to rule out the possibility of the president running for a third term… Continue reading