Reporters keep buying the claim that DOGE is looking for voter fraud, at face value and without further questions

May 29, 2025, 12:49 pmfraudulent fraud squad, voter registrationprivacy actJustin Levitt

Buried in this NYT profile of Elon Musk’s latest PR offensive is the following paragraph: It is unclear how many of Mr. Musk’s most prominent deputies will stay ensconced in their new government roles. Antonio Gracias, the billionaire investor, has… Continue reading

Cuts at Census Bureau have an impact

May 29, 2025, 12:47 pmUncategorizedcensusJustin Levitt

Hansi Lo Wang, over at Bluesky, with a thread that starts: NEW: Census Bureau lost over 1,000 employees through early retirement and voluntary separation offers in recent months and plans to cut some statistical work, acting Director Ron Jarmin… Continue reading

“Maryland’s primary elections are unconstitutional, lawsuit alleges”

May 29, 2025, 12:46 pmelection law and constitutional law, legislation and legislatures, political parties, primariesstate constitutionsJustin Levitt

The WaPo has a story on independent voters claiming a right to participate in primary elections under the state constitution. The complaint is here. Existing Supreme Court precedent on the primary process and the First Amendment mostly gives the… Continue reading

“Trump pardons ‘humbled’ John G. Rowland, former CT governor”

May 29, 2025, 12:45 pmcampaign finance, ethics investigationspardons, Pay-to-Play, political corruption, public corruptionJustin Levitt

An excerpt from the CT Mirror about a governor convicted of corruption and campaign finance charges: John G. Rowland, the thrice-elected and twice-convicted former Republican governor of Connecticut, said he was “humbled and appreciative” Wednesday after learning he was the… Continue reading

“Mayor, two other former local officials indicted in south Georgia for election interference in municipal races last year”

May 29, 2025, 12:44 pmchicanery, election administration, residencycriminalization of politics, disqualification, Election InterferenceJustin Levitt

On the same day as the 2024 general election (which was run by the county), municipal elections were scheduled in Camilla, Georgia. There was a firestorm with notable racial overtones about the eligibility of a former city councilmember, who had … Continue reading

“Trump administration ramps up push as crypto ally”

May 29, 2025, 12:42 pmethics investigationsPay-to-Play, political corruptionJustin Levitt

The WaPo piece’s subhead: The administration’s full-throated support of crypto is raising concern from ethics experts who say it overlaps with the president’s personal investments.

The Abundance Agenda Comes to the Supreme Court

May 29, 2025, 12:25 pmUncategorizedRichard Pildes

The Supreme Court issued a major decision today involving NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act, in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County Co. Here’s a slightly modified version of a thread I posted on X regarding the significance of… Continue reading

Plaintiffs seek en banc review of decision saying private parties can’t enforce the VRA

May 28, 2025, 5:35 pmstatutory interpretation, Voting Rights ActJustin Levitt

Two weeks ago, Rick covered the latest Eighth Circuit disaster, finding that only the DOJ, and not private plaintiffs, had any ability to enforce the Voting Rights Act. (An earlier Eighth Circuit case held that private plaintiffs couldn’t sue… Continue reading

“Santos’s Treasurer Avoids Prison for Her Role in His Schemes”

May 28, 2025, 5:33 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

To be clear, these are just the campaign finance schemes. And the sentence announced today: probation.

“Texas’ proof-of-citizenship bill for voters fizzles at end of legislative session”

May 28, 2025, 5:32 pmelection administration, legislation and legislaturesproof of citizenshipJustin Levitt

Votebeat covers the path of a bill that would have applied requirements for documentary proof of citizenship not only to new registrants but also to the 18.6 million existing registered voters.

“The Disparate and Durable Effects of Mail Voting Restrictions: Evidence from Texas”

May 28, 2025, 5:31 pmabsentee ballots, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter registrationvoter turnoutJustin Levitt

More from Texas. This is interesting research on 2021’s SB1, which (among other elements) required voters casting mail ballots to provide either their driver’s license or state ID number or their Social Security digits, both on mail ballot applications… Continue reading

“Wisconsin Elections Commission: Small communities don’t need permission to stop using voting machines”

May 28, 2025, 5:30 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, voting technologyJustin Levitt

From Wisconsin Public Radio: The Wisconsin Elections Commission says small communities don’t need the state’s permission to stop using electronic voting machines, siding with a northwestern Wisconsin town that switched to hand-counted, paper ballots last year. The WEC decision… Continue reading

“Legal challenge to come against Oklahoma bill capping initiative petition signatures”

May 28, 2025, 5:29 pmdirect democracy, legislation and legislaturesJustin Levitt

The Oklahoman covers (paywall) threats of litigation to a new Oklahoma requirement (with some comparisons to recent measures in other states restricting direct democracy) that restricts the number of signatures for an initiative coming out of any given county to… Continue reading

“Trump administration begins cracking down on federal employees’ use of leave for voting”

May 28, 2025, 5:28 pmThe Voting WarsExecutive Orders, time to voteJustin Levitt

From Government Executive: With some key primary elections at the state level occurring in the coming weeks, the Trump administration has begun notifying employees they can no longer use paid administrative leave to vote. The reminder, so far sent… Continue reading