“Club for Growth readies $20m fund to boost Boebert, Gaetz and other McCarthy antagonists”

July 24, 2023, 1:43 pmcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico: “The Club for Growth is preparing to spend millions of dollars to help reelect the 20 House Republicans who opposed Kevin McCarthy’s speakership bid…. [A memo to donors obtained by POLITICO] appears intended to spook any McCarthy… Continue reading

“Activists for hand-counting ballots don’t acknowledge drawbacks: More mistakes, time, and money”

July 24, 2023, 1:27 pmelection administration, voting technologyDan Tokaji

Votebeat: “Despite widespread coverage of the follies of hand-counting ballots, the quest to expand use of the method continues. This year alone, there have been 16 bills in 8 states that would ban the use of tabulators. It’s a … Continue reading

“How Republicans flipped America’s state supreme courts”

July 24, 2023, 12:30 pmjudicial electionsDan Tokaji

USA Today has this fascinating deep dive into state high courts, by Aaron Mendelson of Center for Public Integrity. Here’s a taste: In less than a decade, Republican politicians in eight states have transformed their state supreme courts — altering… Continue reading

CAP: “Supreme Court’s Decision in Moore v. Harper Is a Win for Democracy, But Some Questions Remain Unanswered”

July 24, 2023, 9:43 amlegislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Michael Sozan at Center for American Progress: “[E]ven though the Supreme Court jettisoned a sweeping version of the [independent state legislature] theory to the dustbin of history, the post-Moore v. Harper path is not without some degree of risk.… Continue reading

“Court to check if new congressional map in Alabama weakens the power of Black voters”

July 24, 2023, 9:37 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActDan Tokaji

From NPR’s Morning Edition: “The legal fight continues over Alabama’s congressional map. A federal court is set to check if a new map approved by the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature weakens the power of Black voters.” More on this story… Continue reading

“Black man who says he was elected mayor of Alabama town alleges that White leaders are keeping him from position”

July 24, 2023, 5:50 amUncategorizedDan Tokaji

CBS News, on a civil rights complaint with some pretty shocking allegations: Patrick Braxton, 57, is one of several plaintiffs named in Braxton et al v. Stokes et al. The other plaintiffs — James Ballard, Barbara Patrick, Janice Quarles… Continue reading

“Even as third indictment looms, many Republicans still stand by Trump”

July 24, 2023, 5:34 amDepartment of Justice, election subversion riskDan Tokaji

A not-very-surprising WaPo story from Iowa: “Even with the backdrop of Trump facing another potential indictment over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, many GOP voters wrote off the former president’s legal challenges as part of a continued liberal… Continue reading

“The fight over Alabama’s congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court”

July 24, 2023, 5:25 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActDan Tokaji

AP: Alabama lawmakers on Friday approved new district lines six weeks after the surprise U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding a lower court ruling that the state’s previous map — with one Black-majority district out of seven in a state… Continue reading

“16 States Made It Harder To Vote This Year. But 26 Made It Easier.”

July 24, 2023, 5:21 amThe Voting WarsDan Tokaji

538 rounds up changes in state voting laws so far this year: Two years ago, the biggest battles in state legislatures were over voting rights. Democrats loudly — and sometimes literally — protested as Republicans passed new voting restrictions… Continue reading

“As Inquiries Compound, Justice System Pours Resources Into Scrutinizing Trump”

July 24, 2023, 5:17 amDepartment of Justice, election subversion riskDan Tokaji

NYT on the resources being devoted to investigating the former president, including around $25 million that the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith is on track to spend this year: “These efforts, taken as a whole, do not appear to… Continue reading

“GOP Splits Over Jan. 6 Deepen as Trump Indictment Looms”

July 24, 2023, 5:11 amDepartment of Justice, election subversion risk, UncategorizedDan Tokaji

WSJ: “The former president and many of his allies have played down the riot and boosted support for those who stormed the Capitol. A smaller wing of the party has strongly criticized Trump and the rioters. In between… Continue reading

Now Available: Jacob Eisler’s “The Law of Freedom: The Supreme Court and Democracy”

July 24, 2023, 5:06 amelection law biz, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Jacob Eisler’s new book is out today. Here’s the description: The Supreme Court has been at the center of great upheavals in American democracy across the last seventy years. From the end of Jim Crow to the rise of wealth-dominated… Continue reading

Opting Out of California’s New Ballot Transparency Law

July 24, 2023, 4:54 amdirect democracyDan Tokaji

Marin Independent Journal reports: AB 1416, which became effective in January, requires that the supporters and opponents of statewide and local measures be listed on ballots. However, the law allows counties to opt out of participating. On Tuesday, Marin County… Continue reading

“Unpacking the ‘Surprise’ Crime in DOJ’s Target Letter to Trump”

July 24, 2023, 4:50 amDepartment of Justice, election subversion riskDan Tokaji

Norman Eisen, Ryan Goodman, and Joshua Kolb in Just Security: On Tuesday the world learned that the Department of Justice had served Donald Trump with a target letter for crimes related to January 6th. On Wednesday, reporting by The … Continue reading