My New One at Slate: “Democrats Sure Aren’t Acting as if Trump Beating Biden Is an Existential Threat to Democracy”

July 10, 2024, 9:00 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. Some snippets: But more recently, Democrats have not done nearly enough to deal with the ongoing risks to democracy that they themselves repeatedly raise. They have supported election deniers running in Republican primaries… Continue reading

Multiple federal courts toss election challenges for lack of standing, citing FDA v. AHM

July 10, 2024, 6:30 amSupreme CourtDerek Muller

Last month, I highlighted the Court’s decision in FDA v. AHM and suggested that the decision could disrupt some election litigation. That prediction is coming true. Yesterday, in Citizens Project v. Colorado Springs, a federal court dismissed Voting Rights Act… Continue reading

“GOP jump-starts 2024 election challenges with Trump-inspired lawsuits”

July 10, 2024, 5:17 amabsentee ballots, fraudulent fraud squad, voter registrationDan Tokaji

Washington Post: The Republican National Committee has expanded legal challenges to voting and election procedures in key swing states since March, when presumptive nominee Donald Trump installed new party leaders with a mandate to pursue his unsubstantiated claims of… Continue reading

Biden’s Plan to Run Out the Clock

July 10, 2024, 5:07 amballot access, political partiesDan Tokaji

NYT’s analysis finds that time is on the President’s side, in his effort to resist pressure to step aside. As noted here, he’s aided by the DNC’s plan to have a pre-convention “virtual roll call,” originally hatched to address… Continue reading

Director of National Intelligence on Iranian Influence Efforts

July 10, 2024, 4:41 amcheap speech, chicaneryDan Tokaji

From yesterday’s statement by Avril Haines: The Intelligence Community recognizes the importance of informing the public of foreign efforts to influence our democratic processes and, consequently, leading into the Presidential and congressional elections this year, we are launching today the… Continue reading

“Trump Threatens Mark Zuckerberg With Prison In Unhinged Truth Social Rant”

July 10, 2024, 4:33 amcheap speech, fraudulent fraud squadDan Tokaji

Gizmodo: “Donald Trump threatened to put ‘election fraudsters’ in prison, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a new rant on Truth Social Tuesday morning. . . . Trump made the threat against Zuckerberg during a post about the SAVE… Continue reading

Brennan Center on Georgia Challenge Law

July 10, 2024, 4:29 amelection administrationDan Tokaji

From the analysis by Andrew Garber: A new law went into effect in Georgia this month that makes it easier for people to attempt to kick their neighbors off the rolls through voter challenges. Georgia already made voter challenges far… Continue reading

Public Corruption and Presidential Immunity

July 9, 2024, 1:14 pmbribery, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

WaPo: The Supreme Court decision on former president Donald Trump’s claims of presidential immunity has put new limits on future prosecutors — constraints that legal experts see as the latest and most consequential result of a long-running disagreement between… Continue reading

“If Biden Drops Out, What Happens to His Money?”

July 9, 2024, 12:45 pmcampaign financeDan Tokaji

NYT: [T]he most important money is in the accounts held by the Biden-Harris campaign committee: $91 million as of May 30. . . . That money has been raised by the Biden-Harris ticket, and belongs to the Biden-Harris ticket.… Continue reading

“Hey, Governor Shapiro: Time to Declare a Democracy Emergency”

July 9, 2024, 12:30 pmvoter registrationDan Tokaji

From Laura Brill at the Civics Center, noting Pennsylvania’s low 18-year-old voter registration rate compared to Michigan’s.

ACLU Report: “Trump on Voting Rights”

July 9, 2024, 12:20 pmelection subversion riskDan Tokaji

Available here, arguing: “A second Trump administration will renew efforts to erode constitutional foundations of our democracy, make it harder for Americans to vote — particularly voters of color, voters with limited English proficiency, voters with disabilities, older voters,… Continue reading

“This House race reflects how the Supreme Court has narrowed options for Black voters”

July 9, 2024, 9:02 amredistricting, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Patrick Marley of WaPo has this piece on South Carolina’s 1st CD. An excerpt: This spring, the Supreme Court signed off on district lines in South Carolina that Republican state lawmakers said they had designed to benefit their party. The… Continue reading

DC Circuit finds FEC improperly dismissed complaint that alleged coordination between Clinton, PAC in 2016

July 9, 2024, 8:57 amcampaign financeDerek Muller

Campaign Legal Center v. FEC, opinion by Judge Pillard, joined by Judges Childs and Edwards: Leaning heavily on that internet exemption, political action committee Correct the Record set out to engage in a wide range of coordinated activities to… Continue reading

ABA Unsung Heroes of Democracy Awards

July 9, 2024, 8:47 amelection law bizDan Tokaji

The ABA’s Task Force for American Democracy has this announcement, on 22 individuals and organizations receiving the award this year. They include Bob Bauer, Ben Ginsburg, and Meaghan Wolf. In related news, the ABA Task Force is hosting this … Continue reading