“Meredith Sumpter Named FairVote CEO”

March 22, 2024, 10:08 amelection law bizRick Hasen

Release: Meredith Sumpter has been named President and CEO of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. Sumpter’s appointment was unanimously approved by the FairVote Board, and she will begin on April 1. Sumpter is an experienced… Continue reading

Must-read WaPo: “Republicans plan blitz of election-related lawsuits, but prospects uncertain”

March 22, 2024, 7:27 amelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

WaPo: When Donald Trump installed a new chairman of the Republican Party this month, he explained privately and publicly what he wanted from the GOP: a bigger focus on election-related lawsuits, a more aggressive operation to monitor voting and a… Continue reading

“Inside Garland’s Effort to Prosecute Trump: In trying to avoid even the smallest mistakes, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland might have made one big one: ending up in a race against the clock.”

March 22, 2024, 7:23 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT deep dive.

No Labels Leader Floats Insane “Contingent Election” Scenario

March 22, 2024, 7:16 amelectoral collegeRick Hasen

Just wow via NYT: No Labels, the group that for months has pledged to run a centrist presidential ticket in the event of a rematch between President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump, is running out of time to… Continue reading

“Coordination in Plain Sight: The Breadth and Uses of ‘Redboxing’ in Congressional Elections”

March 22, 2024, 7:09 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Gabriel Foy-Sutherland and Saurav Ghosh have written this article for ELJ. Here is the abstract: This article examines the campaign strategy known as “redboxing.” Redboxing refers to efforts by candidates and parties to bypass laws prohibiting them from coordinating campaign… Continue reading

Ohio: “Organizers sue Yost over rejection of ballot proposal that would abolish qualified immunity”

March 22, 2024, 7:05 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: Citizens behind an effort to abolish “qualified immunity” – a legal doctrine that can shield police from liability amid accusations of excessive use of force – are suing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, alleging he’s illegally blocking them from… Continue reading

“Trump’s invite to major donors prioritizes the committee paying his legal bills over the RNC”

March 21, 2024, 1:57 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: Donald Trump’s new joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee directs donations to his campaign and a political action committee that pays the former president’s legal bills before the RNC gets a cut, according to a fundraising invitation… Continue reading

“Ballot Measure May Scare Away the People Who Help Run Wisconsin Elections”

March 21, 2024, 11:52 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Bolts: For the past two years, Nick Ramos has volunteered his time to ensure more Wisconsinites can participate in elections: with a mobile printer in hand, he visits polling places in the Milwaukee area to help people who lack proper… Continue reading

“South Carolina Republicans ask justices to let district ruled a racial gerrymander go forward”

March 21, 2024, 11:47 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Amy Howe for SCOTUSBlog: Telling the justices that if they do not intervene they will create “confusion and uncertainty over this year’s elections,” a group of Republican lawmakers from South Carolina came to the Supreme Court this week, asking the… Continue reading

“Mathews: There should be a court just for elections”

March 21, 2024, 11:28 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Joe Mathews’ new column.

“Leonard Leo, Koch networks pour millions into groups prepping for potential second Trump administration”

March 21, 2024, 10:51 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Remember those “Leonard Leo is fighting with Donald Trump” stories? LOL. NBC News: Huge funding from influential conservative donor networks is flowing into groups affiliated with a conservative venture aimed at creating a Republican “government-in-waiting,” including over $55 million from… Continue reading

“Measuring a decade of improvements in election administration”

March 21, 2024, 9:14 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Electionline: Today, the MIT Election Data + Science Lab released the latest iteration of the Elections Performance Index (EPI). The index, which provides an objective measure of election performance in each state for federal elections, has now been updated… Continue reading

Ohio Should Embrace Common Ground Democracy

March 21, 2024, 8:18 amUncategorizedNed Foley

New Common Ground Democracy column with this subtitle: “Ohio’s U.S. Senate race this year, as in 2022, illustrates how the current electoral system causes the defeat of the candidate whom a majority of voters prefer to each other candidate in… Continue reading

“The impact of voter confusion in ranked choice voting”

March 21, 2024, 7:50 amalternative voting systemsRick Hasen

Lonna Rae Atkeson, Eli McKown-Dawson, Jack Santucci, and Kyle L. Saunders in Social Science Quarterly. Abstract: Objectives Election observers have expressed concerns about voter “confusion” under ranked choice voting (RCV) since the 1890s. What is the… Continue reading