“Racial Turnout Gap Has Widened With a Weakened Voting Rights Act, Study Finds”

March 2, 2024, 3:27 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT: When the Supreme Court knocked down a core part of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. argued that some of the law’s protections against racial discrimination were no longer necessary. He wrote that… Continue reading

“Republicans Hatched a Secret Assault on the Voting Rights Act in Washington State”

March 2, 2024, 3:26 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

ProPublica: Republican Paul Graves’ work was about to come undone. In the wee hours of Nov. 15, 2021, he and his fellow Republican on Washington state’s independent redistricting commission had finally prevailed on their Democratic counterparts to agree to the … Continue reading

“Colorado votes Tuesday. The Supreme Court hasn’t said if votes for Trump will count.”

March 2, 2024, 3:20 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

USA Today: No Supreme Court justice seemed eager last month to kick former President Donald Trump off the ballot when they heard Trump’s challenge to the decision in Colorado that he can’t be a candidate. Their apparent agreement on a… Continue reading

“Why Is Trump Getting Special Treatment From the Supreme Court?”

March 2, 2024, 3:17 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Aziz Huq in Politico: To understand how truly remarkable it is that the Supreme Court has agreed to consider former President Donald Trump’s demand for absolute immunity from criminal prosecution, it is necessary to have some sense of how the… Continue reading

“Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects move to reconsider state’s congressional maps”

March 1, 2024, 4:45 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request to reconsider the state’s congressional maps ahead of the next election, ensuring the current district boundaries will remain in place for 2024. The court’s decision ends a last-minute push … Continue reading

“‘The Primary Problem’: How hyperpartisan minorities hijacked elections”

March 1, 2024, 3:33 pmUncategorizedNed Foley

I highly recommend listening to Chuck Todd’s podcast with Nick Troiano. They discuss Nick’s important new book “The Primary Solution,” and among other valuable points Nick makes is that the current system of partisan primaries is actually hurting political… Continue reading

“Menendez Ally Pleads Guilty in Bribery Case and Agrees to Cooperate”

March 1, 2024, 2:16 pmbriberyRick Hasen

NYT: Jose Uribe, a former New Jersey insurance broker charged in what prosecutors have described as a broad bribery scheme involving Senator Robert Menendez, pleaded guilty on Friday in Manhattan. Mr. Uribe had been accused of providing Nadine Menendez, the… Continue reading

“Democrats Blew Their Big Opportunity to Make New York Winnable in 2024”

March 1, 2024, 12:42 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Alexander Sammon for Slate: After over a year in court, millions of dollars on lawyers’ fees, an overhaul of the state’s highest court, and an all-out battle to throw out New York’s congressional districts and replace them with something… Continue reading

“Has Citizens United Undermined Democracy?”

March 1, 2024, 11:44 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

WNYC “Open to Debate” podcast: In a high-stakes presidential election year, in partnership with the Newt and Jo Minow Debate Series at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Open to Debate is taking a look at more than a decade… Continue reading

Federal Court Strikes Down Some, Upholds Other, Parts of Arizona Laws Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in State Elections and for State to Investigate Possible Noncitizen Registration

March 1, 2024, 11:38 amvoting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

This is a complex ruling in a long-running case. (Via AZ Law). From the conclusion of the 109-page opinion: Non-US Plaintiffs may enforce § 10101 of the Civil Rights Act. Requiring individuals who register to vote using the State… Continue reading

“Haley rules out a No Labels bid for president”

March 1, 2024, 9:18 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Axios reports.

“Waiting on Supreme Court, States Go It Alone in Trump Ballot Cases”

March 1, 2024, 8:24 amballot access, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in January to hear an appeal of a Colorado ruling that disqualified former President Donald J. Trump from that state’s primary ballot, many thought the court would soon resolve the issue for… Continue reading

Ed Whelan is Right

March 1, 2024, 7:31 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

From the “words I never expected to write” department, this observation seems spot on and it should have occurred to me when I read the Court’s order setting the Trump immunity case for a hearing (via Jonathan Adler): UPDATE: … Continue reading

“Pace of Supreme Court Immunity Case Shadowed by Looming Election”

March 1, 2024, 7:28 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Adam Liptak for the NYT: “There comes a point,” Justice Felix Frankfurter wrote in 1949, “where this court should not be ignorant as judges of what we know as men.” The Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday to schedule arguments… Continue reading