“Musk must face lawsuit brought by voters he convinced to sign petition in $1 million-a-day election giveaway, judge says”

August 21, 2025, 8:45 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The Independent: A judge in Texas denied, on Wednesday, Elon Musk’s request to dismiss a class action lawsuit against him and his political action committee brought by a group of voters who participated in his $1-million-a-day “giveaway” leading… Continue reading

“Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump”

August 21, 2025, 7:56 amchicaneryRick Hasen

AP: An appeals court has thrown out the massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump, ruling Thursday in New York state’s lawsuit accusing him of exaggerating his wealth. The decision came seven months after the Republican returned to… Continue reading

“Adams Adviser Suspended From Campaign After Giving Cash to Reporter”

August 21, 2025, 7:48 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: A close adviser to Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election campaign on Wednesday after giving a journalist cash tucked inside a potato chip bag. The adviser, Winnie Greco, who was the mayor’s former director of Asian… Continue reading

“Obama applauds Newsom’s California redistricting plan as ‘responsible’ as Texas GOP pushes new maps”

August 21, 2025, 7:32 amdirect democracy, redistrictingRick Hasen

AP: Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President… Continue reading

“Supreme Court denies Republicans’ effort to stop California redistricting . . . for now”

August 21, 2025, 7:29 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

David Ettinger: This afternoon, the Supreme Court denied the original writ petition — filed Monday (see here) — by four Republican state legislators seeking to prevent the super-majority Democratic Legislature from enacting bills that would allow for the… Continue reading

“Mississippi Supreme Court election map dilutes Black voters’ power, judge rules”

August 20, 2025, 4:37 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Reuters: A federal judge has ordered Mississippi to redraw its election map used in voting for state supreme court justices after finding the current one dilutes the power of Black voters in violation of a landmark federal voting rights law.… Continue reading

“Voting officials are leaving their jobs at the highest rate in decades”

August 20, 2025, 3:54 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

NPR: Turnover among the country’s election officials has continued to increase — now nearly five years after Donald Trump’s failed attempt to overturn the 2020 contest led to voting officials facing more pressure and harassment. Some 2 in 5 of… Continue reading

My New One in the NY Times on How States, Courts, and the Public Can Combat the Risk Trump Poses to the 2026 Midterm Elections

August 20, 2025, 7:42 amauthoritarian threats in US, election subversion riskRick Hasen

I have written this guest essay for the NY Times (free gift link). It begins: With Republicans potentially losing their current seven-vote majority in the House in next year’s midterm elections (or, less likely, their six-vote majority in the Senate),… Continue reading

“Texas House to take up GOP congressional map delayed by Democrats’ walkout”

August 20, 2025, 7:37 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: The Republican-led Texas House on Wednesday was set to advance a new congressional map crafted to hand five additional U.S. House seats to the GOP over fierce opposition from Democrats, who cast the plan as an attempt by… Continue reading

“The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis”

August 20, 2025, 7:36 ampolitical partiesRick Hasen

NYT: The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters long before they even go to the polls. Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in every single one between the 2020 and 2024… Continue reading

“Elon Musk Pledged to Start a Political Party. He Is Already Pumping the Brakes.”

August 20, 2025, 7:33 amthird partiesRick Hasen

WSJ: The billionaire Elon Musk is quietly pumping the brakes on his plans to start a political party, according to people with knowledge of his plans. Musk has told allies that he wants to focus his attention on his companies… Continue reading

I Spoke to Mary Harris of Slate’s “What Next” About Trump and Mail-in Ballots

August 20, 2025, 7:30 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

You can listen here.

ELB Book Corner: Karen Sebold: “Make the Federal Election Commission Great Again”

August 20, 2025, 7:00 amcampaign finance, ELB Book Corner, federal election commissionRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Karen Sebold to ELB Book Corner, writing about her new book, Evaluating Campaign Finance Oversight: An Assessment of the Federal Election Commission. (Use that link with code LXFANDF30 for a 30 percent discount). Here is… Continue reading

“Gavin Newsom wants an election in a hurry on his gerrymander. Here’s what has to happen”

August 19, 2025, 2:02 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Cal Matters dives in.

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The law of politics and the politics of law