“Red Envelopes With Cash Are Changing Hands at Adams Campaign Rallies”

August 21, 2025, 5:15 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: In July, New York Times reporters witnessed other Adams supporters handing out red envelopes with cash at three separate campaign events: one in Flushing, Queens; another in Manhattan’s Chinatown; and a third in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. At… Continue reading

“California voters will decide redistricting in November, escalating battle with Trump and Texas”

August 21, 2025, 4:20 pmdirect democracy, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

L.A. Times: Ratcheting up the pressure in the escalating national fight over control of Congress, the California Legislature on Thursday approved a November special election to ask voters to redraw the state’s electoral lines to favor Democrats and thwart… Continue reading

Federal Government Files Supreme Court Brief in NRSC Case Arguing That an Aspect of Federal Campaign Finance Law Violates the First Amendment

August 21, 2025, 1:53 pmcampaign finance, Department of Justice, federal election commission, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

You can find the government’s brief on the merits here. You can find the brief of the Republican Party making similar arguments here. Because the government has taken the unusual position in attacking the constitutionality of a law… Continue reading

“Trump says Missouri will revise congressional districts to favor Republicans”

August 21, 2025, 12:52 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Missouri Independent: Missouri “is IN” for redrawing the state’s congressional districts in a special legislative session, President Donald Trump proclaimed Thursday on his social media platform. With Texas moving quickly toward a mid-decade revision of its congressional map… Continue reading

Bob Bauer Sounds the Alarm: “Donald Trump’s Plan for ‘Honest’ Mid-Term Elections”

August 21, 2025, 12:46 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election administration, election subversion riskRick Hasen

Bob Bauer writes, very much in line with what I wrote in the NYT yesterday: On August 18, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would sign another executive order, following one issued in March, to “help… Continue reading

“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

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