“Mike Lindell’s defamation trial begins Monday”

June 2, 2025, 8:09 amcampaignsDerek Muller

Denver Gazette: Former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell will not be sleeping through his defamation trial. Lindell has decided to take the stand in his own defense in what the staunch MAGA supporter has coined “the trial of the century.”… Continue reading

Supreme Court grants certiorari in Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections on standing to challenge rules relating to the time receiving absentee ballots

June 2, 2025, 7:06 amelection administration, Elections Clause, Supreme CourtDerek Muller

From SCOTUSblog and the question presented: Federal law sets the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as the federal Election Day. 2 U.S.C. §§ 1 and 7; and 3 U.S.C. § 1. Several states, including Illinois, have enacted… Continue reading

Minnesota exempt from NVRA voter roll disclosure, “equal sovereignty” does not require all states to be subject to same disclosure rule, federal court finds

June 2, 2025, 3:59 amcourt decisions, Elections ClauseDerek Muller

I missed this ruling back in March in PILF v. Simon in the District of Minnesota. It’s on appeal to the Eighth Circuit, and it’s a case to watch. “Equal sovereignty” after Shelby County v. Holder has not had… Continue reading

Social media and democracy

June 2, 2025, 3:59 amFirst Amendment theoryDerek Muller

Some reflections from Senator Todd Young over at Politico: As I talk about this topic with regular citizens — that is, those who don’t own major social media companies or work at Washington, D.C., think tanks — there is… Continue reading

Election updates from Mexico, Poland, South Korea

June 2, 2025, 3:57 amcomparative election lawDerek Muller

One more story on Mexico’s judicial elections, from the Wall Street Journal: Weak requirements for candidates risk elevating underqualified magistrates. Drug cartels could try to influence elections for judges who work at high-security prisons where top criminals are locked… Continue reading

Good night, and good luck

June 1, 2025, 4:45 pmelection law bizJustin Levitt

As always, when Rick loans the blog for a bit, I’m inevitably surprised by how much work it can entail, and humbled by the fact that he’s at the helm day in and day out. So I’ll close my guest… Continue reading

A few more pieces on today’s judicial elections in Mexico

June 1, 2025, 9:17 amelection administration, judicial electionsballot design, international electionsJustin Levitt

The NYT has one all about ballot design. And another replaying some debates about electing judges that will be very familiar to domestic versions of the same question. And still another reviewing the political dynamics of the elections right… Continue reading

“North Carolina elections take a risky turn”

June 1, 2025, 9:16 amelection administration, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

Steve Ford discusses the NC legislature’s partisan transfer of the power to select the State Board of Elections from the governor to the state auditor.

“Why stricter voting laws no longer help Republicans”

June 1, 2025, 9:15 amelection administration, political parties, The Voting Wars, voter registrationvoter turnoutJustin Levitt

The Economist, making my point from yesterday.

“Noem urges Poles to elect Trump ally as CPAC holds its first meeting in Poland”

May 31, 2025, 11:38 amUncategorizedinternational electionsJustin Levitt

I somehow missed this AP report from Tuesday, about the current U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (with a cameo by John Eastman) expressly campaigning in Poland for a particular candidate in tomorrow’s Polish presidential election. (While OLC has interpreted … Continue reading

“Judicial Candidates Try TikTok and Tinder in Mexico’s Sprawling Elections”

May 31, 2025, 11:10 amcampaign finance, campaigns, cheap speech, judicial electionsJustin Levitt

I mentioned Mexico’s historic upcoming judicial elections a few days ago, but hadn’t then focused on the campaign finance regime. Now the NYT digs a little deeper: They weren’t allowed to buy ads on television, radio, billboards or… Continue reading

“Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare Speaks on Redistricting Effort, Partisanship Claims”

May 31, 2025, 11:09 amelection law and constitutional law, political parties, redistrictinglocal redistricting, partisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

A coming vote on new mid-decade maps for Tarrant County, Texas (where Ft. Worth is the county seat) has been quite controversial, with charges of racial and partisan impropriety, and likely litigation on the horizon. County Judge Tim O’Hare has… Continue reading

“Why On-And-Off Voters Who Backed Trump May Be GOP’s Midterm Silver Bullet”

May 31, 2025, 11:06 amelection administration, The Voting Warsvoter turnoutJustin Levitt

The Daily Caller calls out low-propensity Republican voters. Given that restrictions on access to the ballot generally hit low-propensity voters harder, I’ve been wondering for a while whether the political incentives on election administration issues might be changing. (And that’s… Continue reading

“What the REAL ID delay tells us about implementing proof-of-citizenship laws”

May 31, 2025, 11:05 amelection administration, The Voting Wars, voter idproof of citizenshipJustin Levitt

That’s the subject line of this week’s Votebeat newsletter, covering a bunch of reporting from a bunch of states that it’s been less straightforward for people to get the right kind of ID than it might at first seem.