“School Choice and Household Participation in School District Politics”

May 31, 2025, 11:03 amvotinglocal elections, voter turnoutJustin Levitt

A fascinating new Annenberg Institute paper from three MSU researchers on the connection between school choice and voter turnout in local bond elections. Theoretically, I can understand why sending your kid to a different school might change incentives to vote… Continue reading

Quote of the Day

May 31, 2025, 9:18 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

“They don’t want someone who’s just going to be like, ‘We’re going to follow the law and do the originalistic thing, and whatever the result is, so may be it,’” said the consultant. “They want someone [who] can figure out… Continue reading

“US government is investigating messages impersonating Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles”

May 30, 2025, 11:13 amUncategorizedJustin Levitt

This AP story is presented as a cybersecurity issue. And it is. But one of the dangers of running government without any regard for standard administrative process is that it makes fraud so much easier to perpetrate. If government action… Continue reading

“Oklahoma parents fight new curriculum on 2020 election ‘discrepancies’”

May 30, 2025, 11:11 amelection subversion riskJanuary 6, The Big LieJustin Levitt

The WaPo subhead: “A lawsuit alleges that state superintendent Ryan Walters added a provision on election questions without notifying some board members before they voted.” A further excerpt from the article: The draft shown to the public only mandated… Continue reading

“Fuzzy Math: Several House districts could be redrawn before 2026 elections”

May 30, 2025, 11:10 ampolitical parties, redistrictingJustin Levitt

The Washington Examiner looks at some of the congressional district plans most likely to be modified over the next year.

“Red State Voters Approved Progressive Measures. GOP Lawmakers Are Trying to Undermine Them.”

May 30, 2025, 11:09 amdirect democracy, legislation and legislaturesJustin Levitt

ProPublica with a summary of the legislative backlash to direct democracy.

“Trump’s flurry of pardons include some to campaign contributors”

May 30, 2025, 11:09 amcampaign finance, ethics investigationspardons, political corruptionJustin Levitt

An ABC analysis: Of Trump’s 60 pardons or commutations unrelated to Jan. 6, about one in five of them have gone to those who have some sort of financial or political connection to him. Here is a list of… Continue reading

“Cuomo Loses Another $675,000 Over Suspected Super PAC Coordination”

May 30, 2025, 11:08 amcampaign financecoordinationJustin Levitt

The NYT reports on the NYC campaign finance board’s decision, which turns on “redboxing” – the practice of campaigns issuing public documents that sure look like very-thinly-veiled instructions to SuperPAC allies, in an attempt to skirt local prohibitions on… Continue reading

“Ruling lets Cochise County throw out local election result over mail-ballot mistake”

May 30, 2025, 11:07 amabsentee ballots, voter registrationcontestsJustin Levitt

Votebeat with a report on a ruling from Cochise County, Arizona, allowing a new election when 11,000 inactive voters were – improperly — not sent ballots for a May 2023 all-mail election decided by 750 votes.

Democratic Party, in Marc Elias Brief, Seeks to Intervene in NRSC Case at Supreme Court to Defend Limits on Coordinated Spending by Parties

May 30, 2025, 11:07 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Well this is a very interesting development in the case I’ve been tracking closely and expect the Supreme Court to hear, especially given that Marc Elias has not been one to generally defend campaign finance limits applied to political parties.… Continue reading

“Watchdog links Florida Dem to more potential House rules violations”

May 30, 2025, 11:06 amcampaign finance, ethics investigationsJustin Levitt

From Politico: A congressional watchdog office has found reason to believe that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick requested community project funding, also known as earmarks, on behalf of a for-profit entity — a potential violation of House rules. The findings of… Continue reading

“’Calm anger’: After 17 years, Shasta elections official suddenly fired”

May 30, 2025, 11:05 amelection administration, election law bizJustin Levitt

Further turmoil in Shasta County, which has been a hotbed of conspiracy theory over the past few years.

“Proposed budget would kill independent elections commission”

May 30, 2025, 11:05 amcampaign finance, political partiesJustin Levitt

The Blade reports on a proposed Ohio state budget to eliminate the bipartisan commission enforcing state campaign finance law, which would leave the secretary of state’s office with statewide enforcement authority and the ability to break ties on county enforcement… Continue reading

The Timing of Multiple-Round Elections

May 30, 2025, 11:04 amalternative voting systems, election administration, primariesinstant runoff votingJustin Levitt

In his most recent Substack, Rob Richie offers some (exceedingly respectful) pushback on my post here about this New Bedford decision to hold a primary on October 7 before a general election November 4. He makes “the case for… Continue reading