“Seattle City Council bans ‘foreign-influenced’ companies from most political spending”

January 14, 2020, 3:12 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Seattle Times: The Seattle City Council voted Monday to ban most political spending by “foreign-influenced corporations,” in a move that could hinder attempts by multinational tech titans to influence the city’s elections…. The city’s new ban applies to corporations… Continue reading

“Wisconsin judge orders up to 209K voter names be deleted”

January 13, 2020, 12:18 pmvoter registrationDan Tokaji

From AP, the latest on the Wisconsin purge: The state Justice Department asked [Ozaukee County Judge Paul] Malloy to stay his order of contempt pending an appeal of his ruling, but the judge denied the request. Malloy held… Continue reading

“Prepare to Be Shocked! Trump’s One Weird Trick to Avoid a Campaign Investigation”

January 13, 2020, 12:01 pmcampaign financeDan Tokaji

From the Center for Public Integrity. Hint: it involves the FEC.

“Bridgegate” in SCOTUS

January 13, 2020, 11:57 amUncategorizedDan Tokaji

Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear argument in Kelly v. United States. The Hill has this story, and Amy Howe’s SCOTUSblog preview is here. At issue in the case are the convictions of an aide to… Continue reading

Federal Court Orders New York State to Include Names of Inactive Voters at Polling Places

January 13, 2020, 10:20 amUncategorizedDan Tokaji

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan issued the order in Common Cause N.Y. v. Brehm on Friday. The Gothamist has this story, and Lawyers’ Committee this press release. The order follows a four-day bench trial in October. From… Continue reading

SCOTUS Denies Cert in SEC Pay-to-Play Case

January 13, 2020, 10:09 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Bloomberg on today’s order in N.Y. Republican State Comm. v. SEC, a First Amendment challenge to SEC Rule 2030, which regulates “placement agents” who solicit government business after making campaign contributions.

Can Election Rules Be Changed After the Election?

January 12, 2020, 8:35 amBush v. Gore reflectionsDan Tokaji

That’s what the Oregon state legislature is alleged to have done in the strange and fascinating case of the City of Damascus, in which a petition for review is pending before the Oregon Supreme Court. It’s been called the undead … Continue reading

“Digital Threats on 2020 Elections”

January 12, 2020, 7:20 amchicanery, political polarizationDan Tokaji

NPR interview with Siva Vaidhyanathan. An excerpt: MARTIN: So moving forward in 2020, as where we sit right now – obviously, it’s an election year in the United States. And I assume most Americans are very interested and concerned in… Continue reading

Bloomberg Open to Spending $1 Billion to Elect A Democratic President

January 12, 2020, 7:13 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

NYT: “Michael R. Bloomberg on Saturday did not rule out spending a billion dollars of his own money on the 2020 presidential race, even if he does not win the Democratic nomination, and said he would mobilize his… Continue reading

“North Carolina Republicans make last-minute plea to keep voter ID photo requirement”

January 12, 2020, 7:10 amvoter idDan Tokaji

AP: North Carolina Republican lawmakers made a last-minute plea on Friday to a federal judge as they seek to save a photo identification requirement to vote that had been set to begin with the March primary.The GOP legislative leaders… Continue reading

“Why are felons in Minnesota stripped of their voting rights?”

January 11, 2020, 10:12 amfelon votingDan Tokaji

Star Tribune: Minnesota is one of 18 states where felons may not vote until they complete post-incarceration supervision, such as probation or parole. Others, like Michigan and Indiana, automatically restore those rights upon release from prison….Last fall, the American… Continue reading

“‘Online and vulnerable’: Experts find nearly three dozen U.S. voting systems connected to internet”

January 11, 2020, 6:05 amvoting technologyDan Tokaji

NBC: [A] team of election security experts say that last summer, they discovered some systems are, in fact, online.“We found over 35 [voting systems] had been left online and we’re still continuing to find more,” Kevin Skoglund, a senior… Continue reading

“Fact check: Are California Republicans having voter registration changed without consent?”

January 11, 2020, 5:59 amvoter registrationDan Tokaji

SacBee: ” Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, is echoing inaccurate sentiments spread within conservative circles across the state that California elected officials are purposefully disenfranchising Republican voters by switching them to no party preference without consent.”

Breaking: SCOTUS Grants Cert in Political Robocall Case

January 10, 2020, 5:05 pmcampaignsDan Tokaji

Here is the order list showing the grant in Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants. The question presented in the cert petition (minus citations): The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA), Pub. L. No. 102-243, 105 Stat.… Continue reading