Undated/Misdated Mail-in Ballot Issue Returns to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, with Republicans Wanting a Lower Court Order to Count Them Put on Hold for 2024

October 31, 2024, 12:42 pmabsentee ballotsRick Hasen

Yesterday I wrote about this decision of the PA Commonwealth Court, that has injected new uncertainty over the treatment of misdated or undated but timely mail in ballots in Pennsylvania. This issue keeps percolating up to the PA Supreme Court,… Continue reading

AP on Those Potentially Fraudulent Voter Registration Forms in Lancaster PA

October 31, 2024, 8:15 amchicanery, voter registrationRick Hasen

AP: York County Chief Clerk Greg Monskie confirmed this week that his county was reviewing suspect forms. County Commissioner Julie Wheeler issued a statement saying voter registration forms and mail-in ballot applications were among a “large delivery containing thousands… Continue reading

“Fearing Election Day violence, local cops are becoming fast experts in election law”

October 31, 2024, 7:32 amchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

Politico: As Election Day nears, police chiefs and sheriffs around the country are bracing themselves for violent threats against election workers, turmoil at voting sites and intimidation of voters. In Maricopa County, Arizona, multiple emergency hubs will be running… Continue reading

“‘January 6th is going to be pretty fun’: How MAGA activists are preparing to undermine the election if Trump loses”

October 31, 2024, 7:30 amchicanery, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

CNN: Before Election Day has even arrived, the “Stop the Steal” movement has reemerged in force, with some of the same activists who tried to overturn former President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss outlining a step-by-step guide to undermine the results… Continue reading

“Michigan Election Denial Activists Seize on Voter Report Glitch”

October 31, 2024, 7:28 amcheap speech, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: Election denial activists on Wednesday seized on errors in a routine Michigan voting report to claim that multiple people were casting ballots under a single voter’s name. The report was marred by a glitch that made it appear as… Continue reading

“Billionaires’ new playground”

October 31, 2024, 7:22 amcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

Axios: Billionaire DNA is coursing through the U.S. election system like never before, smashing campaign finance records and ushering in a new age of influence. Why it matters: In an election that both sides see as existential, the moral guardrails… Continue reading

“GOP leaders in some states move to block Justice Dept. election monitors”

October 31, 2024, 7:20 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

WaPo: The Justice Department’s ability to monitor local jurisdictions for voting rights irregularities on Election Day, already curtailed by the Supreme Court, is facing a new hurdle: opposition from Republicans who are seeking to block federal authorities from polling sites.… Continue reading

“Why the Right Thinks Trump Is Running Away With the Race”

October 31, 2024, 7:09 amcheap speech, election subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: The torrent of polls began arriving just a few weeks ago, one after the other, most showing a victory for Donald J. Trump. They stood out amid the hundreds of others indicating a dead heat in the presidential… Continue reading

“Election officials are outmatched by Elon Musk’s misinformation machine”

October 31, 2024, 7:04 amcampaigns, cheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

CNN: Elon Musk’s misinformation megaphone has created a “huge problem” for election officials in key battleground states who told CNN they’re struggling to combat the wave of falsehoods coming from the tech billionaire and spreading wildly on his X… Continue reading

“Explainer & Lessons Learned From the Ballot Drop Box Fires in Multnomah County, Oregon and Clark County, Washington”

October 31, 2024, 7:00 amabsentee ballots, chicaneryRick Hasen

Deep dive from Paul Gronke (Reed College) and Paul Manson (Center for Public Service at Portland State University), for the Elections & Voting Information Center in Portland, Oregon.

AALS Election Law Section Prize Winners

October 31, 2024, 6:58 amelection law bizRick Hasen

Message from Joshua Sellers: The AALS Section on Election Law is pleased to announce the winners of its annual awards. The John Hart Ely Prize in the Law of Democracy This award is presented annually by the executive committee of… Continue reading

Purcell and the Stay Application in the PA Case

October 31, 2024, 3:46 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

In its emergency stay application in this case, the RNC argues that the PA supreme court decision should be stayed, in part due to Purcell considerations. Purcell thus far applies only to federal courts, as the RNC acknowledges, but it… Continue reading

“Trump, GOP allies escalate election fraud conspiracies in Pennsylvania”

October 30, 2024, 5:11 pmfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

CNBC: Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday baselessly claimed that Pennsylvania is “cheating” at “large scale levels,” escalating his spread of election fraud conspiracies in this all-important swing state. The Republican presidential nominee’s Truth Social post in the final… Continue reading

What I Told Chris Hayes in June 2020 About Trump and Election Delays

October 30, 2024, 4:53 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Just came across this quote from me on All In with Chris Hayes, June 10, 2020: “We may have a full week where we don’t know who has won in Pennsylvania while those absentee ballots are counted. If Trump is… Continue reading