“Could This Presidential Election Be Decided by the Supreme Court? It is unlikely that the court ends up playing a major role in the outcome, according to elections experts, but it is possible. Here’s why.”

November 5, 2024, 7:29 amSupreme Court, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

NYT: As the polls open on Election Day, the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump appears to be a dead heat, leading some to fear that the election will be dragged out and the… Continue reading

“Arizona Official Releases Voter List Sought by Activists After Court Order”

November 4, 2024, 7:44 pmchicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

NYT: Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s secretary of state, said Monday that his office had handed over the names of hundreds of thousands of voters to lawyers for a right-wing activist group as ordered by a court, adding that he regretted having… Continue reading

“Trump escalates false claims of fraud, setting stage to cry foul if he loses”

November 4, 2024, 7:08 amchicanery, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

WaPo: Donald Trump, who blamed his 2020 defeat on false claims of vast election malfeasance, has spent much of the final week of his third presidential campaign trying to discredit the legitimacy of this year’s election. His latest… Continue reading

My Hope for Irrelevance By Next Weekend

November 3, 2024, 11:20 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

There’s a certain adrenaline rush that comes with working in the area of election law in the period before presidential elections. That’s especially true if, like me, you do a lot of public speaking and media. It’s great to be… Continue reading

“Trump and Vance Escalate Efforts to Sow Doubts on Pennsylvania Voting”//”Trump lagging in early vote with seniors in Pennsylvania, a red flag for GOP” (These Stories Are Related!)

November 1, 2024, 7:13 amelection subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: Former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, escalated their false attacks about the security of the Pennsylvania elections on Thursday, ramping up baseless accusations about voter fraud that could erode confidence of… 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

“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

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

Something Weird is Going on with the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Announcement of Receipt of Fraudulent Voter Registration Applications

October 30, 2024, 9:47 amchicaneryRick Hasen

This editorial suggests one theory of why officials announced the investigation now, but refused to say which group submitted the faulty registrations. But I wonder if that information is being kept under wraps because it was Republican-affiliated groups that engaged… Continue reading

Some risks about overstating risks this election

October 30, 2024, 6:50 amelectoral collegeDerek Muller

In the midst of so many disaster scenarios and worries ahead of this election, it’s worth noting that the more that risks are overstated, the more legitimate those risks appear. It’s been disappointing to see many stories (too many to… Continue reading

Federal Court Denies Relief in Republican Attack on Overseas Voting in Pennsylvania, Finding It Comes Too Late (Among Other Problems)

October 29, 2024, 9:08 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

No surprises here. In a sentence: “Plaintiffs delayed too long to file their action, they lack standing, they have failed to join indispensable parties, and they have failed to articulate a viable cause of action.” One more snippet on… Continue reading

“MN voter fraud: Woman cast ballot for Trump under dead mom’s name, charges say”

October 28, 2024, 12:52 pmabsentee ballots, chicaneryRick Hasen

Fox 9 reports: On Oct. 11, the sheriff’s office spoke with Miller about the ballot signature envelopes. She said she filled out her mom’s absentee ballot and signed her mom’s name on the envelope. She admitted her mom was… Continue reading

“105. The Supreme Court and the 2024 Election, Part I”

October 28, 2024, 7:00 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Steve Vladeck on emergency election litigation at, or almost at, SCOTUS: RFK ballot access, PA provisional ballots, VA voter purge. He also says this about the 5th Circuit Mississippi ruling: And then there’s the Fifth Circuit—which, in a case out… Continue reading