Breaking: NC Court Rejects Law Changing North Carolina Board of Elections to Help Republicans

March 17, 2017, 3:07 pmelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

A unanimous three-judge North Carolina state court, in a 43-page decision here, held that North Carolina’s attempt to change the nature of election boards in the state to help favor Republicans violates the state constitution. (The judges were not… Continue reading

“Dysfunction and Deadlock at the Federal Election Commission”

February 20, 2017, 7:45 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Departing FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel has penned this oped for the NYT.

“Commissioner Ravel’s Departure–and the Virtues of Deadlock”

February 20, 2017, 7:28 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

Bauer: Rick Hasen suggests that Mr. Trump could now break the agency deadlock and add a libertarian voice to the agency, creating a majority for active deregulation without violating the rule against one party holding more than half the seats. … Continue reading

Rather Than Continued Stalemate, Federal Election Commission May Now Lead Way to Campaign Finance Deregulation

February 19, 2017, 9:20 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

As we have long been expecting, Federal Election Commissioner Ann Ravel has announced her resignation from the Federal Election Commission, effective March 1. For the last decade or more, beginning with the FEC tenure of Don McGahn (now the White… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlocks on New Rules Against Foreign Campaign Money”

January 12, 2017, 8:36 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: Proposals to write new Federal Election Commission rules aimed at preventing foreign campaign money from influencing U.S. elections led to a deadlock between Democratic and Republican commissioners at the FEC’s first meeting in 2017. FEC Democrats said… Continue reading

“On the Unenforceability of the Electoral Count Act”

October 27, 2016, 9:46 pmelectoral collegeRick Hasen

Chris Land and David Schultz have written this article for the Rutgers Journal of Law and Public Policy. You can find an extended abstract of the article below the fold.

“Deadlock: FEC Commissioners Say They’re Failing to Investigate Campaign Violations”

September 20, 2016, 9:14 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Extensive NBC report.

NC Gov. McCrory Defends the State of North Carolina’s “Voting Rights”

August 31, 2016, 8:16 pmThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

Via Chris Geidner’s story on the Supreme Court’s refusal (on a 4-4 deadlock) to stay the 4th Circuit order stopping some of North Carolina’s strict voting laws, comes this curious statement from North Carolina’s governor, Pat McCrory: “North Carolina has… Continue reading

NC Voting #SCOTUS Deadlock Roundup

August 31, 2016, 7:52 pmelection administration, Supreme Court, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT WaPo WSJ NPR AP BuzzFeed HuffPo CNN Reuters LAT USA Today NBC Bloomberg The Hill SCOTUSBlog Lyle Denniston And see my own analysis, “#SCOTUS 4-4 Tie in NC Voting Case Leaves Lower Court Ruling in Place and Shows … Continue reading

Breaking: #SCOTUS 4-4 Tie in NC Voting Case Leaves Lower Court Ruling in Place and Shows Us Power of Appeals Courts Post-Scalia

August 31, 2016, 12:48 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, Uncategorized, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The Supreme Court has denied a stay in the North Carolina voting case, with the Justices mostly dividing 4-4. The stay order indicates that the Chief Justice, Justice Alito, and Justice Kennedy would have granted the stay except with respect… Continue reading

“How the Senate could safeguard the election”

August 30, 2016, 8:11 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Josh Douglas for CNN: This problem could be calamitous. If we have another post-election dispute such as Bush v. Gore, then the court could deadlock 4-4. The result in Trump v. Clinton would then affirm whatever lower court heard… Continue reading

“Election Cases Move Toward U.S. Supreme Court, Risking Deadlocks”

July 15, 2016, 8:33 amelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Greg Stohr for Bloomberg: At the shorthanded U.S. Supreme Court, the next deadlock may affect the November election. A group of voting-rights cases is making its way to a court that’s all but guaranteed to have a lingering vacancy through… Continue reading

“Deadlock and Ominous Uncertainty at the FEC”

May 23, 2016, 7:06 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bauer: The FEC has once again deadlocked on an enforcement case and left an important question dangerously open. Months ago, the FEC could do nothing useful with a case about the use of LLCs to make contributions. Now it… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlocks on Murray Energy Coercion Case”

May 21, 2016, 10:00 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Federal Election Commission deadlocked on whether to investigate charges that coal company owner Robert Murray violated campaign finance laws by coercing employees to make campaign contributions, according to documents released May 20. The action on Murray… Continue reading