“Electors who tried to reverse Trump’s 2020 defeat are poised to serve again”

May 23, 2024, 10:30 amelection subversion risk, electoral collegeRick Hasen

WaPo: Republican activists in at least three states where Donald Trump tried to reverse his defeat in 2020 — nearly all of them under criminal indictment for casting electoral votes for him despite his loss — are poised to reprise… Continue reading

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy Speaks to Eric Segall Podcast About Her Upcoming Book, Corporatocracy

May 23, 2024, 10:29 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

You can watch here.

“Imagine if Congress was elected by Proportional Representation”

May 23, 2024, 10:28 amalternative voting systemsRick Hasen

Steven Hill: A number of US cities and towns – from New York City, Cincinnati and Cleveland to Chilton County AL and a number of counties in Pennsylvania — have had a history of electing their city councils or county… Continue reading

The End of Racial Gerrymandering Claims as Covert Partisan Gerrymandering Claims

May 23, 2024, 9:35 amUncategorizedNicholas Stephanopoulos

Many (most?) racial gerrymandering cases have partisan as well as race-related objectives. Why did the plaintiffs sue in Alexander, the South Carolina case decided by the Court today? At least in part to try to get a second Democratic congressional… Continue reading

Breaking and Analysis: Justice Alito for Republican Justices, over the Dissent of Democratic Justices, Rewrites Racial Gerrymandering Standards to Help White Republican States

May 23, 2024, 7:11 amredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

[This post has been edited and updated.] In a 6-3 decision authored by Justice Alito, the Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling holding that South Carolina’s congressional map was a racial gerrymandering. Justice Thomas concurred, and Justice Kagan,… Continue reading

“Ohio Elections Official Threatens to Exclude Biden From the Ballot”

May 23, 2024, 6:58 amballot accessRick Hasen

NYT: The Ohio General Assembly adjourned on Wednesday without addressing an issue that the state’s top elections official said would prevent President Biden from being placed on the ballot there, escalating a partisan clash that could result in the president… Continue reading

“Political consultant indicted for AI robocalls with fake Biden voice made to New Hampshire voters”

May 23, 2024, 6:54 amcheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

WMUR: A man who admitted to sending out robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden’s voice on the day of the New Hampshire primary is now facing criminal charges. Ten indictments have been returned against Steve Kramer out of Rockingham County for… Continue reading

von Spakovsky Lying Again About Noncitizen Voting

May 23, 2024, 6:49 amfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Walter Olson at Cato: In testimony before a House committee, a Republican witness recently cited as credible claims by researcher James Agresti that “10% to 27% of non‐citizens are illegally registered to vote” and predicted that “about 5% to… Continue reading

Truly Bizarre Story in Mediaite About Texas Voting Technology Making It Possible to Figure Out How People Voted, and FEC Commissioner Trey Trainor Taunting Republican Leader for Voting for DeSantis Rather than Trump

May 23, 2024, 6:44 amchicanery, federal election commission, voting technologyRick Hasen

Mediaite: The eyes of Texas were upon the ballots cast by several high-profile Texas politicians on Wednesday, after documents were leaked related to a stunning lawsuit accusing state election officials of failing to properly protect ballot secrecy. The leak included… Continue reading

Illinois state court blocks new law that changed ballot access rules after primary

May 23, 2024, 5:29 amballot accessDerek Muller

Back on May 5, I highlighted a new election law in Illinois that changed the rules for ballot access after the primary election, blocking a number of candidates from obtaining major party ballot access through the alternative “slating” route… Continue reading

WTF Justice Alito?

May 22, 2024, 3:08 pmconflict of interest laws, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: Last summer, two years after an upside-down American flag was flown outside the Virginia home of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., another provocative symbol was displayed at his vacation house in New Jersey, according to interviews and photographs. This… Continue reading

“Milwaukee election shakeup triggers doubts about whether new leader is ready to run 2024 vote”

May 22, 2024, 1:37 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

Votebeat: Several members of Milwaukee’s election staff have voiced concerns to the mayor’s office about the inexperience of the new leader chosen to replace the Election Commission’s recently ousted executive director, two people close to the matter told Votebeat. The… Continue reading

“‘Shortsighted’: Florida election officials say new rule could threaten their jobs”

May 22, 2024, 12:11 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Politico: Florida election officials are warning that an obscure new ballot rule being put in place by the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis could force them to break state law or face removal from office. A wave of exasperated election… Continue reading

“Voting machine firm Smartmatic alleges Newsmax has deleted evidence in lawsuit over false vote-rigging claims”

May 22, 2024, 11:48 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NBC News: Smartmatic alleges that Newsmax has destroyed evidence in the voting machine company’s lawsuit against the right-wing news channel over false claims that Smartmatic helped “rig” the 2020 election, according to court documents made public this week. Lawyers for… Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law