“Kansans to vote on constitutional amendment to directly elect state Supreme Court”

March 20, 2025, 5:35 amUncategorizedDerek Muller

Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas lawmakers voted to change how Kansas appoints its Supreme Court nominations from a commission-led process to direct elections. Currently, the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission provides the governor three potential judges, from which the governor selects.… Continue reading

Are at-large v. single member district elections affecting how Texas school boards behave?

March 20, 2025, 5:35 amalternative voting systems, redistrictingDerek Muller

Interesting piece at the Texas Tribune.

“California elections officials rejected 122,000 ballots in 2024 election. Here’s why”

March 20, 2025, 5:35 amabsentee ballots, election administrationDerek Muller

Nice look at the data in the Sacramento Bee.

“Georgia Supreme Court questions State Election Board on last-minute voting rule changes”

March 19, 2025, 1:39 pmelection administrationDerek Muller

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Georgia Supreme Court debated Wednesday whether the State Election Board went too far when it attempted to pass new voting rules weeks before last year’s election. The case tests whether the board’s right-wing majority had the… Continue reading

“Congressional watchdog office left powerless as House leaders have yet to fill board seats”

March 19, 2025, 1:38 pmethics investigationsDerek Muller

NBC News: House leaders have yet to appoint board members to an independent office designed to investigate ethics complaints against lawmakers and their staff members, leaving the entity powerless for the time being and sparking concerns among outside watchdogs.… Continue reading

“With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left”

March 19, 2025, 8:28 amauthoritarian threats in US, election law bizRick Hasen

NYT: Executive actions intended to cripple top Democratic law firms. Investigations of Democratic fund-raising and organizing platforms. Ominous suggestions that nonprofits aligned with Democrats or critical of President Trump should have their tax exemptions revoked. Mr. Trump and his allies… Continue reading

Must-Read Adam Liptak: “Defiance and Threats in Deportation Case Renew Fear of Constitutional Crisis”

March 19, 2025, 7:29 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

Adam in the NYT: Over the weekend, the Trump administration ignored a federal judge’s order not to deport a group of Venezuelan men, violating an instruction that could not have been plainer or more direct. Justice Department lawyers later justified… Continue reading

March 28-29 Yale Conference: “Free Speech in Crisis and the Limits of the First Amendment”

March 19, 2025, 7:27 amcampaign finance, cheap speech, First Amendment theoryRick Hasen

Looking forward to speaking at this event (in person only): Recently, the law of free speech has been marked by two seemingly inconsistent phenomena. On the one hand, the Roberts Court has been both praised and decried for its highly… Continue reading

How Will Markets React if the Executive Branch Refuses to Comply with Court Orders

March 19, 2025, 4:12 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

In the NYT essay I wrote with Trevor Morrison on the tools courts have to deal with executive defiance of court orders, we concluded by noting that a major confrontation between the two branches might have significant effects on financial… Continue reading

9th Circuit will go en banc to reconsider Arizona voter registration decision

March 19, 2025, 3:01 amcourt decisions, voter registrationDerek Muller

Back in September, I noted the sharply divided panel decision in Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans v. Mayes on whether the plaintiffs had standing to challenge parts of an Arizona voter registration law. The majority concluded that the plaintiff… Continue reading

“Judge tosses challenge to Georgia GOP election law changes made after 2020 election”

March 19, 2025, 2:58 amcourt decisions, election administrationDerek Muller

Courthouse News Service: A Georgia federal judge dismissed on Tuesday a challenge to provisions of a controversial GOP-sponsored election law that went into effect soon after the 2020 election, where President Donald Trump lost the state but disputed otherwise.… Continue reading

“Georgia Supreme Court reviews overturned State Election Board vote-counting rules”

March 19, 2025, 2:58 amelection administrationDerek Muller

Mark Niesse at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The battle over Georgia’s election rules reaches the state Supreme Court on Wednesday where the court will consider whether the State Election Board went too far last year. The case tests whether the… Continue reading

“DC Prosecutor Ed Martin Opens Election Accountability Unit”

March 18, 2025, 1:33 pmDepartment of JusticeDerek Muller

From Bloomberg Law: Washington’s top prosecutor, who has amplified false claims of election fraud, said he’s formed a special unit to uphold US election laws that has already started one investigation. Acting US Attorney Ed Martin announced the new… Continue reading

“Kansans intrigued by potential of bringing voters together with multi-party candidate nominations”

March 18, 2025, 1:33 pmballot accessDerek Muller

A look at fusion reform efforts in Kansas from the Kansas Reflector.

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