Safeguarding Democracy Program MCLE Readings
The role of media, law, political norms, and technology in assuring free and fair elections and public acceptance of election results in the U.S.
Please find the readings for our MCLE accredited events below. Materials will remain on this site for 30 days after the event date.
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2025-26 Readings
The State of American Democracy in 2026
Thursday, April 23
The Neglected Value of Effective Government, Richard H. Pildes, University of Chicago Legal Forum
In Showdowns With the Courts, Trump Is Increasingly Combative, NYT Adam Liptak
State Judges Turn to Guns in New Era of Judicial Threats, NYT Katie J.M. Baker
Can and Will Courts Ensure Free and Fair Elections in 2026?
Thursday, April 9
FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS v. FULTON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
Ex. A. Fulton County Declaration - Macias
State Constitutional Standards for Adjudicating Challenges to Restrictive Voting Laws, Emily Lau
Purcell Principles for State Courts, Rob Yablon & Derek Clinger
Bonus 214: Emergency Relief from State Courts, Steve Vladeck
NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, ET AL. v. MICHAEL WILLIAMS, ET AL. ON APPLICATION FOR STAY
Myths and Facts About Contesting the 2026 Midterms Elections
March 31, 2026
Election Law Manual 2nd Edition (2022), Chapter 9
Ballot Battles, 2nd Edition (2024), pp. 91-97, 110-116, 265-273
Swearing in the Phoenix (2021), Marquette Law Review
Voting Machines, Risk-Limiting Audits, and Faith in U.S. Election Results
March 19, 2026
Evidence-Based Elections: Create a Meaningful Paper Trail, then Audit, by Andrew W. Appel and Philip B. Stark, Georgetown Law Technology Review, volume 4, pages 523-541, 2020.
Is Internet Voting Trustworthy? The Science and the Policy Battles, by Andrew W. Appel, University of New Hampshire Law Review, 21 U.N.H. L. Rev. 523 (2023).
The Law and Politics of Mail Voting in 2026
January 27, 2026
Universal vote-by-mail has no impact on partisan turnout or vote share
The Risk of Federal Interference in the 2026 Midterm Elections
September 16, 2025
Trump is already using election fraud lie to sway midterms - USA Today
Would You Trust This Man With Your Elections? - NYT Op-Ed
Lessons from the 2024 Elections for 2026 and Beyond: A Conversation with Nate Persily
October 7, 2025
Nate Persily Analyzes how America's Electoral System Can Weather the 2024 Elections
Would You Trust This Man With Your Elections? - NYT Op-Ed
Redistricting and Re-Redistricting Controversies and the 2026 Elections
October 16, 2025
More states are moving to redraw US House districts after Trump urged it for partisan gain
Mid-Decade Congressional Redistricting: Key Issues, Congressional Research Service
Media, Social Media, and the Changing Election Information Environment in 2026
October 30, 2025
The Supreme Court, the Voting Rights Act, and the 2026 Elections
November 18, 2025
A Reprieve for Democracy: Reading Milligan on the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act