[EL] ELB News and Commentary 6/29/12

Justin Levitt levittj at lls.edu
Fri Jun 29 12:24:29 PDT 2012


    Political Science Grad Students, Start Your Engines
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36361>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:22 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36361> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

News 
<http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/Elections-Code-tweak-assists-governor-s-initiative-3672023.php> 
of a very intriguing change in California's election law, "to elevate 
any initiative with a constitutional impact to a more prominent spot on 
the ballot, right beneath bond measures."  I smell a call for empirical 
experimentation...

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Posted in ballot access <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=46>, direct 
democracy <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=62> | Comments Off | Edit 
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    "Bill Eliminating 5-Year Waiting Period for Voting Rights Passes
    Legislature" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36359>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:20 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36359> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

Delaware takes important steps <http://www.wgmd.com/?p=61725> to 
eliminate the existing 5-year waiting period for those with convictions 
to regain voting rights after they have completed their sentences.  An 
identical bill must pass the next legislature in order to make this 
change to the state constitution effective.

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    "Campaign Finance Critics Search for a Cloud"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36357>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:16 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36357> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

Intriguing take on the backlash against corporate spending from Steve 
Chapman 
<http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Campaign-finance-critics-search-for-a-cloud-3670871.php>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    "Redistricting Petitioners in Maryland in Final Push for Names"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36355>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:14 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36355> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

If this petition drive 
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/28/redistricting-petitioners-in-maryland-in-final-pus/> 
succeeds, it would put Maryland's congressional map up for referendum.  
The only other such referendum over new redistricting lines that I'm 
aware of is the referendum over California's state Senate lines (there 
was an earlier drive to put Ohio's new lines to a referendum, since 
abandoned).  Anyone else know of any others?

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Posted in redistricting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>, referendum 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=56> | Comments Off | Edit 
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    Closure in the Battle of the Aspen Ballots
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36353>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:11 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36353> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

Looks like the Colorado Supreme Court has backed out 
<http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20120628/NEWS/120629850/1077&parentprofile=1058> 
in the fight <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=33058> over review of ballot 
images from Aspen's 2009 mayoral race.  The ballots, it appears, will 
remain public records.

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Posted in voting technology <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=40> | 
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    "Campaign Finance Initiative Expected to Qualify for Montana Ballot"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36351>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:07 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36351> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

Montana's not done yet.  The latest exercise of free speech 
<http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/campaign-finance-initiative-expected-to-qualify-for-montana-ballot/article_055214a0-bc04-11e1-9c3e-0019bb2963f4.html> 
from the Mountain West...

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    "Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty in Campaign Finance Case"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36348>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:05 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36348> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

Is the timing of this plea 
<http://www.statesman.com/news/local/former-delay-aide-pleads-guilty-in-campaign-finance-2406363.html> 
one of the immediate consequences of /Danielczyk/ 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36320>?

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    Lever Machines May Live On in NY <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36346>

Posted on June 29, 2012 12:03 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36346> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

At least for the moment 
<http://www.antonnews.com/greatneckrecord/news/23677-nys-legislators-fight-costly-new-voting-machines.html>.

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Posted in voting technology <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=40> | 
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    "IRS Probes Nonprofit Political Groups"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36343>

Posted on June 29, 2012 11:57 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36343> 
by Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

That's the title of a story from yesterday's Wall St. Journal 
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304830704577493054251481454.html>. 
    As a follow-up, Paul Streckfus' EO Tax Journal (paid service) asked 
some intriguing questions about the source of the information that the 
IRS is taking steps to investigate Crossroads GPS specifically.

Streckfus also sent along a partial transcript of the relevant remarks 
by Holly Paz, the acting director of Exempt Organization Rulings and 
Agreements at the IRS, and the official quoted in the Journal story.  
Ms. Paz was speaking to the American Institute of CPAs --- full 
transcript (quoted with permission) after the jump.

Continue reading ? <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36343#more-36343>

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    John Roberts as Mona Lisa <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36339>

Posted on June 29, 2012 9:02 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36339> by 
Richard Pildes <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=7>

Her enigmatic, knowing smile comes to mind each time I re-read Chief 
Justice Roberts's opinion. How much of his opinion reflects his own 
purely internal legal analysis, how much his concern for perceptions 
about the institutional authority and legitimacy of the Court? Did he 
always accept the tax power argument or did his views shift during the 
course of the opinion-writing process? Did he do any work to persuade 
Justices Breyer and Kagan to join his opinion on the Medicaid issue, or 
was that their view from the start? John Roberts is hauntingly, gently 
smiling out at us from his opinion, and we will be staring back at it 
for years trying to come to terms with all that the opinion might or 
might not imply.

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    "Rangel's Rivals Make Allegations Of Voter Fraud And Uncounted
    Ballots" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36335>

Posted on June 28, 2012 6:57 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36335> by 
Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

Here we go again 
<http://politicker.com/2012/06/rangels-rivals-make-allegations-of-voter-fraud-and-uncounted-ballots/>.  
Also, please note, the story itself does not mention any actual 
allegation of fraud by any voter.

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Posted in The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | 
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    "New Web Tool Makes Absentee Voting Easier"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36332>

Posted on June 28, 2012 3:38 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36332> by 
Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

The lead story in this week's electionlineWeekly 
<http://electionline.org/index.php/electionline-weekly>.

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    "Date Blamed for Low Vote in [New York] Primaries"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36328>

Posted on June 28, 2012 3:23 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=36328> by 
Justin Levitt <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=4>

And really, if you read the NY Times article 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/nyregion/ny-congressional-primaries-drew-few-voters.html>, 
the MOVE Act is apparently being blamed for the date change, which is 
being blamed for 5% turnout on Tuesday --- less than the 7% turnout for 
New York's presidential primary.

Make no mistake: whatever the cause, the solution has to involve efforts 
to better inform voters, rather than critique of the decision to 
schedule elections so that servicemembers can effectively participate.

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-- 
Justin Levitt
Associate Professor of Law
Loyola Law School | Los Angeles
919 Albany St.
Los Angeles, CA  90015
213-736-7417
justin.levitt at lls.edu
ssrn.com/author=698321

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