[EL] ELB News and Commentary 9/27/12

Rick Hasen rhasen at law.uci.edu
Thu Sep 27 13:37:27 PDT 2012


    "Should Partisans Be in Charge of Our Elections?"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40791>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:30 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40791> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

CBS News reports 
<http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57520870/should-partisans-be-in-charge-of-our-elections/>.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off


    "Provisional ballots: Hanging chads of 2012?"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40788>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:27 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40788> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

AP offers this extensive report. 
<http://www.telegram.com/article/20120927/NEWS/109279837/1052/news01>

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
provisional ballots <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=67>, The Voting 
Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off


    News Roundup of West Virginia Redistricting Decision from SCOTUS
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40785>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:23 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40785> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

SCOTUSBlog 
<http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/09/wednesday-round-up-153/#more-152742>: 
"Yesterday the Court also issued an unsigned ruling 
<http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-1184c1d3.pdf> in /Tennant 
v. Jefferson County Commission/, a West Virginia congressional 
redistricting case in which the Court held that the three-judge district 
court was wrong to require that there be virtually no difference in 
population between the House districts drawn up after the 2010 Census. 
Lyle provides extensive analysis of the decision atthis blog 
<http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/09/opinion-recap-hedging-on-one-person-one-vote/>; 
additional coverage comes from Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News 
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-25/west-virginia-voting-map-upheld-by-u-dot-s-dot-supreme-court>, 
Adam Liptak of The New York Times 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/us/politics/supreme-court-upholds-w-virginia-voter-map.html>, 
Terry Baynes and Jonathan Stempel of Reuters 
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/us-usa-court-westvirginia-elections-idUSBRE88O0S820120925>, 
Bill Mears of CNN 
<http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/25/politics/west-virginia-redistrict/index.html>, 
Brent Kendall of The Wall Street Journal 
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444180004578018241488332254.html?mod=googlenews_wsj> 
(subscription required), Ruthann Robson at the Constitutional Law Prof 
Blog 
<http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2012/09/supreme-court-validates-constitutionality-of-west-virginias-redistricting-plan.html>, 
Kent Scheidegger at Crime and Consequences 
<http://www.crimeandconsequences.com/crimblog/2012/09/the-scotus-appeal-docket.html>, 
and the Associated Press (via The Washington Post 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-wv-congressional-districting-plan/2012/09/25/a0a813d2-0718-11e2-9eea-333857f6a7bd_story.html>)."

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Posted in redistricting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>, Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29> | Comments Off


    "Justice Department asks Supreme Court to reject Shelby County
    voting rights case" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40783>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:21 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40783> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The /Birmingham News/ reports. 
<http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2012/09/justice_department_asks_suprem.html>

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Posted in Department of Justice <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=26>, 
Supreme Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>, Voting Rights Act 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15> | Comments Off


    "'Super PACs' Finally a Draw for Democrats"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40780>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:18 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40780> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Nick Confessore has written this front page NYT report 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/us/politics/super-pacs-finally-a-draw-for-democrats.html?_r=1&ref=politics>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    "Soros Gives $1 Million to Democratic 'Super PAC'"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40778>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:17 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40778> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NYT reports 
<http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/soros-gives-1-million-to-democratic-super-pac/?hp>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    "Vernon voters testify in election fraud probe"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40775>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:15 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40775> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Ah, Vernon. 
<http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/26/local/la-me-vernon-voters-20120926>

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Posted in chicanery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>, voting 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31> | Comments Off


    "Fraud concerns swirl around Florida's unregulated absentee ballot
    brokers ahead of election" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40773>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:14 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40773> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

FOX News reports 
<http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/26/absentee-ballot-fraud-widespread-problem-among-many-boleteros-in-florida/?cmpid=cmty_twitter_fn>.

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Posted in absentee ballots <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=53>, 
chicanery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>, election administration 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The Voting Wars 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off


    "Has Florida Created a Trap at the Polls for Ex-Felons?"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40769>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:13 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40769> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

/The Nation/ 
<http://www.thenation.com/article/170187/has-florida-created-trap-polls-ex-felons>reports. 
<http://www.thenation.com/article/170187/has-florida-created-trap-polls-ex-felons>

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
felon voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=66>, The Voting Wars 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off


    "Democrats' (potential) Angus King problem"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40767>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:07 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40767> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The Fix reports. 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/09/27/the-democrats-potential-angus-king-problem/>

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Posted in campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>, legislation 
and legislatures <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=27>, political parties 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=25> | Comments Off


    "Domicile Donnybrook: New Hampshire Goes to Court Over Student
    Voting Law" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40765>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:05 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40765> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

A ChapinBlog. 
<http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/electionacademy/2012/09/domicile_donnybrook_new_hampsh.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HHHElections+%28The+Election+Aacdemy%29>

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
residency <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=38> | Comments Off


    "Super PACs in New York" Event October 18
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40762>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:04 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40762> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Details. 
<http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=gciiqmcab&v=001T4YSeKItteV6wa7-AytAXnlx2wNtCiCnLZVk8eMCYC7YLiIgWMygGVqaje5NLNTPXDmoJrcWrltMaeIU4hfJhpNwzii-Ww9Ej4q5qhmaKGws0ezmaOCZdph9yp9YpsGhsrJzWGVLBMq9-8sFY1idibDbBbPxAAUkIq_WblduVgkNQyETXWEbIYabQSVjVgTuFE2WCx7Vgh0%3D>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    Unique and Important "Case Study" Database of Emergency Election
    Litigation Created by Federal Judicial Center
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40759>

Posted on September 27, 2012 1:00 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40759> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Via this link <http://www.fjc.gov/public/home.nsf/pages/1570>, you will 
find a unique resource: case studies of emergency election litigation in 
federal courts, including insights from judges who were interviewed 
about their experience with the litigation.

They are really worth a read.

I came to know about these excellent surveys in preparing for a webinar 
for federal judges and clerks about emergency election litigation.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18> | 
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    "Guest Blogger Series: Five Ideas for Campaign Finance Reform in New
    York State (I)" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40757>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:57 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40757> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Amy Loprest guest-blogs 
<http://www.corporatepoliticalactivitylaw.com/index.php/2012/09/guest-blogger-series-five-ideas-for-campaign-finance-reform-in-new-york-state-i/> 
at the Corporate Political Activity Law Blog.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    "Getting Them Registered is Just Part of It"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40755>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:55 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40755> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

That's the lead story 
<http://www.electionline.org/index.php/electionline-weekly>in this 
week's Electionline Weekly.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18> | 
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    "Early Voting is an Abomination" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40753>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:54 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40753> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Frank Wilkinson writes 
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-27/early-voting-is-an-abomination.html>for 
Bloomberg View.

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Posted in voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31> | Comments Off


    "Watchdogs Lay Out Clear Violations by Rove's Group and Warn IRS of
    Continuing Harm from Lack of Enforcement"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40751>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:54 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40751> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

See this press release 
<http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1899:september-27-2012-watchdogs-lay-out-clear-violations-by-roves-group-and-warn-irs-of-continuing-harm-from-lack-of-enforcement&catid=63:legal-center-press-releases&Itemid=61>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off


    "Federal court tosses out lawsuit challenging Obama's lobbyist ban"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40748>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:49 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40748> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The Hill 
<http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/258785-judge-tosses-out-lawsuit-against-obamas-lobbyist-ban>:  
"A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit against President Obama's 
policy of banning lobbyists from federal advisory committees.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Wednesday granted the 
government's motion to dismiss the case after finding that the 
lobbyists' constitutional rights were not infringed by the White House's 
prohibition against them serving on advisory boards, specifically the 
Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs)."

If anyone has the link please pass it along.

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Posted in conflict of interest laws 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=20>, legislation and legislatures 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=27>, lobbying 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=28> | Comments Off


    "Pa. Voters Battle Bureaucracy Ahead Of ID Law Ruling"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40745>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:46 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40745> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NPR's Pam Fessler 
<http://www.npr.org/2012/09/27/161826027/pa-voters-battle-bureaucracy-ahead-of-id-law-ruling>: 
"Thousands of people in the state are scrambling to get their photo IDs, 
not waiting for the judge's decision. For many, including Mitchell and 
Herbert, the process is a struggle."

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter id 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9> | Comments Off


    New Pew Data Dispatch on Vote by Mail
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40742>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:38 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40742> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Here. 
<http://www.pewstates.org/research/analysis/california-vote-by-mail-85899420107>

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Posted in absentee ballots <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=53>, 
election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18> | Comments Off


    "Florida GOP Fired Romney Consultant's Voter Registration Firm After
    Fraudulent Forms Reported in Palm Beach"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40740>

Posted on September 27, 2012 12:36 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40740> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Expect this story 
<http://truth-out.org/news/item/11798-florida-gop-fired-romney-consultants-voter-registration-firm-after-fraudulent-forms-reported-in-palm-beach> 
from Brad Friedman to get national attention. More 
<http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/questionable-palm-beach-county-voter-registration-/nSL5Y/> 
from thePalm Beach Post.

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Posted in chicanery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>, The Voting 
Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter registration 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=37> | Comments Off


    "With more control over campaign cash, Obama gets more discounts on
    advertising" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40738>

Posted on September 27, 2012 11:07 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40738> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

WaPo reports. 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/obama-has-more-control-of-campaign-cash-and-with-it-an-edge-in-ad-rates/2012/09/26/c85304ea-03f9-11e2-91e7-2962c74e7738_story.html>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | 
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    "Four Crazy Electoral College Rules"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40735>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:59 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40735> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Rob Richie blogs 
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-richie/national-popular-vote_b_1916655.html>.

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Posted in electoral college <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=44> | 
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    "Are Koch Brothers, Ex-Candidates Using Judicial Elections to Boost
    Presidential Swing-State Turnout?"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40733>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:58 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40733> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Justice at Stake has issued this release <http://e2.ma/message/p4e1c/1de06>.

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Posted in campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>, judicial 
elections <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=19> | Comments Off


    "Americans say Obama's ads are more honest, but expect both sides to
    lie, Esquire/Yahoo poll finds" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40731>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:57 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40731> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Yahoo Newsreports 
<http://news.yahoo.com/esquire-yahoo-news-poll-romney-ads-lie-more-both-dishonest.html>.

My new paper 
<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2151618> on whether 
there is a constitutional right to lie in campaigns and elections begins:

    Election 2012 may well go down in history as the "4 Pinocchios
    Election." It is perhaps no coincidence that the current election
    season has seen both a rise in the amount of arguably false campaign
    speech and the proliferation of journalistic "fact checkers" who
    regularly rate statements made by candidates and campaigns.
    Journalistic ratings such as Politifact's "Truth-o-meter" rank
    candidate statements from from "true" and "mostly true" to "false"
    and even "pants on fire." The /Washington Post /rating system, which
    relies upon the judgment of its fact checker, Glenn Kessler, uses 1
    to 4 "Pinocchios" for false statements. The granddaddy of fact
    checking groups, Factcheck.org, while avoiding a rating system,
    offers analysis which regularly describes controversial campaign
    claims as "false" or "wrong.

    Both the Romney and Obama presidential campaigns have received
    stinging ratings from fact checkers. The /Washington Post/'s Fact
    Checker, Glenn Kessler, gave the Obama campaign "4 Pinocchios" for
    claiming that Mitt Romney, while working at Bain Capital,
    "outsourced" jobs and was a "corporate raider." Romney's campaign
    similarly got "4 Pinocchios" for claiming there was an "Obama plan"
    to weaken federal welfare law and issue welfare checks to people who
    do not work."

    Romney's campaign has seemed to bear more of the brunt from the
    fact-checking enterprise.  Based solely upon Kessler's subjective
    assessment of truth, by mid-September 2012 the /Washington Post
    /fact checker//rated Romney ads and statements with an average of
    2.33 Pinocchios to Obama's 1.96. Perhaps the greatest media attack
    on the truthfulness of Romney's campaign came in response to the
    acceptance speech of Romney's running-mate, Representative Paul
    Ryan, which the /New York Times /described as containing "a number
    of questionable or misleading claims."

    Whether campaigns are resorting to lies and distortion more often
    than in previous elections, and if so why they are doing so, are
    interesting questions beyond that which I can explore in this brief
    Article. False and misleading speech may be increasing thanks to the
    proliferation of the Internet and a decline in uniform trustworthy
    sources of news, such as the national news networks and major
    newspapers. Political polarization also may play a role, with
    partisans egged on to believe unsupported claims by the modern day
    partisan press, in the form of FOX News, MSNBC, and liberal and
    conservative blogs and websites.

    Fact check operations also are controversial to journalists, who
    have always been in the business of resolving conflicting factual
    claims as part of the news gathering process. Some journalists take
    issue with the effectiveness of fact checkers. Media critic Jack
    Shafer declares, "Give [candidates] a million billion Pinocchios and
    they'll still not behave." Others defend the "fact check" process
    but see them losing their effectiveness.

    In 2012, fact checking itself came under attack from the right, with
    some advancing the claim that fact checkers are a biased part of the
    "liberal media."Neil Newhouse, the Romney campaign's pollster,
    proclaimed that "We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by
    fact-checkers." It was an odd turn to see conservatives seeming to
    embrace a kind of post-modern relativism in which truth is now in
    the eyes of the beholder.

    In this highly charged partisan atmosphere, in which each side
    cannot agree upon the basic facts, mudslinging has become terribly
    common, and the media are not able to meaningfully curb candidates'
    lies and distortions, it is tempting to consider federal and
    strengthened state legislation to deter and punish false campaign
    speech. Why not let courts or commissions sort out truth from
    fiction? Indeed, a number of states already have laws in place which
    provide some government sanction for false campaign speech.

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Posted in campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59> | Comments Off


    Supreme Court Denies Emergency Action in Texas Voter Registration
    Rule Appeal; 5th Circuit Issues Opinion Explaining Action
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40729>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:45 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40729> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The following press release arrived via email:

    *Project Vote Continues to Fight for Texas Voters *

    **


    Earlier this month, Project Vote filed an emergency appeal
    <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sWxEq1tjO55UjHxM4VA%2BKPCWs1J3CIwL>
    with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to intervene and
    prevent the state from enforcing laws that place undue burdens on
    voter registration drive. Yesterday, the court denied the emergency
    appeal.

    Project Vote Executive Director Michael Slater made the following
    statement in response:

    "We are disappointed that the Supreme Court has denied our emergency
    appeal, but we are unsurprised that they chose not to weigh in this
    close to a national election.

    "The most important issue is that several million Texans are still
    not registered to vote. Texas law should make it easier, not harder,
    for community members to help one another to register.

    "Americans have been fighting for fair access to the ballot box
    since the birth of our democracy.  Project Vote will continue to
    fight these burdensome Texas laws in court and we look forward to
    having a full hearing at the Fifth Circuit later this year. We are
    optimistic that, ultimately, these restrictions will be stuck down
    as they have been in other courts around the nation."

Richard Winger links 
<http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/09/26/fifth-circuit-explains-why-it-wont-enjoin-various-restrictions-on-texas-voter-registration-workers/> 
to and explains part of the 5th Circuit's new opinion 
<http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/Texas-fifth-circuit-registration.pdf> 
explaining its earlier order.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter registration 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=37> | Comments Off


    Two from Sunlight <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40725>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:39 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40725> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Dark Money Organizations Change Strategies to Keep Donors Secret 
<http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2012/09/25/dark-money-organizations-change-strategies-to-keep-donors-secret/>

Outside groups spending millions on state level elections, ballot 
initiatives <http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2012/527s/>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off


    "Super PACs get new use --- as lobbying arms on Hill"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40722>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:36 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40722> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Must-read /Politico/ report. 
<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81674.html>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, 
legislation and legislatures <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=27>, 
lobbying <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=28> | Comments Off


    "Colvin Questions on Issue Ads, IRS/Treasury Answers: the Oral
    Exchange" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40720>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:34 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40720> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

This item 
<http://www.nonprofitlawmatters.com/2012/09/25/colvin-questions-on-issue-ads-irstreasury-answers-the-oral-exchange/> 
appears at Nonprofit Law Matters.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off


    Interesting Items from Bloomberg BNA on 501c's and Campaign Ads
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40717>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:32 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40717> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Campaign Finance
Most Companies Do Not Reveal Funding
For 501(c)(4), Trade Groups, Study Says 
<http://news.bna.com/mpdm/display/link_res.adp?lt=email&fname=A0D4U6G0T0&lf=eml&emc=mpdm:mpdm:108>
While voluntary corporate disclosure of direct political spending is 
becoming more common, relatively few companies disclose their 
contributions to outside groups that may be involved in political 
spending, according to a study released...

Exempt Organizations
Anonymous Donations Key to Banking
Group's Quest for Affiliated 501(c)(4) 
<http://news.bna.com/mpdm/display/link_res.adp?lt=email&fname=A0D4U6K2Y3&lf=eml&emc=mpdm:mpdm:110>
While some practitioners have been scratching their heads wondering why 
the American Bankers Association would want to launch a tax code Section 
501(c)(4) organization, the head of a group that represents the managers 
of trade associations...

Exempt Organizations
N.Y. Attorney General Rebuffs GOP Demand
To Go Through IRS for 501(c)(4) Tax Returns 
<http://news.bna.com/mpdm/display/link_res.adp?lt=email&fname=A0D4U6F3V2&lf=eml&emc=mpdm:mpdm:111>
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman rejected a request from the 
two top Republican tax writers in Congress to proceed through the 
Internal Revenue Service to obtain tax information on 501(c)(4) groups 
he is investigating, asserting...
AFP President Says Group Went Back
To 'Issue Ads' Because of Van Hollen Case 
<http://news.bna.com/mpdm/display/link_res.adp?lt=email&fname=A0D4U8Y7M6&lf=eml&emc=mpdm:mpdm:108>
The decision by the Republican-leaning organization, Americans for 
Prosperity, to revert to sponsoring 'issue ads" in the presidential 
campaign was directly linked to a recent court decision allowing 
sponsors of such ads to...
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off


    "Lawsuits test gun restrictions at polling places, local
    regulations" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40715>

Posted on September 27, 2012 10:29 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40715> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The /Indiana Lawyer/ reports 
<http://www.theindianalawyer.com/lawsuits-test-gun-restrictions-at-polling-places--local-regulations/PARAMS/article/29634>.

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Posted in voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31> | Comments Off


    Intermittent Blogging Through Next Week
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40680>

Posted on September 25, 2012 4:14 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40680> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

[moving to the top]

I will be out of pocket Wednesday and travelling Thursday to attend the 
Montana election law conference <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=39801> 
(presenting my new paper on regulating campaign lies 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40666>) and present The Voting Wars 
<http://amzn.to/y22ZTv> at a U Montana Law event. 
<http://www.acslaw.org/events/2012-09-27/professor-richard-hasen-talks-about-election-law-and-his-new-book-the-voting-wars>  
On Monday, October 1, I'll be speaking about The Voting Wars at Stanford 
Law at 12:30 pm 
<https://www.law.stanford.edu/event/2012/10/01/acs-presents-professor-rick-hasen> 
and at UC Berkeley Law at 5 pm 
<http://www.acslaw.org/events/2012-10-01/rick-hasen-the-voting-wars-from-florida-2000-to-the-next-election-meltdown>.  
Then I'll be speaking about the book in Sacramento on October 2 at noon 
<http://www.acslaw.org/SacramentoTheVotingWarsBookEvent>.

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Posted in The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | 
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    Sounds Like Pa Trial Judge May Enjoin Use of Voter ID for November
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40709>

Posted on September 25, 2012 2:52 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40709> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

See this tweet 
<https://twitter.com/lauraolson/status/250709324425465857>.  UPDATE: 
More here 
<http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/pennsylvania-voter-id-requirements-change-654830/>.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter id 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9> | Comments Off


    "From Butterfly Ballots to Voter ID Laws"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40706>

Posted on September 25, 2012 2:28 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=40706> by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Here is a Q&A 
<http://billmoyers.com/2012/09/25/from-butterfly-ballots-to-voter-id-laws/> 
I did on the Bill Moyers website about /The Voting Wars./ 
<http://www.amazon.com/Voting-Wars-Florida-Election-Meltdown/dp/0300182031/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1329286945&sr=1-2-catcorr>

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Posted in The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | 
Comments Off

-- 
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
401 E. Peltason Dr., Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
949.824.3072 - office
949.824.0495 - fax
rhasen at law.uci.edu
http://law.uci.edu/faculty/page1_r_hasen.html
http://electionlawblog.org
Now available: The Voting Wars: http://amzn.to/y22ZTv

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