[EL] OpenElections project

Sat Mar 16 17:42:36 PDT 2013

I don't normally post to the listserv, but this is to introduce a project
that I'm a co-founder of, OpenElections. Funded by the Knight Foundation,
the project's goal is to compile and release election results data at the
county-level for federal, statewide and state legislative races since 2000.
My co-founder is Serdar Tumgoren, who works at the Washington Post (insert
joke about collaborative efforts between the NYT - my employer - and
WashPost here).

There are other repositories of election results, but we want to provide
the data in formats useful for analysis and web development in particular,
and to improve it by linking to identification systems used by the FEC,
Votesmart and the like.

There are two reasons that I wanted to bring OpenElections to your
attention: first, we are looking for people (hello, students!) to adopt
states (more at
http://blog.openelections.net/2013/03/08/calling-all-election-data-hounds/)
and second, we'd love to get some feedback on the format and scope for the
results data.

More info here at http://blog.openelections.net/faqs/ or for those who want
to get involved, here: http://blog.openelections.net/get-involved/

Thanks,
Derek Willis
OpenElections
dwillis at gmail.com

On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 8:30 PM, Rick Hasen <rhasen at law.uci.edu> wrote:

>   Sleeper Case of the Year? <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48440>
> Posted on March 16, 2013 5:24 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48440> by Rick
> Hasen <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> I’ll be anxiously awaiting the release of the transcript Monday in the
> Supreme Court oral argument in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council<http://www.americanbar.org/publications/preview_home/12-71.html>.
> In brief, the question is whether Arizona can refuse to accept a simple
> federal form for voter registration (which Congress in the 1993 National
> Voter Registration Act required states to accept), on grounds Congress has
> exceeded its constitutional power under the Elections Clause<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_One_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_4:_Congressional_elections>
> to “make or alter” state rules for congressional voting.
>
> I’ll be writing more about the case
> <http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/arizona-v-the-inter-tribal-council-of-arizona-inc/>after
> I read the transcript, but at this point I can say the following: This is
> one of those cases where if the Supreme Court affirms the result in this
> case (that Arizona must accept the federal form), it will be no big deal,
> but if the Court reverses it would mark a major change in U.S. election
> law.  Many earlier Supreme Court cases noted Congress’s broad power to set
> rules for federal elections. For example, here’s the Court in the 1997
> case, *Foster v. Love:*<http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/96-670.ZO.html>
>
> The Elections Clause of the Constitution, Art. I, §4, cl. 1, provides that
> “[t]he Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and
> Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature
> thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such
> Regulations.” The Clause is a default provision; it invests the States with
> responsibility for the mechanics of congressional elections, see Storer v.
> Brown, 415 U.S. 724<http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct-cgi/get-us-cite?415+724>,
> 730 (1974), b*ut only so far as Congress declines to pre-empt state
> legislative choices, see Roudebush v. Hartke, 405 U.S. 15<http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct-cgi/get-us-cite?405+15>,
> 24 (1972) (“Unless Congress acts, Art. I, §4, empowers the States to
> regulate”). Thus it is well settled that the Elections Clause grants
> Congress “the power to override state regulations” by establishing uniform
> rules for federal elections, binding on the States. U.S. Term Limits, Inc.
> v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779<http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct-cgi/get-us-cite?514+779>,
> 832—833 (1995). “[T]he regulations made by Congress are paramount to those
> made by the State legislature; and if they conflict therewith, the latter,
> so far as the conflict extends, ceases to be operative.” Ex parte Siebold, 100
> U.S. 371 <http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct-cgi/get-us-cite?100+371>, 384
> (1880).*
>
> (My emphasis.) A contrary ruling in the *Arizona *case would alter the
> state-federal balance over federal elections and give states a greater
> ability to manipulate election rules for partisan reason, something
> especially dangerous in the era of 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>—not
> to mention preventing Congress from imposing uniform voting standards in
> the U.S., such as the requirement that we elect all members of Congress
> from single-member districts.
>
> In case you are interested, here is the Question presented: “Did the court
> of appeals err 1) in creating a new, heightened preemption test under
> Article I,  Section 4, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution (“the Elections
> Clause”) that is contrary to this Court’s authority  and conflicts with
> other circuit court decisions, and 2) in holding that under that test the
> National Voter Registration Act preempts an Arizona law that requests
> persons who are registering to vote to show  evidence that they are
> eligible to vote?”
>  [image: Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D48440&title=Sleeper%20Case%20of%20the%20Year%3F&description=>
>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, Elections
> Clause <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=70>, Voting Rights Act<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
> | Comments Off
>   “Former Riverbank mayor contests bill for recount”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48437>
> Posted on March 15, 2013 8:22 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48437> by Rick
> Hasen <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> The *Modesto Bee *reports.<http://www.modbee.com/2013/03/14/2622408/former-riverbank-mayor-contests.html>
>  [image: Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D48437&title=%E2%80%9CFormer%20Riverbank%20mayor%20contests%20bill%20for%20recount%E2%80%9D&description=>
>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
> recounts <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=50> | Comments Off
>   “DFLers contol Minnesota Capitol but election overhaul ideas need GOP
> support” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48434>
> Posted on March 15, 2013 8:08 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48434> by Rick
> Hasen <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> The *Star-Tribune* reports.<http://www.startribune.com/politics/198559731.html?src=news-stmp>
>  [image: Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D48434&title=%E2%80%9CDFLers%20contol%20Minnesota%20Capitol%20but%20election%20overhaul%20ideas%20need%20GOP%20support%E2%80%9D&description=>
>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The
> Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
>   “Shame On Maryland’s State Board Of Elections”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48431>
> Posted on March 15, 2013 5:10 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48431> by Rick
> Hasen <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Jim Snider blogs<http://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2013/03/15/shame-on-marylands-state-board-of-elections/>
> .
>  [image: Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D48431&title=%E2%80%9CShame%20On%20Maryland%E2%80%99s%20State%20Board%20Of%20Elections%E2%80%9D&description=>
>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18> | Comments
> Off
>   Keynoting at Mar. 23 U. Va. Conference on The Voting Wars: Elections
> and the Law from Registration to Inauguration<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48420>
> Posted on March 15, 2013 3:15 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48420> by Rick
> Hasen <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> There’s a great lineup of speakers at two panels, and I’ll be giving a
> presentation on my book, *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>,
> updated to take 2012 development<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2182857>s
> into account.  Here’s the flyer.
>
> [image: s13_voterwars_big-1]<http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/s13_voterwars_big-14.png>
>  [image: Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D48420&title=Keynoting%20at%20Mar.%2023%20U.%20Va.%20Conference%20on%20The%20Voting%20Wars%3A%20Elections%20and%20the%20Law%20from%20Registration%20to%20Inauguration&description=>
>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The
> Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
>   Must-read Lyle Denniston Preview of Arizona Elections Case<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48416>
> Posted on March 15, 2013 7:50 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48416> by Rick
> Hasen <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> I had been hoping to do my own write-up on this very important case, but
> writing, teaching and grading commitments have overwhelmed me the last few
> weeks.
>
> You won’t do better than this comprehensive and insightful analysis
> <http://www.scotusblog.com/2013/03/argument-preview-election-integrity-or-voter-suppression/>of
> the issues in the Arizona case from Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSBlog.  This
> could be the sleeper case of the year.
>  [image: Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D48416&title=Must-read%20Lyle%20Denniston%20Preview%20of%20Arizona%20Elections%20Case&description=>
>   Posted in Elections Clause <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=70>, Supreme
> Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29> | 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 92697-8000949.824.3072 - office949.824.0495 - faxrhasen at law.uci.eduhttp://law.uci.edu/faculty/page1_r_hasen.htmlhttp://electionlawblog.org
>
>
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> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
>
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