[EL] ELB News and Commentary 9/6/13

Fri Sep 6 09:01:00 PDT 2013

“Sure, Congress Is More Partisan. But It’s Also More
Honest.”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55058>
Posted on September 6, 2013 8:47 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55058> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

David Weigel of Slate has this
comment<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2013/09/almanac_of_american_politics_a_biennial_reference_book_explains_why_we_re.html>on
what the the new
*Almanac of American
Politics*<http://www.amazon.com/dp/022610544X/?tag=slatmaga-20>
reveals.  His
takeaways include confirmation that “the gerrymanders of 2010 have taken
most of the country out of play,” but also that: “Gerrymandering isn’t the
only reason the GOP held the House. Gerrymandering only worked because
voters stopped splitting their ballots.  Voters have a terrific and true
understanding of what policies they’ll get if they vote D or R….”
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 Posted in legislation and legislatures <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=27>,
political polarization <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=68>,
redistricting<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>

“Regulators to weigh bitcoin donations in
politics”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55056>
Posted on September 6, 2013 8:38 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55056> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

USA Today reports<http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2013/09/05/bitcoin-campaign-contributions-federal-election-commission/2772113/>:
 ”If a conservative political action committee has its way, supporters will
be able to donate to federal elections using bitcoins, a relatively new
form of virtual currency,” which “incur no fees and are difficult to trace.”
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“North Carolina’s Student Voting Battle Is Not
Over”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55054>
Posted on September 6, 2013 8:35 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55054> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

Penda Hair of Advancement Project has this
post<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penda-d-hair/north-carolinas-student-voting-battle_b_3868345.html>on
HuffPost’s Blog.
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Posted in The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>
Consent Decree in Mississippi Voter Registration
Case<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55049>
Posted on September 6, 2013 8:26 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55049> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

Sunshine State News<http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/feeditem/court-victory-voter-integrity-mississippi>and
Breitbart<http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/04/Court-Victory-for-Voter-Integrity>report
that a consent decree was signed by a federal district judge in
Mississippi, ordering Walthall County to clean up its voter registration
rolls. The consent decree is in a lawsuit reportedly brought by the
American Civil Rights Union, represented by former DOJ lawyers Christian
Adams, Christopher Coates, and Henry Ross, under the National Voter
Registration Act (NVRA).  The case against Walthall County, and a related
case against Jefferson County (which Breitbart reports is still pending),
were mentioned on this blog <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=49693> back in
April, but I don’t recall hearing anything about them since then.  I’m
curious to see what the consent decree requires — and whether any
other civil rights groups or voters sought to intervene.
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Posted in voter registration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=37>
Tokaji’s Election Law in a Nutshell, Now in
Print<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55047>
Posted on September 6, 2013 8:08 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55047> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

Now available from
West<http://www.westacademic.com/Professors/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=176279&tab=1>:
my
Election Law Nutshell <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=54034>, which includes
discussion of *Shelby County *and other cases from the 2012-13 Supreme
Court term.  It’s designed as a study aid to students taking courses in
Election Law, Law of Democracy, Law of the Political Process, Legislation,
and Voting Rights, as well as a useful starting point for practitioners and
others with an interest in the field.  Barnes &
Noble<http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/election-law-in-a-nutshell-tokaji/1115527475?ean=9780314268471>has
it in stock.  Amazon
says <http://www.amazon.com/Election-Law-Nutshell-Series/dp/0314268472>it’s
“temporarily out of stock” …. but does have three
used copies<http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0314268472/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used>available
already!
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Posted in election law biz <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>
“Turnout strong so far in Colo. recall
elections”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55045>
Posted on September 6, 2013 7:46 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55045> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

The AP reports here<http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/353867/346/Turnout-strong-so-far-in-Colo-recall-elections>on
early voting in the recall elections of two Democratic state senators,
which have drawn national interest and
money<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=54969>,
because of their support for strict gun legislation.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, recall
elections <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=11>
“Michael E. McLaughlin pleads not guilty to fund-raising
charges”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55042>
Posted on September 6, 2013 7:37 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55042> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

The Boston Globe
reports<http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/05/disgraced-chelsea-housing-chief-mclaughlin-appears-poised-plead-guilty-state-charges/MzTxkbrSwLZTt5s7fLvgzJ/story.html>that
“[d]isgraced former Chelsea [MA] housing chief Michael E. McLaughlin,
who collected a kingly salary while neglecting the needs of his low-income
tenants, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he violated campaign
finance laws by raising money for former lieutenant governor Timothy P.
Murray.”   Commentary from the Salem News
here<http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x312423387/Our-view-McLaughlin-Murray-didnt-play-by-campaign-rules>
.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“A Win For Davis In Redistricting Suit Against Abbott,
State”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55040>
Posted on September 6, 2013 7:32 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55040> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

Texas NPR has this
story<http://tpr.org/post/win-davis-redistricting-suit-against-abbott-state>on
Wednesday’s
decision <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55022> in *Davis v. Perry*.
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Posted in redistricting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>
“Miami-Dade elections department plans software update to catch phony
absentee-ballot requests” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55038>
Posted on September 6, 2013 5:18 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55038> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

The Miami Herald
reports<http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/04/3605750/miami-dade-elections-department.html>
that
the county will make it easier to flag suspicious applications, rather than
making it more difficult to request absentee ballots.  This follows
allegations of political operatives illegally making online requests for
absentee ballots <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=54740> on behalf of voters.
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Posted in absentee ballots <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=53>,
chicanery<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>

FEC Dispute over DOJ Cooperation Spills into Federal
Court<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55036>
Posted on September 6, 2013 4:58 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55036> by
Dan Tokaji <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=5>

Main Justice has this
post<http://www.mainjustice.com/2013/09/05/fec-commissioners-assertions-in-fight-over-doj-cooperation-cited-by-campaign-finance-defendant/>
.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Department
of Justice <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=26>, federal election
commission<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24>

Daniel Tokaji
Robert M. Duncan/Jones Day Designated Professor of Law
The Ohio State University | Moritz College of Law
55 W. 12th Ave. | Columbus, OH 43210
614.292.6566 | tokaji.1 at osu.edu
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