[EL] ELB News and Commentary 12/13/17

Wed Dec 13 08:10:19 PST 2017

Crazy in Alabama: Why Isn’t Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill Correcting His Error About Recounts Made Last Night on CNN?<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96390>
Posted on December 13, 2017 8:04 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96390> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
As I explained in this post<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96376>, it looks like Roy Moore cannot request a recount in the Alabama Senate race if the margin is greater than 0.5% (there’s an automatic recount for the 0.5% range). Last night on CNN, Alabama SOS John Merrill got it wrong, saying that Moore could pay for a recount in the larger range.  The statute does not allow this for federal offices.
I understand that Merrill may have made an error in the heat of the election (but truly, this is something he should have known going into such a high profile and closely watched election).
But what explains his failure to correct things now? We are moving from a mistake to possibly something else.
More: WKRG reports: “Election Law Expert Argues Moore Cannot Request Recount”<http://wkrg.com/2017/12/13/election-law-expert-argues-moore-cannot-request-recount/>
WaPo<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/12/13/why-roy-moores-hope-for-a-recount-is-a-very-long-long-shot/?utm_term=.f058f1a6839e>: Why Roy Moore’s hope for a recount is a very long long shot
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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, recounts<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=50>

“The House-Senate Tax Conference: A Byrd’s Eye View”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96388>
Posted on December 13, 2017 7:47 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96388> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Technical but important post <https://medium.com/whatever-source-derived/the-house-senate-tax-conference-a-byrds-eye-view-with-ellen-aprill-afa6b55f4465> from Daniel Hemel and Ellen Aprill.
[hare]<https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D96388&title=%E2%80%9CThe%20House-Senate%20Tax%20Conference%3A%20A%20Byrd%E2%80%99s%20Eye%20View%E2%80%9D>
Posted in legislation and legislatures<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=27>

“Seattle’s Creative Campaign Finance Reform”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96386>
Posted on December 13, 2017 7:46 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96386> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Democracy Journal<https://democracyjournal.org/arguments/seattles-creative-campaign-finance-reform/> on campaign finance vouchers.
[hare]<https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D96386&title=%E2%80%9CSeattle%E2%80%99s%20Creative%20Campaign%20Finance%20Reform%E2%80%9D>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

“Veterans charity raises millions to help those who’ve served. But telemarketers are pocketing most of it.”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96384>
Posted on December 13, 2017 7:44 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96384> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Unconscionable<https://www.publicintegrity.org/2017/12/13/21360/veterans-charity-raises-millions-help-those-who-ve-served-telemarketers-are>.
(more here<https://www.publicintegrity.org/2017/12/13/21395/charities-employ-controversial-telemarketers-tug-heartstrings-and-loosen-purse>)
[hare]<https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D96384&title=%E2%80%9CVeterans%20charity%20raises%20millions%20to%20help%20those%20who%E2%80%99ve%20served.%20But%20telemarketers%20are%20pocketing%20most%20of%20it.%E2%80%9D>
Posted in chicanery<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>

“Brad Schimel Strikes Out Again”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96382>
Posted on December 13, 2017 7:41 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96382> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
The latest<https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/12/12/murphys-law-brad-schimel-strikes-out-again/> on  Wisconsin’s never ending John Doe controversy.
[hare]<https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D96382&title=%E2%80%9CBrad%20Schimel%20Strikes%20Out%20Again%E2%80%9D>
Posted in chicanery<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>

Breaking: Under Alabama Law, Roy Moore May Not Be Able to Request a Recount If The Margin is More than 0.5%<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96376>
Posted on December 12, 2017 9:20 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96376> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
In a prior pos<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96372>t, I noted that under Alabama law, if the margin between the candidates is within 0.5% there is an automatic recount at state expense. That statute is Section 17-16-20.<http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/17-16-20.htm>
But AL SOS Merrill, pointing on CNN to a recent governor’s race that was close, said that any candidate can get a recount at his or her own expense if the margin is greater. The statute allowing that is Section 17-16-21.<http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/17-16-21.htm>
But that statute only allows people seeking recounts to be those “with standing to contest the election under Sections 17-16-40 and 17-16-47.”
And if you look at those sections, they do not allow candidates for federal office to request such a recount or to contest the election (presumably because these would be done in the U.S. House or Senate.)
Under 40, the ones who can contest are: “The election of any person declared elected to the office of Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Public Service Commissioner, senator or representative in the Legislature, justices of the Supreme Court, judges of the courts of appeals, judge of the circuit court or district court, or any office which is filled by the vote of a single county, or to the office of constable.”
Section 47 only allows a contest “of any person declared to be elected to the office of senator or representative in the Legislature, judge of the circuit court or district court, any office which is filled by the vote of a single county, or constable.”
Moore is not those.  I think unless there’s another provision I’m not seeing he cannot get a recount if it is outside the 0.5% margin.
He can ask for the U.S. Senate to conduct some kind of contest but good luck with that.
Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong.
UPDATE.
10h<https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/940813809442226176>
[https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/765759170654171142/yEiZFugK_normal.jpg]Rick Hasen<https://twitter.com/rickhasen>
✔@rickhasen<https://twitter.com/rickhasen>
#ELB<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELB?src=hash>: Breaking: Under Alabama Law, Roy Moore May Not Be Able to Request a Recount If The Margin is More than 0.5% http://electionlawblog.org/?p=96376 <https://t.co/orqdUgPaNr>
<https://twitter.com/derektmuller/status/940817095478083584>

[https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/674439042302218240/GVyi2qEn_normal.jpg]Derek T. Muller<https://twitter.com/derektmuller>
✔@derektmuller<https://twitter.com/derektmuller>
Your post is consistent with an interpretation & explanation in the Alabama Law Institute's Election Handbook: http://lsa.state.al.us/PDF/ali/election_handbook/Alabama_Election_Handbook_18th_edition.pdf# …<https://t.co/7ZmkYCK2MB> pic.twitter.com/ExT0OygZyC<https://t.co/ExT0OygZyC>
9:34 PM - Dec 12, 2017<https://twitter.com/derektmuller/status/940817095478083584>
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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>

--
Rick Hasen
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UC Irvine School of Law
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