[EL] ELB News and Commentary 9/12/19

[Rick Hasen]

ProPublica’s Brad Parscale Profile Discusses His Use of Social Media for Trump<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107300>
Posted on September 11, 2019 8:30 pm<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107300> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

I found this part<https://www.propublica.org/article/the-myths-of-the-genius-behind-trumps-reelection-campaign> especially interesting (my emphasis):

“If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you think he’s a 21st-century Steve Jobs,” says a Republican consultant who knows Parscale. “He’s not an asshole. He’s kind of a huckster. But he’s smart enough to realize he’s a huckster.”

Parscale’s true gift wasn’t deploying new, cutting-edge uses for technology. It was skillful management: cobbling together and empowering a fast-moving, opportunistic digital team staffed by experts from the RNC, commercial ad placement firms and social media companies, which flew about a dozen employees into San Antonio to work alongside Parscale’s team. At Parscale’s direction, the digital operation carried out an unprecedented tilt toward social media, for which the Trump campaign spent nearly half its media budget.

Parscale’s all-in approach toward Facebook was perfectly suited to his unique candidate. “The key to digital success is bottling lightning, and with Donald Trump, the lightning strikes every five minutes,” says Wesley Donehue, CEO of Push Digital, who worked on Marco Rubio’s failed bid for the 2016 presidential nomination. “You will never be able to replicate any digital strategy you had for Donald Trump for any other candidate or any corporation because there is no other Donald Trump.”
Academics and political strategists say digital ads don’t do much to persuade voters to switch candidates. They’re aimed primarily at raising money, firing up the base and suppressing turnout among opposition voters — which perfectly matched Trump’s needs.

In large part, Parscale’s approach was a matter of necessity. In 2016, Trump was anathema to the GOP’s traditional wealthy donors. But small-dollar contributors — “the Army of Trump,” Parscale would later call them — loved him. Trump’s supporters were uniquely responsive to donation appeals on social media; his celebrity and gut-level appeal commanded eyeballs. “The hardest thing in digital advertising is getting people’s attention,” says Coby. “You got a cheat code with Trump.”
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Posted in campaigns<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>


“Trump Wants Citizenship Data Released But States Haven’t Asked Census For That”<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107298>
Posted on September 11, 2019 1:01 pm<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107298> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NPR:<https://www.npr.org/2019/09/11/759510775/trump-wants-citizenship-data-released-but-states-havent-asked-census-for-it>

After its failed attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, the Trump administration has forged ahead with ordering the Census Bureau to use government records to produce data about the U.S. citizenship status of every person living in the country.

In July, the bureau quietly filed a regulatory document<https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6192581-2020-Census-Supporting-Statement-A-Revised-July.html#document/p18/a512146> confirming that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross — who oversees the federal government’s largest statistical agency — had directed it “to produce Citizenship Voting Age Population” information “that states may use in redistricting.”

Last December, the bureau announced it was formally collecting feedback from state redistricting officials on the type of demographic information needed to redraw voting districts after the 2020 census.
“If those stakeholders indicate a need for tabulations of citizenship data on the 2020 Census Public Law 94-171 Redistricting Data File, the Census Bureau will make a design change to include citizenship as part of that data,” the bureau said in a Federal Register notice<https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/12/28/2018-28164/submission-for-omb-review-comment-request#p-139>.

It turns out that not a single stakeholder told the Census Bureau there was a need to include citizenship information in the redistricting data, the bureau announced this week in a regulatory document<https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6396201-Supporting-Statement-A-for-Information.html#document/p41/a523898> filed with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.
But the bureau is still planning to release citizenship information, separate from the redistricting data file, by March 2021.
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Posted in Uncategorized<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>


“Court Seems Skeptical Of Overturning Crystal Mason’s Prison Sentence For Illegal Voting”<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107296>
Posted on September 11, 2019 12:14 pm<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107296> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

HuffPost<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crystal-mason-voting-conviction_n_5d77ec37e4b064513575e2ca>:

A Texas appeals court appeared hesitant on Tuesday<https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1444706/02-18-138-cr-crystal-mason-v-the-state-of-texas.mp3> to overturn the criminal conviction of Crystal Mason, a 44-year old woman sentenced to five years in prison<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crystal-mason-prison-sentence_n_5d3b04e8e4b0c31569e9fb94> for illegally voting in the 2016 election.

Mason cast a provisional ballot in 2016 while on supervised release for a federal felony related to inflating tax returns. Texas prohibits felons from voting while they are serving their sentences, but Mason says she had no idea she was ineligible to vote. …
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Posted in Uncategorized<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>


The First African-American Commissioner for the FEC?<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107294>
Posted on September 11, 2019 12:10 pm<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107294> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Could happen<https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/fec-federal-election-commission-trump-mcconnell-schumer/>.

More likely nothing happens.
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Posted in federal election commission<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24>


While North Carolina House Democrats Were at 9/11 Ceremony, NC House Republicans Voted to Override Governor’s Veto of Budget, After Promising No Substantive Votes<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107290>
Posted on September 11, 2019 8:02 am<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107290> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Disgusting:<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC/status/1171800665204633600>
[cid:image002.jpg at 01D568E1.3D89A9A0]<https://twitter.com/rickhasen>
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Rick Hasen<https://twitter.com/rickhasen>
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 · 12h<https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/1171800048855744513>
<https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/1171800048855744513>

Replying to @mjs_DC<https://twitter.com/_/status/1171799384746582016>

story doesn't say anything about 9/11 ceremony---is this confirmed elsewhere?
[cid:image003.jpg at 01D568E1.3D89A9A0]<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC>
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Mark Joseph Stern<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC>
✔@mjs_DC<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC>


This article describes how Cooper was there; a source on the ground tells me other Democrats were also attending a 9/11 memorial event. https://www.cbs17.com/news/north-carolina-news/nc-house-republicans-overrode-gov-coopers-budget-veto-while-he-attended-9-11-memorial-event/ …<https://t.co/fYk9lOJIx6>
<https://t.co/fYk9lOJIx6>
[cid:image004.jpg at 01D568E1.3D89A9A0]<https://t.co/fYk9lOJIx6>
NC House Republicans overrode Gov. Cooper’s budget veto while he attended 9/11 memorial event<https://t.co/fYk9lOJIx6>

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina House Republicans called a surprise vote and overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget veto on Wednesday morning, according to a tweet by State Sen. Jeff Jackson…<https://t.co/fYk9lOJIx6>
cbs17.com<https://t.co/fYk9lOJIx6>

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More<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC/status/1171799384746582016>:
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Mark Joseph Stern<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC>
✔@mjs_DC<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC>

<https://twitter.com/mjs_DC/status/1171799384746582016>


While North Carolina Democrats were at a 9/11 ceremony, Republican legislators overrode the governor's veto of the state budget. They had promised not to take any votes while Democrats were absent. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article234962017.html …<https://t.co/1STcnFKviG>
<https://t.co/1STcnFKviG>
[cid:image005.jpg at 01D568E1.3D89A9A0]<https://t.co/1STcnFKviG>
House overrides budget veto in surprise vote with almost half of lawmakers absent<https://t.co/1STcnFKviG>

After a summerlong stalemate, the State House of Representatives voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget veto in a surprise vote with almost half of lawmakers absent.<https://t.co/1STcnFKviG>
newsobserver.com<https://t.co/1STcnFKviG>

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This is not going to go over well with the three judge court which was giving the North Carolina General Assembly a chance to draft a bipartisan redistricting plan (or else court will appoint special master to do it) .
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Posted in Uncategorized<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>


“The Cybersecurity 202: How counties are war-gaming Election Day cyberattacks”<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107287>
Posted on September 11, 2019 7:23 am<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107287> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

WaPo reports.<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-cybersecurity-202/2019/09/11/the-cybersecurity-202-how-counties-are-war-gaming-election-day-cyberattacks/5d78307a88e0fa7bb93a8a8f/>
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Posted in chicanery<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>, election administration<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>


“5 Loopholes That Allow Foreign Interference in Our Elections”<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107285>
Posted on September 11, 2019 7:22 am<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107285> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The latest<https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/5-Loopholes-Report.pdf> from Issue One.
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Posted in Uncategorized<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>


“Absentee voting influx sparks fear of delayed election results”<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107283>
Posted on September 11, 2019 7:20 am<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107283> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Detroit News:<https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/10/absentee-voting-influx-sparks-fear-delayed-election-results/2196644001/>

Local officials bracing for an influx of absentee voters are urging Michigan lawmakers to give clerks more time to process mail-in ballots and avoid logjams that could delay election night reporting results.

But a top lawmaker in Michigan’s Republican-led Legislature is opposing calls to allow early processing, arguing the state must focus on security rather than speed, even if it means full results are not reported until the day after an election.

The issue is heating up because Michigan voters last fall approved a new no-reason absentee voting law that no longer requires a valid excuse to cast a ballot by mail.
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Posted in absentee ballots<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=53>, election administration<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>


Trump Again Jokes About Not Giving Up Power<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107280>
Posted on September 10, 2019 9:01 pm<https://electionlawblog.org/?p=107280> by Rick Hasen<https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

On Twitter<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171631144414208000>:
[cid:image006.jpg at 01D568E1.3D89A9A0]<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump>
<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump>
Donald J. Trump<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump>
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<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171631144414208000>

[View image on Twitter]<https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171631144414208000/photo/1>
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How worried should we be about Trump’s “joking” about not giving up power and all of the other things making people nervous about the 2020 election and beyond:<https://t.co/lo0GAzfCnB> I’ve got a book<https://www.amazon.com/Election-Meltdown-Distrust-American-Democracy/dp/0300248199/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hasen+election+meltdown&qid=1565015345&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr> coming on that.

(And yes I know he could say this was about Ivanka or Don Jr.)
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Posted in Election Meltdown<https://electionlawblog.org/?cat=127>


--
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
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http://electionlawblog.org<http://electionlawblog.org/>


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