Subject: news of the day 10/26/03
From: Rick Hasen
Date: 10/26/2003, 2:47 PM
To: election-law@majordomo.lls.edu

I didn't expect to be sending a "news of the day" today.  Then again, I didn't expect to be stuck in the DFW airport for at least 8 hours today because California wildfires knocked out a radar station essential to get flights into Burbank airport.  In any case....

The media exception and candidate control of the press

NJ.com offers this report, which begins: "The two independent candidates for township committee said Thursday they are filing complaints against their opponents with the Warren County Prosecutor's Office and the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. The independents, Debra Waldron and incumbent Giovanna 'Joanne' Van Valkenburg, say Republican candidate Gary Stevens is using his newspaper, the North Warren News, to further his own political interests."

This case has been debated on the election law listserv a bit. Start here and follow the "freedom of the press" thread.


Newsday editorial against non-partisan elections in New York

See here. See also this oped in the New York Post. In related news, the New York Times offers Mayor Stakes $2 Million of His Own to Fight Party Primaries.


The Future of the Voting Rights Act

The December 2003 issue of Legal Affairs offers a debate on the continued vitality of the Voting Rights Act. Edward Blum and Roger Clegg offer this criticism of the Act. Anita Earls offers this defense of the Act. (My working paper on potential constitutional problems with a Congressional decision to renew section 5 of the Act in 2007 is available here.)

"Law Forces Hard Decision on Soft Money"

Louisiana's 2theadvocate.com offers this report.

"GOP to Put Challengers in Black Voting Precincts; Critics Call Strategy Intimidation"

The Courier Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) offers this report. Thanks to Lori Ringhand for the pointer.

-- 
Professor Rick Hasen
Loyola Law School
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