"Democrats Pushing for Voting Reform"

The Hill offers this report.

WRTL BCRA Lawsuit May Be Heard as Early as August 12

BNA reports here (paid subscription required) that "The Federal Election Commission has agreed to a fast-track schedule that would allow a federal court to take up by Aug. 12 a challenge to restrictions on political advertising linked to the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin." My earlier coverage is here and here.

"Ryan Pulls Name Off Illinois Senate Ballot"

See here.

Three from the Wall Street Journal

See Democrats Tap a Rich Lode: Young, Well-Off Social Liberals; Political Contributors Step Up to the Plate; and this editorial on Ralph Nader being "Banned in Boston."

Ohio Punch Card Trial Postponed until After Election

A.P. offers this report. I expect Dan Tokaji will have more coverage later today here.

In somewhat related news, Roll Call (which is evidently free this week to non-subscribers) offers Paper Ballot Advocates Plan Ohio Expert Team.

"Lawyers Study How to Protect, Promote, Rights of Voters"

Law.com offers this report. Thanks to Steven Sholk for the pointer to this and other law.com and Wall Street Journal articles today.

"Florida's Bad Record on Voting Records"

The New York Times offers this editorial. See also this Washington Post report.

"A Delegate, A Fund-Raiser and a Very Fine Line"

The New York Times offers this report, which begins: "Harold M. Ickes is a founder of an organization created to help defeat President Bush this fall, a group that he emphasizes operates wholly independently of the campaign of Senator John Kerry and the Democratic National Committee. But that has not stopped him from courting some of the Democrats' wealthiest donors here at the Four Seasons, a nexus of party operatives, Kerry campaign officials and friendly celebrities gathered for the party's convention this week. In a luxurious suite where guests nibble on chocolate ganache tarts and sip espresso, he asks them to give and give more."

Public Attitudes Toward Felon Disenfranchisement Laws

Jeff Manza, Clem Brooks and Christopher Uggen have written "Public Attitudes toward Felon Disenfranchisement in the Untied States ", 68 Public Opn. Quarterly 275 (2004). A snippet: "For all categories of felons who are not currently in prison, relatively large majorities (betwen 80 percent in the case of generic ex-felons and 52% in the cae of former sex offenders) favor enfranchisement. Additionally, we find evidence that between 60 and 68 percent of the public believes that felony probationers....should have their voting rights restored."

More on Electioneering Communications Lawsuit

See this A.P. report. Note the quote from Floyd Abrams, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys in McConnell:

Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment lawyer who also challenged the McCain-Feingold law before the Supreme Court, said Wisconsin Right to Life will have a tough case to make.

"Obviously, the government would argue it's already been decided," said Abrams, who is not involved in this case. "But by focusing on a particular ad in a particular place, there's at least a possibility that the courts might say that we didn't really mean there were no cases in which the 30- and 60-day provision was immune from challenge."

Symposium on Direct Democracy

I have just received in the mail Volume 13, Issue 2 (2004) of the Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues. The issue features a symposium on direct democracy with contributions by Gail Heriot, Lynn Baker, Sherman Clark, Clay Gilette, Marci Hamilton, Nelson Lund, John Matsusaka, Maimon Schwartzchild, me, and Dane Waters. Eventually I expect the entire issue to be posted here.

-- 
Rick Hasen
Professor of Law and William M. Rains Fellow
Loyola Law School
919 South Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA  90015-1211
(213)736-1466
(213)380-3769 - fax
rick.hasen@lls.edu
http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html
http://electionlawblog.org