New Survey on Threats to Elections

This five-page survey has been posted by Electionline.org, the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project (VTP) and the University of Utah Center for Public Policy and Administration. It seeks to identify and assess a wide range of potential threats to the electoral process. More information on the survey here.

"Drawing New Maps a Daunting Possibility"

The Los Angeles Times offers this report, which begins: "They have no official position on California's proposed redistricting initiative, but county election chiefs across the state dread the prospect of voters passing Proposition 77."

"MARC H. MORIAL: Renew the Voting Rights Act Because It Works"

This commentary appeared in the Chicago Defender.

"No Way to Judge a Judge"

Law.com has posted this oped by David Ettinger on an aspect of proposed California Proposition 73 (parental notification for abortion) (paid subscription required). A snippet of interest to election law:

Hidden toward the end of the nearly 3,000-word initiative is the requirement that each court publicly report annually "by judge" the number of petitions granted and denied in the trial and appellate courts. Thus, if Prop 73 passes, every judge and appellate justice in this state who rules on a minor's petition for a waiver of parental notification will have his or her own abortion scorecard.

It is not difficult to see the mischief that these annual reports could cause. Advocacy groups on either side of the abortion debate could (mis)use a judge or justice's scorecard during contested superior court elections, appellate court retention elections, or even judicial recall elections. It is not far-fetched to imagine a campaign flier proclaiming that Judge X or Justice Y "ordered the killing of 10 unborn children last year," a statement, incidentally, that would not be far from legal accuracy since another thing Prop 73 would do is define "abortion" as "caus[ing] the death of the unborn child."

"Let the Political Bloggers Blog"

Jerry Berman and Adam Bonin have written these letters to the editor appearing in the Washington Post.

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