A Lack Of Support, Or Just A Lack Of Clarity?"

Eliza Newlin Carney offers this "Rules of the Game" column in National Journal, which begins: "Ask the average voter how the presidential public financing system works, and you're likely to get a blank stare."

"The Federalism Defect in the Prosecution of Tom DeLay"

Ned Foley offers this Roll Call oped (paid subscription required).

"Voter ID bill not an obstacle for minorities"

Bradley Schlozman, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division , offers this defense of DOJ's decision to preclear Georgia's voter i.d. law in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"Free Speech Under Siege"

George Will offers this Newsweek column discussing issues related to campaign financing and political gerrymandering.

"Dan Walters: State's case of initiative fever rages on, with no cure in sight"

See this Sacramento Bee column. See also this somewhat related AP report from Ohio.

"Can Diebold machines pass the test?"

The Oakland Tribune offers this report, which begins: "Back in May, voting activists went on the Internet and for $300 apiece purchased two devices used to record moisture levels in corn. Certain corn scanners use the same memory cards as Diebold Election Systems' optical-scanning machines for ballots and can easily modify them. That makes corn scanners into a tool for vote hacking. Sitting by a hotel pool last spring in Florida, Finnish computer expert Harri Hursti wrote his own program onto a memory card so it could alter poll results on a Diebold machine in Leon County and flash a screen message — 'Are we having fun yet?' — that shocked the local elections supervisor."

"Alito's Stance on One Man, One Vote Is Debated"

The Washington Post offers this report.

"Compulsory voting in Australia: Turnout with and without it"

Jonothan Louth and Lisa Hill have posted this paper in the Australian Review of Public Affairs. Here is the abstract:

In this paper we address claims made by those supporting the abolition of compulsory voting about the relationship between turnout levels and compulsory voting. Via a critique of the methodology used, we query estimations of the effectiveness of compulsory voting laws and dispute common assertions about how high Australian turnout would be under a voluntary system. We then show that projected comparisons with places like Malta, New Zealand and The Netherlands are questionable. We also challenge other projections, that are based on data that has been insufficiently disaggregated. We conclude that when compulsory voting is properly administered in a congenial setting (such as Australia), it is the best means for guaranteeing high and socio-demographically equal rates of voting participation. Without it, Australian democracy would be experiencing the same citizenship crises currently being experienced in most other industrialised, voluntary voting settings.

Robbin Stewart on "No Exit?"

Robbin Stewart offers some thoughts on my draft paper on the Roberts Court and election law.

Thanks to Politics1.Com

...for naming the Election Law Blog the "Site of the Day."

"Hacker to try to attack state voting machines"

The SF Chronicle offers this report, which begins: "A computer hacker will be trying to break into one of California's electronic voting machines next week, with the full cooperation of the secretary of state."

"If Election Reform Falters, Bring On The Convention"

Daniel Klau offers this Hartford Courant oped.