Forget Dubai -- worry about Smartmatic instead"

Richard Brand has this oped in the Miami Herald. It begins: "The greater threat to our nation's security comes not from Dubai and its pro-Western government, but from Venezuela, where software engineers with links to the leftist, anti-American regime of Hugo Chavez are programming electronic voting machines that will soon power U.S. elections." Thanks to a reader for passing this along.

"Fight over voter ID continues"

A.P. offers this report, which begins: " As legislation requiring a photo identification to vote lingers in the Senate, both supporters and opponents are pointing to recommendations from a commission co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter to justify their positions." (My recent Slate commentary discussed how Carter-Baker was being misused by supporters of voter i.d. laws). Thanks to Ed Still for the pointer.

"'527' Legislation Would Affect Democrats More"

The Washington Post offers this report. Bob Bauer weighs in on the Post story and my Roll Call oped from yesterday on this topic. UPDATE: Check out this Marketplace report (audio).

"Primary voting-machine troubles raise concerns for '06"

USA Today offers this report, which begins: "Problems using voting machines in the Texas and Illinois primaries this month have reinforced fears that the 2006 elections may be beset with glitches."

"FEC approves new Internet rules"

UPI offers this report. UPDATE: AP the Wash. Post, and the NY Times have stories today. UPDATE 2: Bob Bauer has written Day of Praise for the FEC's Internet Rules: and the "what Does This All Mean?" Question.

"The Buzz: Who's giving cues in ads lauding governor?"

The Sacramento Bee offers this report, which begins: "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says its advertising campaign on behalf of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an 'independent issue advocacy program,' not necessarily a Schwarzenegger re-election program. The Republican governor's campaign office says there has been absolutely no coordination between the Washington-based chamber's ads and Schwarzenegger's re-election effort. But the timing of the issues the chamber is airing out and the ones the governor is talking about couldn't be more synergetically interesting."

"Judge Refuses to Delay New Orleans Vote"

A.P. offers this report.

More Justice Scalia on Bush v. Gore

A video has surfaced of a speech Justice Scalia gave in Switzerland (the Justice ordinarily does not allow video of his speeches), and according to Marty Lederman's post on SCOTUSblog, the Justice had this to say about Bush v. Gore:

Scalia is characteristically combative and provocative. For instance, in response to a question about Bush v. Gore, he responds: "Come on, get over it." He states that the real question in the case was whether the election was to be decided by the Florida Supreme Court or by the U.S. Supreme Court -- "not a very hard question," in his view -- and "there was no way we could have turned that case down." He then states that the Florida Supreme Court -- but not the U.S. Supreme Court -- was "politically motivated."

-- 
Rick Hasen
William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law
Loyola Law School
919 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