Subject: Electionlawblog news and commentary 8/3/06
From: Rick Hasen
Date: 8/3/2006, 6:58 AM
To: election-law

"Disability Rights Suit Over California Voting Equipment"

Dan Tokaji offers these thoughts.


"GOP lawmakers push to keep redistricting powers"

The Gwinnett Daily Post offers this report, which begins: "ATLANTA - Turning over congressional and legislative redistricting to an independent commission wouldn't take politics out of the mapmaking process, but would make it less accountable to voters, Republican legislative leaders warned Wednesday." Thanks to Jeff Wice for the pointer.


"Strong-Arming the Vote"

The NY Times offers this editorial, which begins: "President Bush's Justice Department has been criticized for letting partisanship guide its work on voting and elections. And party politics certainly appears to have been a driving force in a legal maneuver it just pulled off in Alabama, where it persuaded a federal judge to take important election powers away from the Democratic secretary of state and give them to a Republican governor. The Justice Department says it is trying to enforce the election law, but that is unconvincing. There are plenty of ways to enforce the law without creating the impression that it is tilting the electoral landscape in favor of Republicans."

I haven't been following this controversy but the allegations, if true, are very troubling.


"Reform Agenda and the Question of Limits: The San Juan County Case"

Bob Bauer has this new interesting post.


"Fast Ruling Sought in Redistricting Case"

AP offers this report on oral argument before a three-judge court in Texas on the LULAC remand. A snippet: "It is unclear when the three-judge panel may issue a decision, but Texas elections officials say a ruling by Monday is necessary for changes to go into effect for the Nov. 7 election." One of the issues before the court is whether new maps would go into effect for this year (meaning that the results of already-held primaries would be thrown out). If the maps are going to be effective only for 2008, there would be no need for the court to rush its decision. 
-- 
Rick Hasen
William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law
Loyola Law School
919 Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA  90015-1211
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rick.hasen@lls.edu
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