Subject: Electionlawblog news and commentary 8/10/06
From: Rick Hasen
Date: 8/10/2006, 7:14 AM
To: election-law

"Vote--Or Else"

Norm Ornstein has this oped in the NY Times. You can find my analysis of mandatory voting and its possible adoption in the US in Voting Without Law?, 44 University of Pennsylvania Law Review 2135 (1996). It is hard to see the solution adopted here as a way of dealing with low turnout primaries, as Norm suggests. In places like Australia, there are many fewer elections subject to the mandatory voting rules. See also Bob Bauer's comments.


"Democrats Get a Boost From Court Redistricting"

The Austin Chronicle offers this report.


" Is Joy Padgett a Sore Loser?"

Dan Tokaji expresses the view that Ohio's sore loser statutes do not appear to bar Ohio State Senator Joy Padgett from running as a replacement for U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, who has withdrawn from the race. More from Chris Geidner and The Hill.


"Democrat Says G.O.P. Voters Led to Her Loss"

The NY Times offers this report on cross-over voting that Rep. Cynthia McKinney claims cost her the Democratic nomination for her House seat in Georgia.


"Campaign finance law changes pay off for candidates, filings show"

A.P. offers this report on post-Randall v. Sorrell fundraising in Vemont.


The Difficulties of a Write-In Campaign for Tom DeLay's Seat

With news that Tom DeLay will withdraw from the Texas 22nd congressional district race and the news that Sugar Land mayor David Wallace will run as a write-in candidate, it is worth focusing some attention on the write-in rules. According to this Houston Chronicle report, "Mounting a successful write-in candidacy will be extremely difficult, according to political experts. First, the party will have to persuade straight-ticket Republican voters to individually select candidates in each race. And if there are several write-in candidates, the statistical probability for success also declines. There's also a question of how much money a candidate can raise in a shortened campaign cycle." 
-- 
Rick Hasen
William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law
Loyola Law School
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