Election Law

Judge tells lawyers in Florida recount battle to ‘ramp down the rhetoric’; Georgia delay ordered

Judges in Florida and Georgia are grappling with a growing number of lawsuits over election results. In Florida, the chief circuit judge in Broward County ruled against a request for the impoundment of voting machines by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who had a slim lead in a U.S. Senate race…

Nov 13, 2018 9:39 AM CST

Who won these races? Lawyers sue over ballot counting

Ballots are still being counted in some tight races in Florida, Georgia and Arizona, even as lawyers head to court to challenge the procedures being used. In Florida, there are tight high-profile races for governor and the Senate, while in Georgia there is a thin-margin gubernatorial contest. The vote counting…

Nov 9, 2018 2:27 PM CST

Partisan gerrymander in Maryland violates First Amendment right to political association, court says

A special three-judge panel ruled Wednesday that Democratic leaders in Maryland violated a First Amendment right to political association and representation when they redrew boundaries for a congressional district to benefit their party.

Nov 8, 2018 11:38 AM CST

Voting rights groups win orders to expand polling hours in Georgia and Texas

Voting rights groups on Tuesday won court orders expanding polling hours in locations in Georgia and Texas, while also filing a suit seeking to keep Georgia’s secretary of state from overseeing the vote count in his gubernatorial bid. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law succeeded in obtaining extended…

Nov 7, 2018 10:59 AM CST

Ballot measures give felons the right to vote, overturn Jim Crow-era jury law and legalize marijuana

Beyond the fight for Congress, voters across the country were presented with major criminal justice reform initiatives on Tuesday's ballot.

Nov 7, 2018 9:33 AM CST

BigLaw hosts election hotlines while students and lawyers monitor polls

Updated: Nearly a hundred of the nation’s top law firms and corporate law departments are volunteering for an “election protection” program run by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. One law firm reported Tuesday afternoon that its call center is receiving several calls about election irregularities.

Nov 6, 2018 9:41 AM CST

America: The Resilient Land of the Free

All Americans have the responsibility to exercise their rights to speak out and to vote. Democracy is not served when the people do not participate. In the past 20 years, midterm election turnout has averaged under 39 percent, and we, as a nation, simply can and must do better.

Nov 1, 2018 2:15 AM CDT

Russian national is charged with conspiracy to interfere with midterm elections and US democracy

A Russian national from St. Petersburg has been charged with overseeing finances of a social media operation to create distrust in the American political system and interfere with U.S. democracy. Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States in a criminal complaint unsealed on Friday, according…

Oct 19, 2018 3:54 PM CDT

Florida Supreme Court rules that current governor can’t replace 3 retiring justices

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the state's next governor, not current Gov. Rick Scott, has the authority to choose justices for three seats that will come open in January.

Oct 16, 2018 1:30 PM CDT

Report urges merit selection of state supreme court justices, with ‘one and done’ lengthy terms

Special interest money is pouring into state supreme court races, creating “a morass of conflicts of interest that threaten the appearance, and reality, of fair decision-making,” according to a report released Thursday by the Brennan Center for Justice.

Oct 12, 2018 12:00 PM CDT

Disabled people under guardianship often lose voting rights

Many people undergoing the guardianship or conservatorship process to help loved ones with their health care, financial or other decision-making. Often they are unaware that voting rights may be at stake when they go before a judge.

Oct 1, 2018 2:05 AM CDT

Rosenstein defends zero-tolerance immigration policy

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein discussed the importance of preserving and promoting the rule of law while defending U.S. Department of Justice policies regarding illegal immigration and foreign meddling in U.S. elections.

Oct 1, 2018 12:45 AM CDT

Priest could face deportation from US after disclosing he mistakenly voted in 2006 election

A retired Episcopal priest with permanent residence status who has been applying for U.S. citizenship may face deportation after disclosing that he voted in a federal midterm election in 2006.

Sep 24, 2018 5:30 PM CDT

Supreme Court denies emergency stay regarding secrecy of donors to political nonprofits

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a petition to grant an emergency stay on a ruling that tossed out federal election regulation allowing nonprofit groups to keep donors secret. The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press have coverage. The ruling by the Federal District Court…

Sep 19, 2018 1:20 PM CDT

Judge acknowledges problems, but denies motion for paper ballots in Georgia

While recognizing that the state’s electronic voting system could be hacked, a federal judge in Atlanta ruled Monday that Georgia does not need to use paper ballots for the November election because changing systems at the last minute could be confusing for voters, Reuters reports. “The state’s posture in this…

Sep 18, 2018 2:52 PM CDT