Rick Hasen

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Presidential Election Seen Spurring New Wave of Lawsuits

The U.S. presidential contest, marked by two dozen lawsuits in the past six months over voter rules including photo ID requirements and limited poll hours, may see a new wave of litigation starting tomorrow over who gets to vote and which ballots will be counted.
Texas Court Halts State Attempt to Purge Voters as Dead

Texas officials were temporarily barred by a state judge from ordering county election officials to purge presumably dead voters from registration rolls because the initiative may violate the election code.
Republicans Losing Election Law War as Campaign Ramps Up

Republicans are losing most of the court fights with Democrats over whether GOP-backed state voter regulations will illegally suppress turnout among the poor and minorities in the Nov. 6 presidential contest.
Obama Voting Fight on Photo ID Targets South Carolina

Ten weeks before the U.S. presidential election, the Obama administration is wielding the Voting Rights Act against laws it claims will keep minorities from the polls. Today, the target in federal court in Washington is South Carolina’s photo identification rules.
High Court Backs U.S. `Soft Money' Ban, Rejecting Republicans

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Republican challenge to the centerpiece of the 2002 campaign finance overhaul, upholding the law’s ban on unregulated “soft money” contributions to political parties.
John Edwards Faces Hometown Jury in Campaign Finance Trial

Two-time U.S. presidential candidate and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is about to learn his fate on charges he violated campaign finance rules to hide a mistress as the process to select a jury begins.
Judge-Drawn Voting Maps for Texas Set Aside by U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court threw out judge-drawn voting districts for this year’s state and federal elections in Texas in a ruling that may help Republicans keep control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Texas Election Maps to Be Debated After ID Law Rejected

The Texas districts from which voters will elect congressional and state representatives will be argued today before a three-judge panel, one day after the state’s law requiring voters to have photo identification was rejected by a different court in Washington.
Texas Election Maps to Be Debated After ID Law Rejected

The Texas districts from which voters will elect congressional and state representatives are being argued today before a three-judge panel in San Antonio, one day after the state’s law requiring voters to have photo identification was rejected by a court in Washington.
Arizona's Campaign Public Financing System Draws U.S. High Court Scrutiny

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a Republican-backed challenge to an Arizona law that aims to even out campaign spending, accepting a case that raises questions about public financing programs around the country.