Is Proportional Representation On the Way?
If Congress wants to stave off such far-reaching demands, it should start behaving in ways that inspire more public confidence.
Voting Rights
Washington State's Democrats Float a Proposal To Make Voting Mandatory
The proposal is "about behavior modification," argued state Sen. Patty Kuderer, likening the government's role in promoting voting to that of a parent.
Right to Videorecord in Public Places Includes Right to Videorecord Voters at Dropboxes
An interesting echo, I think, of NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware (1982).
Georgia Sets Early Voting Record, Despite Controversial Voting Law
Many opponents, including the president, criticized the law in misleading terms, obscuring its very real issues.
Ron DeSantis Touted the Arrest of 20 People for Illegally Voting. Some Say They Were Told They Were Eligible.
The messy rollout of a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to felons is now creating more felony crimes.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court Just Made Ballot Drop Boxes Illegal
The ruling has been hailed as a fraud-reducing measure. The only problem? A vanishingly low incidence of fraud in the first place.
Team Libertarian Report from National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" Project Now Available on SSRN
I coauthored the report with Clark Neily and Walter Olson, both of the Cato Institute.
National Constitution Center Releases Reports on "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy"
The project includes reports by conservative, libertarian, and progressive teams. I am coauthor of the Team Libertarian report.
If Georgia's Election Law Was Supposed To Suppress the Vote, It Sure Did a Bad Job
After bracing for a supposed return of Jim Crow, Georgia saw a major increase in early votes in this week's primaries.
Democrats Still Have a Way To Pass Their Voting Rights Legislation
Not by changing the filibuster rules, but by stressing them.
The Democrats' Voting Bill Is Dead, but Electoral Reform Isn't
The defeat of Democrats' voting rights legislation could lead to meaningful progress on election integrity.
Joe Biden Says He's Willing To Kill the Filibuster
If Democrats' voting rights bills are blocked, Biden says, "we have no choice but to change the Senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster."
Democrats May Pressure the GOP Into Making the Filibuster Meaningless
An old strategy that’s worked for Democrats before may work again.
The Strategic yet Self-Defeating Hyperbole of 'Democracy in Peril' Journalism
As awful as things are, Trump is not Milošević, Republicans are not unified behind him, Stacey Abrams is not a hero, and every day is not January 6.
January 6 Doesn't Justify Wrecking the Filibuster
Plus: Yelling "fire" (literally and metaphorically), fundraising with non-fungible tokens, and more...
As With Gun Control, Democrats' Voting Reform Bills Unlikely To Make a Difference
The bills call for reforms that would be nearly impossible to implement and will not prevent a repeat of 2020.
Should We Lower the Voting Age to Six?
British political scientist David Runciman says the answer is "yes." And he makes a stronger case than you might think.
Are Republicans Who Support New Voting Restrictions Racist or Just Partisan?
Each major party portrays the other as a deadly threat to democracy.
Supreme Court Ends Term with Two 6-3 Splits Along Familiar Lines
The Court's final opinions did not offer many surprises.
Justice Department Sues Georgia Over New Voting Restrictions, Claiming Discriminatory Intent
The lawsuit claims Georgia officials enacted restrictive provisions with the intent of curtailing the right to vote based on race.
Federalizing Elections Doesn't Make Much Sense and Won't Save Democracy
The "For The People Act" was a flawed package that would have solved some problems while creating new headaches.
The Filibuster Will Survive Because a Few Democrats Are Smart Enough Not To Kill It
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is right: Democrats have more to lose by ending the filibuster than by putting up with it.
The Republican Attack on Voting Rights
GOP state legislators have introduced a raft of new bills aimed at restricting the fundamental right to vote.
Georgia Bans Handing Out Water to Voters Waiting in Line, Because 'Election Integrity'
Plus: New York moves closer to legal weed, Parler pushes back on extremism claims, and more...
No, It's Not Easier To Get a Rifle Than Vote
This awful gun control talking point won’t go away.
Georgia Republicans Aim To Restrict Voting by Mail
The state Senate approved some cynical changes to Georgia's absentee ballot laws under the guise of securing future elections from fraud that no one seems to be able to find.
Rights and Wrongs of the Trump Administration's Revised Citizenship Test
Some of the changes are reasonable. But many of the new questions are badly designed and incorporate serious errors. Moreover, such tests raise the deeper issue of why immigrants are required to pass a test to get the right to vote, but natives are not.
Judging From His Grilling of Amy Coney Barrett, Sen. Richard Durbin Thinks Voting Is More Important Than Staying Alive
The senator thinks people with felony records should lose the right to armed self-defense but not the right to cast a ballot.
The Courts Can't Decide How Many Ballot Drop Boxes Ohio Needs, and Now Everyone Else Is Confused Too
An appeals court upheld a rule by the Ohio Secretary of State to limit each county to just one ballot box, overturning a previous ruling that said more boxes were needed.
Appeals Court Upholds Florida Law Requiring Felony Offenders To Pay Off Fines Before Regaining Voting Rights
The ruling is a major setback for civil liberties groups trying to re-enfranchise an estimated 775,000 Floridians with felony records.
Mask Mandates and the Right to Vote
Would requiring masks for in-person voting infringe constitutional rights?
Cato Unbound Symposium on the 50th Anniversary of Albert Hirschman's Classic Book "Exit, Voice, and Loyalty" [Updated]
The symposium includes contributions by Adam Thierer, Mikayla Novak, Max Borders, and myself. The relationship between exit and voice is as important an issue as ever.
Iowa Governor Restores Voting Rights to Tens of Thousands With Felony Records
Iowa was the last state in the U.S. with a lifetime voting ban for anyone with a felony record.
As Electoral Reform Lands on More Ballots, Anti-Ranked-Choice Campaign Defends Status Quo
The Protect My Ballot campaign is out to stop ranked-choice voting.
Supreme Court Won't Lift Freeze In Florida Felon Voting Rights Case
The state has barred hundreds of thousands of residents with felony records from voting without first paying off their court fines and fees.
Despite Reports, Kanye West Apparently Still Running for President
He has added strong anti-abortion and anti-vaccine views to his public profile, and said it was racist to think blacks needed to vote Democrat.
Amid Coronavirus Fears, 2 States Will Allow Online Voting
West Virginia and Delaware are letting citizens vote via their phones and tablets. Security experts warn the tech is still risky.
Federal Judge: Florida Can't Block Voting Rights Because of Inability To Pay Court Fines
A law passed by Florida Republicans to limit a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to felony offenders violates the 14th and 24th Amendments, the judge ruled.
Trump's Threat to Withhold Federal Funds from States that Expand Voting By Mail Highlights Growing Menace to Federalism and Separation of Powers
A president who can attach his own new conditions to federal grants to states could use that power to undermine state autonomy on many issues - especially now that federal spending has been massively expanded during the coronavirus crisis.
Florida May Not Re-Disenfranchise Ex-Felons Unable to Pay Court Fines and Fees
It is unconstitutional, the 11th Circuit holds, for Florida to deny voting rights to ex-felons solely because they have outstanding fines or fees. to vote And yes, "re-disenfranchise" is a real word.
Federal Appeals Court: Florida Can't Require Payment of Court Debts To Regain Voting Rights
"Equally guilty but wealthier felons are offered access to the ballot while these plaintiffs continue to be disenfranchised, perhaps forever."
California Took Voters' Choices Away. Now One Lawmaker Wants to Make Voting Mandatory.
You have this Democrat or this other Democrat. What other options do you need?
In Advisory Opinion, Florida Supreme Court Says State Can Require Ex-Felons To Pay Fines Before Having Their Voting Rights Restored
The Court argues that Amendment 4's language covers financial obligations, not just terms of imprisonment and supervised release.
New Kentucky Governor Restores Voting Rights to 140,000 Nonviolent Felons
Meanwhile, outgoing Gov. Matt Bevin made some controversial pardon choices as he headed for the door.
Federal Judge: Florida Can't Block Felons From Regaining Voting Rights For Inability to Pay Fines
The ruling is a partial victory for civil liberties groups, who argue that lawmakers were subverting a constitutional amendment expected to restore voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians.