Can Donald Trump Really Be This Clueless About How Elections Work?
The president's complaints about "a major fraud" present a familiar puzzle.
Voting
Massachusetts Voters Affirm the Right To Repair Your Own Car
The most expensive ballot initiative campaign in Massachusetts history ended with a resounding victory for property rights.
Trump Says 'We'll Be Going to the Supreme Court' Over Election Results
The legal fight over mail-in ballots may soon heat up at SCOTUS.
12 Good Things That Might Happen Today, None of Which Involve Trump or Biden
American voters have the chance to usher in a few libertarian policies this election, courtesy of these state ballot measures.
In Texas, Wearing the Wrong Thing to the Polls Could Land You in Jail
A new lawsuit says the state's electioneering statutes violate the First Amendment.
A Federal Judge Just Blocked a Republican Effort To Disqualify 127,000 Votes in Texas
There was nothing remotely fraudulent about the 127,000 votes cast in Harris County's drive-thru voting station.
Is there a Moral Duty to Vote in an Election Where the Stakes are Unusually High?
There could be in some situations. But less often than many assume. And, ironically, the same reasoning suggests many people would have a duty NOT to vote in such cases.
Republicans Are Trying To Cancel More Than 100,000 Votes in a Deep Blue Part of Texas
A lawsuit filed just days before the election asks federal courts to toss out all the votes already cast at drive-through polling stations in Harris County.
The Presidential Campaign Mercifully Heads Into the Homestretch
Plus: Biden should stop bragging about the Violence Against Women Act, Trump should stop bragging about tariffs, and more...
Think This Election Will End Up in Front of the Supreme Court? It's Already There.
Plus: Fewer Americans are watching sports, Milton Friedman's powerful TV series turns 40, Amy Coney Barrett joins the Supreme Court, and more...
My LA Times Op Ed on Why the Constitution Requires Including Undocumented Immigrants in House Reapportionment Counts
The issue is currently before the Supreme Court in the case of Trump v. New York.
Efforts To Limit Ballot Drop-Off Boxes Are Cynical Electoral Gamesmanship
Across 14 states that track party affiliations of absentee-ballot-voters, 56 percent of mail-in votes have been cast by Democrats and only 23 percent have been cast by Republicans.
How Will Reason Staffers Vote in 2020?
A survey of presidential preferences and regrets
Be Patient: We Might Not Know Who Won the Election Right Away
Mail-in ballots typically take days or sometimes weeks to be counted, so don't expect results on Election Night this year.
Massachusetts and Alaska May Join Maine in Letting Voters Rank Their Choices
Two November ballot initiatives would introduce ranked-choice voting in two more states.
Don't Buy Trump's Conspiracy Theories About Ballots Being Dumped in Rivers
There are many unique challenges facing election officials this year, but widespread malfeasance isn't one of them.
Tuesday's Debate Demonstrated That Donald Trump Wants This Election To Become a Chaotic Mess
Chris Wallace asked both candidates on Tuesday night if they would urge "supporters to stay calm during this extended period, not to engage in any civil unrest." Trump rejected the premise.
Asked About a Peaceful Transfer of Power, Trump Says 'We're Going to Have To See What Happens'
Trump's garbled response probably wasn't a sign he's planning to subvert the election. But it was a failure of presidential competence.
Maine Becomes First State To Try Ranked-Choice Voting for President
Voting for Libertarian, Green, or independent candidates will not mean “throwing your vote away.”
The Persistent Myth of Widespread Voter Fraud
The nation's leading GOP election attorney throws cold water on election fraud claims
Congress Could Postpone the Electoral College To Prevent Election Chaos
Voting during COVID means "we are not going to know who won this on election night," Utah's Republican gubernatorial nominee warns. Postponing post-election deadlines can help.
Justifying a Moral Duty to Vote is a Lot Harder than You Might Think
Political philosopher Jason Brennan explains why.
Americans Dislike Both Biden and Trump
Hostility to political opponents sustains what's left of the legacy parties.
Don't Blame Donald Trump if the Post Office Loses Your Vote
Even if all presidential votes were cast through the mail and sent on the same day, they would amount to 30 percent of a single day's volume.
The Election Could Be Chaotic. Why Is Trump Trying To Make It Worse?
America's general election is facing both logistical and political hurdles, creating a feedback loop that threatens to derail the legitimacy of the results.
America Is Going To Vote by Mail. We're Not Ready.
President Trump threatens to delay the election over at-home voting, but a bigger problem looms: States haven’t prepared for a huge influx of mail-in ballots.
Trump's Warnings About Voting by Mail Mix Reasonable Concerns With Fanciful Conspiracy Theories
New York City's primary election fiasco reveals gross incompetence rather than fraud.
Ted Cruz Isn't the Only Politician Talking Nonsense About Tech Companies and Election Integrity
Unpacking TikTok freakouts, mail-in voting controversies, and money printers going brrr, on the Reason Roundtable podcast.
No, Trump Can't Delay the Election
And no, mail-in voting is not more vulnerable to fraud than absentee voting. It's actually the exact same thing.
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.
Suffrage
From our modern vantage point, it's easy to scorn some decisions that suffrage movement leaders made. Suffrage adds context.
Mandatory Voting Will Build Resentment, Not Democracy
Fining non-voters would show that government is all about forcing people to do things just to make politicians happy.
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?
There's Nothing Special About Iowa. Time To Let Other States Vote First.
Letting any single state go first is a mistake. But a national primary would be problematic too. Luckily, those aren't the only two options.
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Make It a Crime To Give Out Fake Info About Voting
When politicians call to punish “disinformation,” we should worry about what that definition encompasses.
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.
My Forthcoming Book "Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom"
It will be published by Oxford University Press in April.
Boise's New Stadium Referendum Requirement Should Be a Model for Other Cities
A proposition approved last week will require a majority of city voters to approve any future stadium project that uses more than $5 million in public money.
When Ranked-Choice Voting Comes to New York City, Expect More Voter Participation, Not Radical Changes
Voters won’t have to worry as much about having to choose between similar candidates or “throwing away” votes on third-party choices.
Federal Judge Says California Can't Force Trump To Release His Tax Returns in Exchange for Ballot Access
Written ruling says the state is violating the rights of voters as well as the presidential candidates.
India Is Riding the Nativist Wave to Launch the Biggest Decitizenship Drive in Human History
This is a giant step in advancing Prime Minister Nardendra Modi's vision of India as a Hindu nation.
Trump's Census Surrender Hints at the Real Reason He Tried to Add a Citizenship Question
Even if the president's motives were partisan, a more plausible cover story would have been enough to pass judicial muster.
