All States

Darkness Falls Over New Jersey Dark-Money Bill

Election Law Society · January 8, 2020 ·

By: Beth Pindilli

In June of this year, Governor Murphy of New Jersey signed Senate Bill 150 into law, which requires dark-money groups to report who is bankrolling them. Governor Murphy was hesitant to sign this bill but did so after threats for the legislature to override his conditional veto. He asserted that he only agreed to pass this bill under the impression that the legislature would eliminate many of the problematic provisions.

Open Season on Ballot Harvesting in Arizona? 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Considers a Reversal

Election Law Society · January 6, 2020 ·

By: Kristin Palmason

A controversial piece of election legislation (HB 2023) enacted in Arizona in 2016 made ballot collecting a class 6 felony. Ballot collection, known as “ballot harvesting” is the practice of collecting completed ballots from voters and hand delivering them to be counted. Proponents of the practice say it is a valuable service that benefits voters in need of assistance to ensure that their vote is counted, while critics decry the practice as ripe for fraud. This issue is particularly salient in Arizona, where approximately 80% of voters receive their ballot in the mail (which can then be returned via mail or delivered to the county by hand).

Out of State; Out of Luck?

Election Law Society · January 1, 2020 ·

By: David Maley

Democrats in New Hampshire are fearful of the ramifications of newly implemented House Bill 1264. The bill went into effect July 1, 2019 and has stoked the ire of Democrats over the removal of four simple words (“for the indefinite future”) from the definition of resident. In essence, Democrats are perturbed by the textual edit as it alters the meaning of residence which could, in turn, have dramatic implications for out-of-state college students who would like to participate in New Hampshire elections.

Seventeen-Year-Old Voters in California

Election Law Society · December 30, 2019 ·

By: Maria Callahan

On January 18, 2019, California Assembly Speaker pro tempore Kevin Mullin introduced ACA 4. The bill is a resolution to propose an amendment to the Constitution of California that would authorize 17-year-olds to vote in primaries or special elections if they will be 18-years-old at the time of the general election, given they are a United States citizen and a resident of the state. Mullin, a Democrat from San Mateo County, told the New York Times that he has proposed amending the Constitution similarly twice before.

Yacht-Owners, The Kingdom Of Hawaii, And a Bill That Means Very Little

Election Law Society · December 23, 2019 ·

By: Jack Notar

Several months ago, I was hit by a sudden urge to move to Hawaii. I’d never been before, but I’d seen pictures, and my college roommate had just gotten back from a vacation there. She’d spent a month aboard a fashion mogul’s yacht, docked off the port of Honolulu, kayaking during the day, and drinking rum at night. Yacht-owners, from what I’ve been told, are almost never on the high seas. They have companies to run, politics to control, and mistresses to impress. At most, they spend a month out of the year actually using their vessels and let them sit idle the rest of the time. During this eleven-month period, yacht-owners hire out skeleton crews to keep their boats up and running. These skeleton crews are left to their own devices, so long as they’re ready at a moment’s notice to pick up the owner and his 20-40 closest friends. My roommate joined a skeleton crew and went on to have “the best month of her life.”