Another Setback for Bush Administration
Nov. 20 – Today Federal District Court judge Richard J. Leon ruled the detention of five Algerians in Guantanamo unlawful and ordered their release. According to reports, Judge Leon, who Bush appointed, urged the government not to appeal the decision. One of the men ordered to be freed included Lakhdar Boumediene. In August 2007, the Brennan Center filed an amicus brief in his Supreme Court case. Read more about Boumediene, click here.SCOTUS Grants Cert in Judicial Elections Case
Nov. 14 –Today the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to here Caperton v. Massey, a case with major implications on the right to a fair hearing before an impartial judge. "The sole interested source of money, the enormous sums, and the timing of the expenditures in this case constitute an egregious example of a national trend—brazen attempts to purchase influence in pending cases," said James Sample, counsel for the Brennan Center. "Ted Olson and the petitioners are squarely on the mark—this case is far beneath the floor of the most basic notions of due process." Read more here.BC Counsel to Head Ohio’s Bipartisan Election Study
Nov. 7 – Today Ohio's Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner announced the formation of an Ohio Election Summit planned for early December. Led by the Brennan Center's Lawrence Norden, the group will include a number of elections officials and voting experts, and will study the November 4th election. According to Norden, "this summit represents a wonderful opportunity to use the efforts of Ohio's elections officials in 2008 to build a national model for election administration. I congratulate the Secretary for her foresight in calling this summit, and I am honored to be part of the effort."
- Judge Orders Five Detainees Freed From Guantánamo
(NY Times, by William Glaberson, 11/20/08) - Eric Holder Said to Be Top Pick for Justice Dept.
(Washington Post, by Carrie Johnson, 11/19/08) - CAPITAL NOTES: All counties must audit vote
(MCT Regional News, 11/18/08) - $1 Billion Idea Could Slash Wait Time at Polls
(Palm Beach Post, by Chris Megerian, 11/18/08) - While GOP Smears Franken Vote, Will Obama Help Repair Election System?
(Huffington Post, by Art Levine, 11/17/08) - Down, Dirty Judicial Races: Elections Reshape Supreme Court
(Clarion Ledger, by Charles W. Hall, 11/16/08) - Keeping It Public, Plus
(CQ, by Shawn Zeller, 11/16/08) - Provisional Ballot Use Increasing
(Columbus Dispatch, by Mark Niquette, 11/15/08)
Voter Education at Rikers Island
There are approximately 14,000 inmates on Rikers Island. Winette Saunders-Halyard, the Executive Director of Program Development at Rikers, set out to inform every inmate about his or her right to vote. She asked us to assist her....
One bit of little-celebrated news from the election is that more publicly-funded candidates were elected to office in 2008 than ever before....
Sunlight in Alaska comes in overabundance during the summer, with daylight that lasts 21 hours, and is sorely lacking during the winter, when many parts of the state get just an hour of daylight....
Illustrations by Risko
ACT NOW!
Bad ballots don't just happen—they're designed. Help us solve this all-too-important issue. We need you to join us in fighting for better ballot design, for this election and those to come.
Read about the important of ballot design and learn more at the Better Ballots Action Project, click here.
Remember, this problem won't solve itself. Eight years after the 2000 election, and billions of dollars spent on new voting technology, the problems caused by poor ballot design still have not been fully and effectively addressed on a national level. Year in and year out, we see the same mistakes in ballot design, with the same results: tens, and sometimes hundreds, of thousands of voters disenfranchise.
Obama and The Small Donor Effect
Barack Obama’s decision to opt out of public funding for the general election is not a surprise. It was so well telegraphed, he should take out a patent.
The presidential public funding system worked well for three decades after it was enacted in the early 1970s. It leveled the playing field, boosted competition and reduced corruption. Think of it this way: in the first five elections under presidential public funding, a challenger beat an incumbent president three times. There’s no congressional district in America with that much competition!