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Paul Smith

Updates

Updates

 

 

States should offer and expand early voting options, especially during a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing voters into some difficult choices. By spreading out in-person voting across many days – rather than a single day – we can space out voters and alleviate long lines and crowded polling locations.

Like other Native communities in...

This blog was written John Gardner, a senior consultant for Campaign Legal Center (CLC). Gardner served on the Postal Service Board of Governors.

This year, more and more Americans are planning to take advantage of a variety of ways to exercise their franchise both on Election Day and up to several weeks in advance. Voting-by-mail has attracted a...

By Sophia Gonsalves-Brown and Campaign Legal Center's Federal Reform and Ethics teams

“Drain the swamp” has now become a generic campaign slogan, but President Trump first used it in reference to a five-point plan that he claimed would “make our government honest again” and halt the revolving door in Washington, D.C. Now, as his first term comes...

Issues

President Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the next Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Barrett has a limited record on democracy issues. The Senate needs ample time to explore her record, which is why this process cannot be rushed.

The U.S. Supreme Court plays a key role in helping to make sure that voters have...

In memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) asked some of its staff to share their reflections on Justice Ginsburg: what she meant to them, how she fought for democracy, and what she did to advance equal rights for all. 

Justice Ginsburg understood that democracy works best when the voices of all Americans are protected...

This blog post has been adapted from a white paper produced by the National Task Force on Election Crises.

As the November general election draws closer, Americans are asking questions about how our election systems work. Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has staffers serving on the National Task Force on Election Crises and are prepared to respond to...

In an interview with CNN, Trevor Potter, the president of Campaign Legal Center (CLC), urged people to have faith that the November general election would be legitimate by highlighting the systems in place to ensure that every eligible voter’s ballot counts.

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and President Trump’s repeated attacks on the election...

Alaskans have the opportunity to vote “Yes” on Ballot Measure 2 this fall, which would shine a light on secret spending in the state’s elections. The “Bad Ass Grandmas,” who successfully fought for a similar ballot initiative in North Dakota in 2018, wrote an op-ed in the Juneau Empire urging Alaskans to vote “Yes on 2” for greater transparency and...

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) recently joined its voting rights partners in celebrating National Voter Registration Day by continuing our work to ensure that every eligible voter can register to vote and cast a ballot.

Our democracy works best when every American can vote without barriers. However, for the 18 million Americans with past felony...

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is saddened by the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an inspirational figure who rose to the top of the legal profession with strong convictions and unwavering determination. Ginsburg’s enduring legacy is that she was a trailblazer who stood up for equality in all its forms. She upheld our democracy and its ideals...

Political ad spending is expected to reach an unprecedented $10 billion in the 2020 elections – including a projected record-breaking $2.8 billion in digital advertising. And despite the self-regulatory efforts by online platforms after Russian interference in the 2016 elections, the public remains in the dark about the content of many political...

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) recently filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and his former company XPO Logistics for alleged straw donations that continued through 2018.

The straw donor scheme appears to have been carried out through donations made in the names of DeJoy’s employees...

Updated: Oct. 13, 2020

Many states rely on signature matching as part of ballot counting and verification procedures. Indeed, at least 31 states will use signature matching to verify all mail ballots in the upcoming November 2020 election.

Signature matching laws require election officials to compare the signatures voters provide on their ballots...

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) represented Arkansas Voters First, a volunteer-led grassroots organization that launched a citizen movement resulting in 150,000 signatures for a ballot initiative that – if approved in November – would prevent special interests from dominating the redistricting process.

The fact that the COVID-19 pandemic severely...

Issues

In response to a lawsuit brought by Campaign Legal Center (CLC) challenging the state’s election procedures, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar issued guidance to establish uniform processes across counties for counting mail-in ballots.

This resolves the case. The plaintiffs have filed a notice of dismissal this afternoon, ending the...

On Sept. 11, 2020, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a motion to intervene in Trump v. Bullock on behalf of its client, the League of Women Voters of Montana, to defend Montana Governor Steve Bullock’s August 6 directive allowing counties to conduct the general election primarily by mail at their discretion. CLC filed a similar motion in New Jersey...

On Sept. 11, 2020, an appeals court ruled that the state of Florida can condition voting rights on an individual’s ability to pay, reversing a lower court’s decision and prohibiting otherwise eligible citizens who owe fines and fees associated with a past felony conviction from voting this fall.

This is a deeply disappointing decision. While the...

Adav Noti, senior director, trial litigation at Campaign Legal Center (CLC), recently appeared on “The PBS Newshour” to highlight why record-breaking campaign spending is a result of wealthy special interests using unlimited, secret spending to rig the political system in their favor.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling to allow for corporate...

Voting rules and processes vary widely in states across the country, often making it difficult to know how to support on-the-ground efforts to ensure every eligible voter can cast a ballot. To assist, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has compiled a list of resources to help voters in states and localities across the country be able to vote.

Resources...

Louis DeJoy seemed to have few qualifications for the position of U.S. Postmaster General besides being a major political donor. But evidence indicates that at least some of the donations that fueled his political rise over the years were illegal.

Five employees of DeJoy’s former company, New Breed Logistics, told the Washington Post that DeJoy or...

Americans remain concerned about the ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic and rightly so. These concerns can play a role in deciding whether voting absentee or mailing in your ballot is a viable, safe, and secure alternative to voting in person.

The only voters who can vote by absentee or mail ballots are eligible citizens who provided...