Voting Rights
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A Shasta County judge permanently blocks Measure B, the county’s voter ID and hand-count law
Judge Benjamin Hanna ruled that state election law preempts the voter-approved charter amendment; its supporters say they are weighing an appeal and have 30 days to decide.
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Judge’s order limits federal demands on election workers through Nov. 16, and the Justice Department appeals
A San Francisco federal judge temporarily barred the Justice Department and Homeland Security from threatening election workers with prosecution for counting ballots of voters the government flags as likely noncitizens, and the department, which says it…
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Appeals court dismisses Justice Department’s bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots, returning the fight to a trial judge today
A Ninth Circuit panel ruled 2-1 that the government moved before the district court could act, and Judge David O. Carter is scheduled to hear the Justice Department’s request on Tuesday.
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Justice Department sues Alaska over a second Dan Sullivan on the Senate ballot
The suit asks a federal judge to hold certification in one narrow scenario if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. Attorney General Todd Blanche says it only preserves information for state officials; critics, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, say…
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Justice Department asks California counties to set aside ballots from 20,000 registrants it flags as likely noncitizens
Federal officials say holding those ballots until citizenship is verified would protect citizens’ votes without canceling any registration. State and county officials dispute the list, and a federal appeals court takes up the case on Sunday.
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Lofgren co-leads House bill on election intimidation lawsuits and limits on ballot seizures
The SHIELD Our Elections Act, introduced by Reps. George Whitesides and Zoe Lofgren with 35 other House Democrats, would let people harmed by armed interference or intimidation at the polls sue in federal court, extend the…
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Supreme Court lets New Hampshire bar student IDs at the polls, as California weighs its own voter ID measure
The justices paused a lower-court order on the eve of New Hampshire’s election, a ruling with no direct effect in California but one that previews questions the Legislature would have to answer if voters approve Proposition…
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Oakland judge’s order halting DHS voter interviews takes effect today unless an appeals court steps in
The ruling shields citizens in California and eight other states from election-related field interviews through Election Day, but it rests on a narrower basis than San Francisco and Santa Clara County sought.
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Justice Department charges 28 California green-card holders with voting crimes, escalating ballot fight
The cases, six of them against Bay Area residents, are Washington’s newest argument for setting aside some 20,000 California mail ballots; state officials say the numbers show such fraud is rare.
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Judge weighs San Francisco and Santa Clara bid to halt DHS voter home visits
At a hearing in Oakland, a federal judge pressed both sides on standing and scope as two Bay Area governments asked her to stop immigration agents from questioning residents about their eligibility to vote.