Election Law and Applications
Ray Martinez
Traditional election law has been grounded primarily in the study of redistricting and campaign finance, focusing upon relevant constitutional principles such as "one man one vote" and related federal laws such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. However, with the passage of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and more recently, the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the administration of elections - a complex web of legal, procedural and practical requirements that affect the "how, when, and where" of both casting and counting of ballots - has been firmly established as the third essential element for any well-rounded study of election law. This course provides students with (a) a basic introduction to traditional election; (b) a significant overview - at both the state and federal level - of the laws and policies which govern the administration of elections; (c) an assessment of the current "state of play" around the nation regarding the administration of elections; and d) the ability to think critically about the ongoing debates involving "hot-button" issues in election administration.