Will the Midterms Run Smoothly? Two UCLA Law Experts Weigh the Risks
Ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, UCLA School of Law election-law scholar Rick Hasen and legal fellow Shelby Wayment discussed with UCLA Newsroom whether the elections will run smoothly.
Wayment noted that most elections in the United States are administered locally and that voters place confidence in their local election officials. Election administrators have long worked underfunded and understaffed, she said, but that does not mean they are bad at their jobs, and she expressed confidence in state and local officials to handle whatever this year brings.
Hasen said he is surprisingly optimistic about the November midterms: so far the three bulwarks — the courts, state and local governments, and the people — have held; ballots have been mailed, early voting is underway and the processes administrators follow have generally been transparent. He cautioned, however, that the period while results are awaited is when conspiracy theories can fester, and that if control of the U.S. House is at stake, pressure will mount on California to count votes quickly.
The two also noted that the U.S. Supreme Court may rule on key election-law questions this term, meaning the rules governing future elections could still change.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：UCLA 法学院大楼南入口（资料图）。Coolcaesar 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: South entrance of the UCLA School of Law building (file photo). By Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
