Threats to U.S. elections—including disinformation, political violence, and other efforts to undermine public confidence in the election—have grown in recent years, and Lawfare’s coverage has grown with them. Find our articles, podcasts, and other projects on elections, and the efforts to subvert them, compiled below.
Please note that Lawfare’s coverage of related issues, including Section 3 challenges to former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to be a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, the federal prosecution of Trump due to his alleged actions to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election, the Fulton County prosecution of Trump and co-defendants to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, and the accountability efforts in Congress, the criminal courts, and civil litigation for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, have their own dedicated pages linked throughout this paragraph.
Nov. 5 Election Litigation Repository
In collaboration with Court Watch, Lawfare will continue to update this one-stop shop for all federal court litigation related to the Nov. 5, 2024 election. Paid subscriptions help Court Watch offset PACER fees associated with maintaining this docket.
Last Updated: 11/6/2024 - 2:43pm
Threat Cases
- United States v. Sissel (Michigan) - Criminal Complaint - Man accused of posting a violent threat on Redditt as ‘ShootUpTrumpRally’ to kill former President Trump
- United States v. Pierce (Michigan) - Criminal Complaint - Man accused of threatening to kill a witness for the January 6th Committee and other elected officials
- United States v. Wimbish (Georgia) - Criminal Complaint - Poll worker accused of threatening election worker.
- United States v. Mitzel (Pennsylvania) - Indictment - Man who allegedly threatened to kill President Biden and Hilary Clinton. Then purportedly threatened to kill the Assistant U.S. Attorney investigating him.
- United States v. Olson (DC) - Criminal Complaint - Man arrested with a flare gun, gasoline, and ‘political manifesto’ at the Capitol.
- For an overview of federal arrests involving threats against public officials, see NCITE’s recent academic research.
Post-Election
United States v. Carnell - Motion - A man accused of federal crimes related to January 6th has asked a judge to delay a decision regarding additional charges in light of President-elect Trump’s promise to grant clemency to January 6th defendants.
Election Cases
- Republican National Committee v. Mahoney (Georgia) - Oral Order (Minute Order, Politico Writeup) - Judge rules against RNC effort to block accepting of absentee ballots
- The RNC has filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss their case.
PAC Cases
McAferty v. Musk - Arizona woman suing Elon Musk and America PAC arguing that the 1 million dollar lottery for signing the election petition was not random but pre chosen.
Alvarez v. Musk - Michigan man suing Elon Musk and America PAC arguing that the 1 million dollar lottery for signing the election petition was not random but pre chosen
Voting
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Two Visions of National Security at the Harris-Trump Debate
A roundup of the candidates’ statements across seven national security themes. -
The U.S. Government's Busy Week Combating Russian Operatives
Looking at all the full spread of last week’s activity reveals a broad, interagency effort to counter Russian influence operations. -
Can We Count on the Court If Democracy Is at Stake?
No, the Court has proved over the years—and especially over the past year—that we can’t. -
Iran Hack Illuminates Long-Standing Trends—and Raises New Challenges
Iran’s sustained digital interference in U.S. elections now includes hack-and-leak tactics. Here’s how its strategy has evolved over time. -
Green Lights and Red Lines: Responding to Iran’s Election Hacking
The United States should set a precedent that deters more attacks on U.S. electoral campaigns. -
The Hacking of the Trump Campaign Is 2016 All Over Again
How much is different from 2016, and will the institutions that stumbled then—the press, the intelligence community, and the campaigns—do any better this time around?