Writer on law etc.; Cato Institute. Election law, Maryland civic stuff, cooking. Blogged at Overlawyered back when. No kings, no tyrants.https://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muzrvhzfo22gStolen valor. [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Sep 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzrvhzfo22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muzmryris22jEn español: Factchequado (Spanish-language fact checking site) interviews me on that dubious Census Bureau paper claiming to find noncitizen voting: https://factchequeado.com/teexplicamos/20260907/trump-informe-censo-narrativa-falsa-fraude-elecciones/08 Sep 2026 18:13 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzmryris22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muzmlioku22j"It respects the Constitution and concentrates on areas where law can make a difference,” says Walter Olson, Cato Institute. See what democracy organization and political experts are saying about the bipartisan Gerrymandering Reform Framework released by the Problem Solvers Caucus: https://problemsolverscaucus.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=91108 Sep 2026 18:09 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzmlioku22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muzlbq6et22j"Above all, the Framers did it this way because they feared that a ruling national faction, whether based in Congress or a White House, might someday gain power over election administration nationwide and use it to entrench themselves in office." My defense of decentralized, state-run elections. https://riponsociety.org/article/the-framers-trusted-states-not-washington-with-elections/08 Sep 2026 17:46 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzlbq6et22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muzkal6kss2oMeddlesome federal "monitors" at the Wyoming polls, touchscreen security, a study on ranked choice and campaign spending, Kansas rejects judicial elections and more in my latest election policy roundup for Cato. https://www.cato.org/blog/election-policy-roundup-30-meddling-feds-rcv-spending-touchscreens08 Sep 2026 17:27 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzkal6kss2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muxl44ngoc2nOne element of this frantic fishing expedition appears to consist of having federal agents log into state "look up a voter registration" websites, even though states often try to limit access to those sites to self-checking by individual voters. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/us/politics/trump-election-voter-fraud.html07 Sep 2026 22:37 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muxl44ngoc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muxj2vvars2nLouisiana authorities have a bad track record of violating their constitutional duty to disclose exculpatory ("Brady") evidence to criminal defendants. Cato certiorari amicus brief says Matthews v. Louisiana is another entry in that troubling record and urges Supreme Court review [Matthew Cavedon]. https://www.cato.org/blog/matthews-v-louisiana-brief-brady-violations-disable-justice-pelican-state07 Sep 2026 22:01 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muxj2vvars2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muxi2pmqls2nThe House has passed a bill that would forbid a range of Israel-boycott activity by universities. To me it looks like federal overreach that would restrict the practical liberty of private institutions, including their latitude to use judgment in pursuing their educational mission. /1 https://reason.com/2026/09/03/congress-is-trying-again-to-ban-boycotting-israel/07 Sep 2026 21:43 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muxi2pmqls2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muwptceuwc2n"New Mexico officials are talking to FedEx and UPS about using their companies to deliver mail ballots instead of the Postal Service, said Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D). The cost would be manageable because the state sends out a relatively small number of mail-in ballots, she said." https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/06/trump-is-running-out-time-he-tries-restrict-mail-voting/07 Sep 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muwptceuwc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/walterolson.bsky.social/post/3muwnsuiopk2n"The [Baltimore County Police Department incident] report also said Trayham 'has been involved in almost identical squatting situations' at other vacant properties." [@baltimoresun.bsky.social] https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/09/01/hes-done-it-before-alleged-squatter-moves-into-485k-renovated-maryland-home/07 Sep 2026 13:53 +0000at://did:plc:efpytyxmwow5ffwi3dphhrlq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muwnsuiopk2n