Election 2020 in the Courts

How are lawsuits over various voting laws around the country being decided? Emily Bazelon of The New York Times Magazine and Bradley A. Smith, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, discuss—recapping the Supreme Court rulings issued this week in the Alabama and Pennsylvania cases, and explaining the constitutional dimensions of legal battles over voting. National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen moderates.

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America’s Contentious Presidential Elections: A History

This week we hosted a program about the most contentious elections in American history—from 1800 and 1860 to the 2000 election and the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore. The panelists also explored the questions: How might controversy arise in the 2020 election, and what can we learn from history to try and avoid it? Election experts Franita Tolson, Edward Foley, James Ceaser, and Robert Lieberman joined Jeffrey Rosen to discuss.

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Hunting for ‘Super Precedents’ in U.S. Supreme Court Confirmations

by Marcia Coyle

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On This Day: Senate Rejects Robert Bork for the Supreme Court by NCC Staff

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The National Constitution Center has numerous resources for people of all ages to learn more about elections past and present. Check them out at the links below.

From the National Constitution Center:

Classroom Learning Materials–Electoral College
Live at the National Constitution Center episodes:
Elections in America with Emily Bazelon
The Hayes-Tilden Election of 1876
Interactive Constitution explainers:
Article I, Section 4: elections
Article I, Section 2: election of members of the House of Representatives
The 12th Amendment: election of president and vice president
The 15th Amendment: right to vote shall not be denied by race
The 19th Amendment: women's right to vote
The 26th Amendment: right to vote at age 18

The 26th Amendment

"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

Read Interpretations on the Interactive Constitution >

Read > A roundup of this week's articles from The Battle for the Constitution—a partnership with The Atlantic that explores constitutional debates in American life.

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