Monday evening, the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights teamed up with the student organization ND Votes to host the first of this school year’s three-part pizza, pop and politics discussion series. The nonpartisan forum, aimed at fostering dialogue on elections, featured Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller, an expert in election law.
In line with ND Votes’ mission to promote voter mobilization, the event welcomed both undergraduate and graduate Notre Dame students, as well as members of the public. The tables at the event also had scannable QR codes to register to vote.
Professor Muller, a scholar in civil procedure, evidence and election law, delivered an educational talk on the mechanics of U.S. election administration. He addressed how states manage elections to ensure accurate results and highlighted the country's challenges as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
Muller opened by discussing the deep political divisions in the United States, noting that Democrats and Republicans share a pervasive distrust.
“There is a fear on both sides that the other knows how to steal the election,” Muller said.
He pointed out that many voters are concerned about the integrity of the election process.
“There’s a pervasive fear that things are going to go wrong,” he said.
Muller also spoke about the significant changes in election rules during the 2020 pandemic, noting that while the pace of change has slowed, modifications to election procedures continue. He highlighted the 2022 Electoral Count Reform Act, which aims to streamline election procedures by establishing firm deadlines for resolving election disputes and reducing the chances of Congress objecting to certified results.
“Clear and clean-cut election procedures are crucial to avoiding post-election issues,” Muller said.
He used Georgia as an example, noting that the state is currently debating whether to introduce hand-counting ballots in future elections.
“Introducing new rules 40-50 days before an election adds its own complexity,” he said.
Muller then discussed the “winner-takes-all” electoral system used by all states except Maine and Nebraska, questioning whether Nebraska would eventually adopt the system used by the other 48 states.
Muller then opened the floor for questions. Undergraduate students, law students and the public all engaged with Professor Muller. The discussion ended on the topic of the difficulty of implementing Supreme Court reform.
Despite the changes in election procedures, Muller expressed confidence in the 2024 presidential election process.
“We will get results certified in a timely fashion,” he said.
The pizza, pop and politics series will continue with two more discussions throughout the school year, offering further nonpartisan forums on election-related issues.
