Hans von Spakovsky, Author at Committee to Support and Defend

About Hans von Spakovsky

Hans von Spakovsky is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on elections and election reform. He is manager of the Heritage Foundation’s Election Law Reform Initiative and a senior legal fellow in Heritage’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. He is the co-author with John Fund of the book “Who’s Counting?: How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Risk” (Encounter Books, 2012). Before joining Heritage in 2008, Mr. von Spakovsky served two years as a member of the Federal Election Commission, the authority charged with enforcing campaign finance laws for congressional and presidential elections, including public funding. He has served on the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and on the Fulton County (Ga.) Board of Registrations and Elections. He is a former vice chairman of the Fairfax County (Va.) Electoral Board and a former member of the Virginia Advisory Board to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. A 1984 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law, Mr. von Spakovsky received his B.S. degree in 1981 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

von Spakovsky: We Shouldn’t Be Promoting Voting by Mail

A polling place under the bipartisan supervision of election officials and the observation of poll watchers has numerous advantages. It helps ensure not only that the ballots are completed by the registered voters and deposited in a locked, sealed ballot box, but also that the voters’ eligibility and identity are verified; that no voters are pressured or coerced to vote a particular way by candidates, party activists, and political guns-for-hire, who are all prohibited from being inside the polling place; and that no ballots get “lost” in the mail or not delivered on time.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-12-11T13:12:30-05:00December 11, 2022|ACRU Commentary, Elections, OPED|

Von Spakovsky: Key Part of Constitution in Play as Supreme Court Hears Election Case

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in Moore v. Harper, a case that turns on the meaning of a key provision in the Constitution outlining the Framers’ structure for congressional elections.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-12-11T13:08:32-05:00December 11, 2022|ACRU Commentary, Elections, OPED, Vote Fraud|

Supreme Court Justices Question Team Biden’s Reckless Border Policy

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by Texas and Louisiana over Biden administration guidelines that severely restricted the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement of federal immigration law against illegal aliens.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-12-02T08:20:41-05:00December 2, 2022|ACRU Commentary, OPED|

Von Spakovsky: Poll Observers Are Essential to Honest Elections

There is a reason the U.S. State Department and organizations like the Carter Center routinely send teams of American observers to fledgling democracies all over the world: they recognize that transparency is essential to ensuring honest elections. That requires observers to be able to watch every aspect of the voting and ballot-counting process without being intimidated or interfered with.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-11-12T11:18:32-05:00November 12, 2022|ACRU Commentary, Elections, OPED, Vote Fraud, Voting Fraud News|

Von Spakovsky: The Latest Election Myth Pushed by the Left

For years, liberal activists—with the assistance of their corporate media allies—have been pushing the myth that there is a wave of “voter suppression” going on across the country. As the record registration and turnout numbers in recent elections prove, as well as their numerous losses in litigation show, this is a false claim created by opponents of commonsense election reforms like voter ID.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-11-12T11:10:35-05:00November 12, 2022|ACRU Commentary, Elections, OPED|

Von Spakovsky: Election Integrity and the American Republic

Election integrity and voter fraud have become so controversial that even if you try to discuss them rationally and reasonably, and cite incontrovertible evidence, you will likely be banned by social media platforms and labelled a conspiratorial vote suppressor by the major media organizations that dominate our airwaves.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-10-27T09:30:03-04:00October 27, 2022|ACRU Commentary, Elections, OPED, Vote Fraud, Voting Fraud News, Vulnerable Voters|

Von Spakovsky: Judge Rebukes DOJ for ‘Overbroad’ Subpoena of Conservative Group

On Sept. 20, we reported on an outrageous subpoena served by the U.S. Justice Department on the Eagle Forum of Alabama. Fortunately, in the face of vigorous opposition expressed in amicus briefs filed by literally dozens of conservative organizations supporting the Eagle Forum’s motion to quash (i.e., throw out) the subpoena, Justice Department lawyers caved and narrowed their request—as the judge in the case put it—to “1%” of what they were demanding before.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-10-27T09:29:10-04:00October 27, 2022|ACRU Commentary, OPED|

FBI, DOJ Misuse Federal Law to Arrest, Charge Pro-Life Activist

In an early morning raid Friday in Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, about two dozen FBI agents with weapons drawn pounded on the door of Mark Houck’s home, where he lives with his wife and seven children. The FBI agents arrested Houck based on a federal indictment. Sounds serious, right? Is Houck a domestic terrorist, an American jihadist, a dangerous militia member, a violent felon, or someone with a prior history of violence toward law enforcement who would require such an overwhelming show of force? Not even close.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-09-28T17:34:07-04:00September 28, 2022|ACRU Commentary, First Amendment, OPED|

Von Spakovsky: DOJ Harasses Citizens for Exercising First Amendment Rights

The Justice Department has hit Eagle Forum of Alabama with a voluminous subpoena that violates the organization’s First Amendment rights to speak freely, engage in the political process, and talk to its elected representatives.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-09-29T08:48:12-04:00September 28, 2022|ACRU Commentary, First Amendment, OPED|

Von Spakovsky: Lawsuit Continues Against Benson Over Dead on Voter Rolls

Culling dead individuals from Michigan voter rolls is a pretty basic task for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Now Judge Jane M. Beckering, an appointee of President Joe Biden, has rejected Benson’s demand to dismiss a lawsuit filed against her claiming she refused to remove almost 26,000 dead individuals from the state’s voter rolls.

By Hans von Spakovsky|2022-09-14T15:46:49-04:00September 14, 2022|Absentee / Mail-in Voting, ACRU Commentary, Elections, OPED, Vote Fraud, Voter ID, Voter Roll Maintenance, Voting Fraud News|

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