The Supreme Court hears oral argument in Jones v. Mississippi, a case on juvenile life sentences without parole and whether there needs to be court determination that the juvenile cannot be rehabilitated or reformed before imposing sentence.
The Bipartisan Policy Center's Matthew Weil and CNET's Laura Hautala talked about mail-in ballots, election security, and the evolution of voting machines since the 1960s.
New America examined voting technology and discussed with experts the potential for voting via your smartphone or computer in the future. Voatz co-founder and CEO outlined the many benefits of allowing voters to cast a digital ballot via a phone app the company developed.
On Election Day, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar (D) and Deputy Secretary of Elections and Commissions Jonathan Marks discussed the state's general election during a virtual press conference.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Cheri Bustos, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spoke about some of the key House races and control of Congress.
The Washington Post hosted a virtual event to discuss the 2020 election with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN). Rep. Jayapal, the Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair, talked about her role in encouraging progressives to vote for Democratic candidate Joe Biden. She also spoke about the potential for violence on election night, warning that if President Trump tries to "steal the election" that "all bets are off." Sen. Young, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair, discussed Republicans' chances of winning in various Senate races, including those in Maine, Alaska, North Carolina and Georgia. He also talked about the role the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett had played in building support among voters.
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in Jones v. Mississippi, a case on juvenile life sentences without parole and whether there needs to be court determination that the juvenile cannot be rehabilitated or reformed before imposing such a sentence. This case dates back to 2004 when Brett Jones, 15 years old, stabbed and killed his grandfather during an altercation. During trial, his legal team argued self-defense. The jury however convicted him of murder. He received a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. In 2012 the Supreme Court ruled that such a sentence was unconstitutional and violated the Eighth Amendment. Mr. Jones' legal team filed for post-conviction relief and a new sentencing hearing was ordered. The court however ruled against him and he filed an appeal to the state's court of appeals. As the case pended, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution, specifically the Eight Amendment, prohibited life without parole sentences "for all but the rarest of
Political law experts Bob Bauer and Benjamin Ginsberg spoke about what to expect on Election Day during a virtual discussion hosted by The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Both men, who have been involved in election law for decades and co-chaired a 2014 presidential commission to study how American voting is conducted, said they expect to know the outcome of the 2020 presidential race either on election night or a few days after. The discussion covered many aspects related to the upcoming election including the role of the electoral college, voter fraud, absentee ballots and key states to watch for early indicators on election night.
The Federalist Society held a debate with law professors on whether to keep or eliminate the electoral college. Arguing in favor of the elimination of the electoral college was Harvard University Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, and arguing for keeping it was Duke University Law Professor Stephen Sachs The debate was moderated by Judge Neomi Rao from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
Presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and gubernatorial election results, victory and concession speeches and viewer reaction are featured as C-SPAN covers the unfolding outcome of the 2020 election.
