Doe v. Reed and the Role of Anonymity in a Democracy
Free Speech & Election Law Practice Group
| Topics: | Election Law • First Amendment • Security & Privacy • Free Speech & Election Law |
|---|---|
| Sponsors: | Free Speech & Election Law Practice Group |
In April 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Doe v. Reed. The Court is expected to decided whether petition signatures should be disclosed to public parties under Washington State's Public Records Act. Do people that sign political petitions to place measures on the ballot have a right to privacy, association, belief or speech that would prevent disclosure of their names and perhaps other personal information? What level of scrutiny should the Court use in examining the question? Does the public have a right (perhaps to police authenticity, to study patterns of support, or from mere curiosity) to know who signed particular petitions? These and other questions are addressed by our experts.
Featuring:
- Mr. John C. Fortier, Research Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Mr. Robert Frommer, Staff Attorney, Institute for Justice
- Moderator: Ms. Allison Hayward, Constitutional and election law expert in Washington DC, and Chair of the Federalist Society's Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group