Archive for 2012

Meagher County, Montana is one of a small but persistent handful of jurisdictions that still count ballots by hand. The technique may now work everywhere, but it does spare smaller jurisdictions the worries and controversy that often accompany newer voting technology.

Last week’s order in the case challenging Florida’s voter registration laws is a judicial primer on the need for legislatures to say what they mean – and clearly – when enacting election legislation.

A new analysis by three Humphrey School masters’ candidates of Minnesota’s proposed voter ID amendment is a thorough – and thoroughly interesting – look at what it takes to move voter ID from policy to practice.

Los Angeles County faces a pollworker shortage for next Tuesday’s primary. Their approach – which included robocalls that yielded more than 500 responses – is indicative of the desperation involved in making sure polls are staffed on Election Day.

A new post at NCSL’s Thicket blog suggests that beginning in 2013, a majority of state legislators will have two or fewer years of legislative experience. What might this mean for election policy?

The Longmont (CO) TimesCall editorialized on the importance of the data matching process behind the recent voter roll controversies in Florida. The editorial is not only insightful but illuminates the value of multiple data sources in voter registration.

This week’s electionlineWeekly story by Mindy Moretti tells the story of how the South Dakota Secretary of State is stepping in to fill the void left by the sudden passing of a local election offcial.

GOP governors in Pennsylvania and Virginia have taken steps to help voters get required photo ID more quickly. These moves won’t end the debate but at least they get us closer to solving the problem.

A dissent in the recent appeals court opinion in the Shelby County case suggests that the formula used to subject states and jurisdictions to coverage is the new focal point for efforts to weaken or eliminate enforcement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

The National Institute for Standards and Technology recently issued a statement expressing continued concerns about the feasibility of Internet voting. What, if any impact will it have on the debate?