Archive for July 2013

The latest ElectionDiary by Brian Newby takes the idea of change and uses it as a clarion call for innovation in the field of election administration.

A New Jersey town is seeking to move voting out of its school buildings this fall, citing security concerns and the crowded election calendar.

Richland County, SC’s plan to address problems that arose on Election Day 2012 – causing controversy and leading to new leadership in the election office – involves a dramatic increase in spending to ensure that the problems don’t occur again in 2013.

About a month after the Supreme Court effectively eliminated preclearance as a key part of the Voting Rights Act, the U.S. Department of Justice has signaled its intention to re-open the debate by asking courts to re-impose preclearance on certain states.

Two big Arizona cities are challenging a new state law consolidating local elections in even-numbered years, claiming that it infringes on local autonomy and won’t produce the promised cost savings and turnout effects.

An interesting story for a busy day – Ector County, TX is getting panic buttons for its county election office.

One New Jersey town is looking to the state to cover the costs of fans to keep polling places cool during next month’s special primary. It sounds small, but is actually indicative of a larger funding issue locals face when states schedule special elections.

Clackamas County, OR is retooling its ballot counting process – with everything from cameras to green and purple pens – after a tampering conviction marred the 2012 vote.

The latest ElectionDiary from Brian Newby demonstrates the lengths to which some election officials have to go to try to fix their postal problems. Fortunately, those efforts can pay off in good news – as he details in today’s post.

New data from Nebraska suggests that vote-by-mail in non-candidate special elections appears to be associated with higher turnout.