Archive for 2014

The new report by the Presidential Commission on Election Administration is jam-packed with great ideas for the future of American elections – here are some highlights as the focus shifts from thinking about reform to making it happen.

The Election Assistance Commission met a court-ordered deadline to respond in a dispute over proof of citizenship – and in so doing raised issues of constitutional and administrative law while likely renewing the debate about its own future.

Last Friday, a Pennsylvania state judge invalidated the state’s voter ID law. While the ruling halts ID in the Keystone State for now, it tells us little about what’s next in the courts. Still, the public may not care.

A new bipartisan bill to revise and revive the Voting Rights Act has been introduced in Congress. Here’s what it says – and what’s next.

A new poll conducted for Pew’s election team shows that voters’ knowledge of the rules for elections in their state is inconsistent at best – what does that mean for the election system?

A federal judge in Alabama made the city of Evergreen the first locality to be re-subjected to Voting Rights Act preclearance since the Supreme court decision in Shelby County. If nothing else, it signals that “bail-in” survives not just in theory but in practice.

The State of Ohio has entered into a settlement regarding a voter registration lawsuit. Looking only at the content of the settlement, can you guess the plaintiff? If not – or if it’s difficult – that’s actually a good thing because it means consensus might be emerging.

Scott Konopasek’s latest “Election Guru” post calls for the election field to put greater emphasis on soft (management) skills versus hard (technical) skills in an effort to bring the profession closer to the 21st Century.

New data on the outcome of 2012 vote fraud cases in several large Ohio counties is a valuable lens into the true impact of fraud on the election process – and a model for other states and localities.

Pew’s newest issue brief looks past the simple question of whether or not states have adopted online voter registration to the more important question of how those new systems work. That information will be crucial as OVR continues to expand nationwide.