Archive for 2017

Senators Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have proposed an amendment (SA656) to the defense authorization bill that would provide states with federal dollars to upgrade their election cybersecurity. It’s an exceedingly modest but necessary step toward helping states and localities harden their election systems from outside cybersecurity threats.

Grand Forks, ND’s plan to use a single polling place for a citywide sales tax referendum this November is sparking a debate over the balance between voter access and resource allocation. It’s actually a neat little case study on the question facing many communities: at what point does attempting to ensure access for voters stretch a jurisdiction past its available resources?

Politico had a long, well-researched article over the weekend entitled “Cash-strapped states brace for Russian hacking fight” which looks at the current state of the various debates across the country on election security. It’s worth a click and a read – but the overall takeaway (in short, there’s still way more talk than funding) is one that is concerning and more than a little dispiriting.

The Labor Day weekend is approaching, which means that school has either already started, or is about to, in communities across the nation. electionlineWeekly’s Mindy Moretti has a look this week at how high school principals in Seminole County, FL are helping students “hit the books” in a different way.

A new lawsuit is challenging California rules that plaintiffs say resulted in thousands of ballots discarded for signature mismatch issues. It’s just the latest example of how the growing numbers of vote by mail ballots is forcing states and localities to rethink their own laws and processes as more and more voters cast their ballots outside of a polling place.

I was on a blogging break last week while I traveled to Anaheim – but as it does, news continued to happen while I was gone, closing the books on some storylines while suggesting new trends to watch this fall and beyond.

I’ll be in Anaheim this week to join the annual summer meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors (and I hope to see folks attending the Election Center, too) … the blog will take a short summer break and will return on Monday, August 28 for a reduced schedule until after Labor Day.

I have a guest column in the August 17 electionlineWeekly highlighting the University of Minnesota’s new undergraduate certificate program and (re)introducing the course catalog for 2017-18. Join us!

Polling places are vital to most election offices, but a story from Manatee County (Bradenton) FL – about a near-miss conflict between ballots and bingo cards – reminds us that the buildings involved are also vital, albeit for different reasons, to the owners. The underlying issue – conflicting priorities for building owners as the election office stands by, essentially helpless – repeats itself across the country every election cycle.

Issues with accessibility have resulted in the closure of a key Queens, NY polling place in the LeFrak City apartment complex, and as of now there is no on-site replacement despite the fact that the September 12 primary election – featuring a fierce City Council race in which the complex is a crucial voting bloc – is fast approaching