Archive for January 2018

Virginia state election director Edgardo Cortes announced yesterday that he is stepping down from his post effective immediately. Virginia – with its annual statewide elections and battleground status – can be challenging, but Edgardo and his team have overseen some significant changes in the way elections are run in the state.

Arizona’s Maricopa County (Phoenix) is scrambling to figure out how to fund an upcoming Congressional special election after the Legislature’s proposed funds came in $1 million short.

With the New Year upon us, many in the election community are looking ahead to 2018 and wondering what’s in store. electionlineWeekly’s Mindy Moretti shared hers yesterday in a “what to watch” list for 2018.

California Governor Jerry Brown announced his new proposed state budget yesterday – and it includes $134.3 million for voting technology upgrades at the county level. It’s just a proposal, but it offers the possibility of a step forward in Golden State counties’ efforts to get the state to share the burden of election funding.

I’ve written in the past about what I call “52 pickup” – the challenges that arise for election officials in the aftermath of legislative redistricting, but a new analysis using Virginia data suggests that the problem may be thornier and more widespread than imagined. It’s another reminder of how complicated voter assignment can be.

The Spring 2018 semester begins next week at the University of Minnesota and – just in time! – we are offering an opportunity to hear from three of our faculty members about their work and their courses as part of the Certificate in Election Administration – Tammy Patrick, Dana Chisnell and Whitney Quesenbery. The session kicks off at noon Central today – join us!

On Wednesday, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission will host a “summit” in Washington, DC focusing on the 2018 federal election. It promises to be a fantastic curtain-raiser on what is sure to be an eventful year.

Big news yesterday, as the Democracy Fund announced that it had acquired electionline.org as part of its efforts to inform the field about developments in the election community. I can’t wait to see how the site continues to grow as it enters its 17th(!!) year.

Yesterday, citing opposition from states and ongoing lawsuits, President Trump dissolved the controversial Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Whether the planned shift of anti-fraud efforts to DHS will have any effect on the agency’s growing election cybersecurity role will be a key issue to watch.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has yet to pick its September 2018 state primary date, given concerns about conflicts with key Jewish religious holidays. It’s obviously important for voters and candidates, but it’s important for election officials, too.