Posts by Doug Chapin

The emerging story about who really “won” the GOP Iowa caucuses raises the question of when – and why – and election can be considered “over.” While election results aren’t instantaneous, timeliness of official returns is likely to become more important as demand intensifies for news of an election’s outcome on the contests and questions of the day.

A recent USA Today article on early and absentee voting includes some helpful reminders about what make those procedures special – and what impact they could have on elections in 2012.

ElectionDiary – a blog by Kansas election professional Brian Newby – is an exciting new addition to the world of election administration. Its debut is just timely enough to ease the sting of the demise of @EACGov, the Twitter stream that has fallen silent with the departure Jeannie Layson, the agency’s queen of social media.

A new article suggests that using e-mail to direct voters to online registration forms may not yield the expected benefit because of the “cost of convenience.” This post looks at that study – and its conclusions about what states and localities can do to use technology to boost participation.

A new story about potential dead voters in South Carolina is likely to set tongues wagging given that state’s pending lawsuit over voter ID. But Loyola’s Justin Levitt thinks we should first let the data finish what it has to say.

A new article by Berkeley’s Phillip Stark and David Wagner proposes a new approach to voting technology – one which could make the increasingly problematic testing and certification process unnecessary in the wake of a new, evidence-based regime.

The Overseas Vote Foundation will be hosting its Sixth Annual Summit on January 27 in Washington, DC – it’s a must-see for anyone interested in military and overseas voting.

New data highlighted in a recent Pew Dispatch suggests that less-populous counties are more likely to have higher per-voter costs simply because they have fewer voters.

New recall cost estimates from Wisconsin’ Government Accountability Board are generating debate in the Badger State about whether such costs are worth it. This is a development that we can expect to see elsewhere in 2012 and beyond.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls….votin’ time’s here! [Cross-posted from the January 5, 2012 electionlineWeekly]