Posts by Doug Chapin

Recent stories from Kentucky and Indiana provide contrasting lessons on the need for strong leadership in elections as states enter the rough seas of a presidential election year.

A Twitter(!) suggestion about presidential primary scheduling offers an opportunity to look more closely at the question of turnout – which itself will get lots of scrutiny this year.

The Department of Justice’s objection to South Carolina’s voter ID requirement brings a long-overdue empirical focus to the issue – but, because of doubts about the data, might not actually settle it just yet. At least now the debate’s on the right track.

This morning’s election headlines suggest that election geeks across the nation should enjoy their holidays because 2012 already looks to be more interesting and eventful than any of us might have expected.

Pew’s latest Election Data Dispatch uses EAC data to look at how and why voters are removed from the rolls – and suggests that better data practices might capture more of the 40% of voters removed for “failure to vote”.

A new review of ranked choice voting in San Francisco’s 2011 election suggests that as many as two-thirds of the city’s voters didn’t complete their ballots. Some believe this is the definitive answer on RCV – but I think the study asks other questions we should answer first.

Recently the RNC announced that it would follow the lead of Democrats and outsource its voter file management in order to get the benefits of new information obtained in the field. This post suggests election officials follow suit and points to a Pew initiative to do just that.

International hacker group Anonymous’ threat to “peacefully shut down” the Iowa caucuses is a sign of the promise and perils of technology – and a reminder that professionals who can meet and resist threats are a necessity as progress comes to the field of elections.

After nearly a quarter of a century, a long-time elections official moves on.

An editorial in the Wausau (WI) Daily Herald puts a new, neighborly spin on the voter ID debate.