Posts by Doug Chapin

Election officials in Laporte County, IN are blaming their vendor’s “human error” for interim election results that contained more votes than the eventual final tally. It’s a useful reminder for election offices that despite new procedures in the wake of increased mail ballots, responsibility for accuracy remains with them.

Errors in Election Night reporting led Idaho’s Secretary of State to change the outcome in a legislative race after it became clear one county’s results hadn’t been included in the totals.

Longtime election attorney and scholar Dan Tokaji is the new dean of the University of Wisconsin Law School, it was announced yesterday. It’s a tremendous and well-deserved honor for one of the leading scholars in the field.

Curfews put in place in several cities in the wake of protests over racial injustice sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis could create problems for voters seeking to cast ballots in primaries today.

Last week, the Wisconsin Election Commission began preparing for this fall’s general election by approving a statewide voter mailing, including absentee voting requests, and providing millions in federal funds to localities for use in preparing for the fall elections.

The North Carolina House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill aimed at expanding vote-by-mail for the 2020 election in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a significant development given the state’s recent controversies over election rules in the Tar Heel State.

A West Virginia mail carrier is facing federal charges after his “joke” of altering absentee ballot requests was discovered by county election officials.

North Dakota’s Secretary of State is looking past all the controversy on voting by mail and finding a surprising bright side: the opportunity for kids to learn more about the election process. In the current fractious and frantic environment surrounding vote-by-mail, it’s nice to see a “teachable moment” about elections.

A federal court, as expected, struck down the State of Florida’s limits on restoration of voting rights for individuals with former felony convictions, saying the requirement to pay outstanding fines and fees was a “tax” and an unconstitutional basis for denying the franchise.

State Senator Shemia Fagan won the Democratic nomination for Oregon Secretary of State after an erroneous Election Night media call gave the race to an opponent.