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The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a “Sunday Q&A” with Department of Elections CIO Matthew Davis … it’s a fascinating look at the work of elections in the Old Dominion and a terrific opportunity for an election administrator to give readers a chance to see how – and why – election preparations are proceeding as November 2016 approaches.

Long voter lines have been in the news lately – and are on the minds of election officials everywhere as turnout surges around the country. Offices nationwide are looking for ways to help voters navigate Election Day, and the latest electionlineWeekly has a story by Mindy Moretti looking at a resource from Collin County, TX (suburban Dallas, Plano) that can literally fit in the palm of a voter’s hand.

The latest – but likely not the last – election lawsuit has just been filed in Ohio. At issue is the state’s “supplemental process” for identifying inactive voters and removing them from the rolls; the state says the process is consistent with the law and past practice but plaintiffs say it is disenfranchising thousands of voters in violation of federal law.

St. Louis County, MO had a nightmare day yesterday for its municipal election, as ballot mistakes and shortages led to a (rather late) court order, angry voters and widespread calls for investigations into what went wrong. It remains to be seen what, if any, effect this will have on the County’s preparations for this fall’s presidential general election.

Massachusetts’ state elections office and a ballot-printing vendor are blaming one another for a dispute during the presidential primary that resulted in the vendor’s termination. At issue are the quality and type of printing, as well as the state’s choice of voting equipment and the numbers of ballots ordered for various parties’ primaries. It’s not a good situation seven months from the general election.

Two years ago, I pooh-poohed a proposal by Ohio State’s Dan Tokaji suggesting a “grand bargain” between the parties on voter ID and registration reform. Last week, West Virginia proved me wrong, doing just that in a legislative compromise (just signed by the Governor) that puts in place a non-photo voter ID requirement while also launching automatic “opt-out” registration at the DMV.

The New York City Board of Elections is once again under fire from critics after a series of proofreading errors (and accompanying fixes) are costing tax funds to fix and potentially creating confusion for voters. The Board’s director says mistakes happen, but the agency’s recent track record suggests that the focus should be on prevention instead of followup.

The Rhode Island legislature has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would establish online voter registration and permit participation in interstate exchanges like ERIC. If signed by the governor, the bill will add the nation’s smallest state to a growing list of states and the District now offering the ability to register or update voter records online.

Today, the Iowa Supreme Court will hear a case challenging the implementation of the state Constitution’s disenfranchisement of people convicted of “infamous crimes.” That policy, which has been a moving target recently but currently disenfranchises all felons, is dividing local officials over the importance of a “bright line” between eligible and ineligible felons – and if so, where to draw it.

Leon County, FL’s Ion Sancho is retiring this fall after a long and distinguished career in elections. Before he leaves, he’s done a “Five Questions” interview with Sunshine State News, covering a wide range of topics and revealing why his energy and commitment has meant so much to his community, his state – and the field – for nearly thirty years.