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Guadalupe County, TX’s election administrator quit this week – partly because she wasn’t enjoying it anymore but mostly because her 2014 experience seemed to suggest that she was in an increasingly no-win situation. Going forward, she may not be the only one.

Rick Hasen’s new paper looks at the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 rulings in last-minute election cases; he suggests the Court may be over-relying on the threat of “voter confusion” and calls on Justices to issue opinions in these cases eventually, if not right away.

Kitsap County, WA’s new auditor is a 30-year veteran of the office who rose from temporary worker to the top job. Her story is typical of the “accidental” nature of election administration, but it’s also an opportunity to capture that knowledge for the next generation.

County officials in St. Charles, MO have forcibly refunded hundreds of thousands of dollars in election costs that they say overcharged local governments and the county itself. The election director disagrees, and says he’ll go to court to get the money back.

Happy New Year! electionline is back with another edition of its election In and Out List – inspired by the Washington Post’s style list but packed with all the election geekiness of the last year and the one to come!

Iowa’s new Secretary of State is already making sounds – and plans – for a more cooperative approach to the office including OVR and epollbooks, signalling a shift in tone from his fraud-focused combative predecessor.

Taking a short break … back sometime next week!

DailyKos contributor Dante Atkins wrote about hand recounts – and despite my own preconceptions about the role of partisan operatives and litigants, it’s a really good read that shows how a well-run process with mutual respect can pay dividends for all concerned.

PCEA co-chairs Ben Ginsberg and Bob Bauer have sent letters to the three new EAC Commissioners calling for quick action on three important parts of the nation’s voting technology testing and certification system.

Cook County, IL has released its latest post-election report – examining the 2014 general election – and it’s full of fascinating information about turnout as well as the impact of election law changes like EDR and early voting.