Space for Disagreement: Summit County, OH Officials Clash Over Voter Parking

The headlines in this election season have been dominated by concerns about high-tech threats to the voting process, but in one Ohio county there is an argument brewing over something far less complex but arguably just as important: parking for voters. As Election Day approaches these kinds of concerns and disputes, about issues that potentially affect the everyday experience of voters, will likely proliferate.

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EAC Announces Winners of Election Worker Best Practices Competition

Yesterday, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced five winners in its competition to identify best practices in recruiting and training individuals to work as election workers: Brevard County, FL; Franklin County, OH; Hamilton County, OH; Montgomery County, MD; and New Hanover County, NC. The winning entries are all innovative and should be fantastic resources for the field.

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DHS Statement on Voluntary Cybersecurity Assistance Available to Election Officials

Last Friday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson released a statement detailing all the ways in which the agency is prepared to assist – but emphasizes that such assistance would only be provided on a voluntary basis. It’ll be interesting to see how many states take up that offer, given the short time before Election Day and concerns about upsetting the federal-state balance in elections.

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Election Officials' Not-So-Secret Weapon Against Doubts: Resilience

Concerns about “hacking” or “rigging” of election results have continued to grow in recent weeks, with a crescendo in the media that is impossible to ignore. Still (taking a cue from an enlightened bunny), I strongly believe that election officials can demonstrate resilience – and weather the current storm – because of the many ways in which they can show their work to protect voters and the voting system.

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Hook, Line and Username? OK Election Officials Report Phishing Scam

“Phishing” – a scam which involves impersonating a trusted entity in order to obtain personal information – is a growing problem online. Election officials in Oklahoma are warning voters there that, as the general election season heats up, a new phishing expedition is being carried out in the guise of the State Electoral Board. Scams like these highlight the importance to election officials of protecting voter information.

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NH Ballot Selfie Case Reaches Appeals Court

New Hampshire’s law banning “ballot selfies” – blocked late last year – reaches a federal appellate court today. The case turns on the clash between free-speech concerns and efforts to protect the integrity of the voting process, and may end up confronting the court with the familiar problem of how much credit to give a theoretical threat against voting when weighing an actual restriction based on that threat.

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DC Circuit Blocks Proof of Citizenship Requirements for 2016 Election

Late Friday, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, on a 2-1 vote, issued an injunction in a case challenging the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)’s inclusion of state proof-of-citizenship laws on the federal voter registration form. The order likely settles this matter for now – but given the lengthy history of this dispute and a likely split at the EAC, not forever.

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electionline Q&A with David Becker and Amy Cohen on New Venture

Earlier this week, David Becker and Amy Cohen – two well-known figures in the election community – announced that they had launched a new non-profit focused on continued improvements to the nation’s voting process. My friend and colleague Mindy Moretti sat down (virtually) with the two of them for a Q&A in the latest electionlineWeekly.

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EVN's Top Ten List on Election Security

There’s been a lot of attention recently in the media on potential threats to the election system from hackers – but the focus has tended to be on what might happen or who plans to get involved. What’s been lacking up until now is a sense of what can be done about it; fortunately, members of the Election Verification Network (EVN) have developed a “Top Ten list” for election offices seeking to do something right now.

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