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November 2011
A Feast for Geeks: Maricopa's Post-Election Data Cornucopia
Maricopa County's 2010 General Election Review is the latest subject of Pew's Election Data Dispatches. It's an amazing data feast for election geeks - come dig in!
What Price Accountability - and Who Pays? Weston, CT and Election Auditing
Weston, CT is unhappy about being included in the latest statewide audit of voting machines. This post examines the underlying issues - which are likely to recur as more and more jurisdictions embrace the concept of auditing.
Election 2012: Coming Sooner Than You Think
New Hampshire's primary - and the election administration "starting gun" for the 2012 election - is just six weeks away. Here are some storylines worth watching as we move into a presidential election year.
A (Quick) Look Ahead to the Near Future of Election News
A quick pre-Thanksgiving peek at two stories that feel like they'll be with us for awhile. [Programming note: the blog will return on Monday, November 28.]
New Census Mobility Data: A Snapshot of the Annual Challenge for Election Officials
New census mobility data reveals that most moves occur close to home - which can create challenges for the nation's election officials.
If You've Never Seen It Before, It's News To You: A (Gentle) Rant About Election Coverage
A short but gentle Friday rant about some recent media coverage of election administration. The moral? Knowing a little about the law and paying attention to language goes a long way.
The Saga Continues: New York's MOVE Act Waiver Denied
New York still hasn't made changes to accommodate military and overseas voters as required by federal law. Already facing a federal lawsuit, the state's latest request for an extension was denied. That doesn't mean anything will happen soon, though.
A Trip Through the Archives: Catching Up On Some Recent Stories
We dive into the archives to bring you up to date on a number of stories featured over the blog's first few months.
Washington's Missing 21,000 Ballots: Failure to Communicate
Washington State's recent experience with 21,000 unsent ballots highlights the importance of communication between agencies that have agreed to cooperate on voters' behalf.
Solving Elections' "Snowplow Problem"
Unvoted ballots are a significant post-election challenge and a huge waste of public dollars. This post uses the analogy to the "snowplow problem" to look at efforts to more closely match ballot printing with voter demand for ballots.
Estimating Election Costs - Easier Than It Seems?
Pew's latest Election Data Dispatch looks at cost data from Massachusetts' recent special U.S. Senate election. The data suggests that even a modest investment in data collection can pay powerful dividends in certainty about election costs.
Virginia Senate District 17: An Election Geek's View
The razor-thin outcome in a Virginia State Senate race that could affect control of the chamber could lead to a recount. This post provides some background on the election details that could play a role.
"New Eyes" and Elections
A recent op-ed on smartphone voting points out the value of "new eyes" in the ongoing effort to modernize our system of elections.
A Few Choice Words on Election Day 2011
In honor of Election Day 2011, some words from years past about the day itself.
An Educated Consumer is Our Best Voter
With Election Day 2011 (and Election Day 2012!) rapidly approaching, here's what every voter can do to make sure he or she is an "educated consumer" before casting a ballot.
Paging Dr. Hawthorne: Did Controversy Boost Colorado Inactive Turnout?
Turnout of inactive voters in Colorado was up in 2011 after a controversy about whether or not they should receive ballots at all. This post wonders if the attention sparked by the controversy had anything to do with the results.
Non-Precinct Place Voting: Trends and Opportunities
Pew's new Election Data Dispatch looks at the growth in non-precinct place voting (NPPV). This post discusses what voters' growing reliance on NPPV means for the field - and the future of election administration.
Internet Voting: Why It Isn't "Someday" Yet
A new white paper by computer scientist David Jefferson on the differing characteristics of online commerce and online voting is a nice primer on the obstacles facing adoption of Internet voting in the United States.
Gunning Through the Fog: Plain English and Voter Website Readability*
A new study assessing the readability of state voter websites offers another chance to examine the issue of usability in the field of elections.