April 2012

Pew's Voting Information Project is hosting a Hackathon next week. This event will not only hasten the development of tools to assist voters in 2012, but it also represents a new stage in VIP's maturity and promises dramatically expanded impact for this vital project.

Brentwood, TN is resisting efforts by the Williamson County election office to use its library for early voting. The dispute is likely to recur in other jurisdictions - and is a tough call even for the most dedicated election geek.

A new online map of controversial precinct changes in Omaha, Nebraska is an example of how basic election data can be used to illuminate policy differences and assist voters in casting a ballot at the polls.

A recent decision in a long-running challenge to Arizona's proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration re-opens a debate about the primacy of federal vs. state law (and forms) in the area of voter registration.

Murfreesboro, TN is rethinking a new early voting location after low turnout yielded an effective cost of nearly $33 per vote. The story suggests that the evolving notion of "convenience" requires new approaches - and new tools - to get siting decisions right.

NCSL's Todd Haggerty and Wendy Underhill have been studying the costs of photo ID across the nation. This article (reprinted from electionlineWeekly) shares some of that data and identifies how ID is (and isn't) increasing election costs to states and localities.

Washington State is debating the cost of a special Congressional election, and it's already getting partisan. One reporter, however (The Kitsap Sun's Steven Gardner) took the time to get - and share - the whole story. It's worth reading.

Last week's Anchorage election experienced a host of problems that resulted in significant voter frustration. The chaos likely wasn't deliberate, but the story suggests a model for a real-world "denial of service" attack that could be used to affect other elections.

Pew's new Election Data Dispatch focuses on provisional ballot data from Ohio's 2011 election. That data provides an opportunity to talk about how to view provisional ballots and what to do about ensuring otherwise valid voters don't lose their votes.

The election official and vendor in a disputed Florida municipal election are pointing fingers about who should have caught an error identified by a post-election audit.