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December 2012
Charles Stewart and a "Voter's Eye View of Election Day 2012"
Charles Stewart of MIT shares some of the summary conclusions from his most recent Survey of the Performance of American Elections. It's worth a look!
Richland County's Breakdowns: Mechanical or Managerial?
Richland County, SC had some of the longest and worst lines on Election Day 2012. The problem has been traced to an equipment shortage - but the breakdowns apparently weren't just limited to the voting machines.
Senate Judiciary Committee to Discuss "The State of the Right to Vote After the the 2012 Election"
The 2012 election comes to Capitol Hill today in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
But Wait - THERE'S MORE! After Busy 2012, Some Jurisdictions Facing 2013 Special Elections
The "off year" will have to wait a while after different circumstances combined to require special elections for U.S. House seats in Illinois, Missouri and South Carolina.
Every Second Counts: UPS' Lesson for Polling Places
United Parcel Service uses a "boot camp" to train its drivers for the job of delivering billions of packages every year. That training includes a focus on efficiency that suggests a model for election administrators in thinking about the polling place.
ElectionlineWeekly Profiles Cuyahoga's (Departing) Jane Platten
Cuyahoga County, Ohio's Jane Platten - who took a county election office widely derided for high-profile problems and made a national leader for election administration - gets a well-deserved appreciation in this week's electionlineWeekly.
New Money, Old Machines: Mississippi County Discusses Fixing vs. Replacing Voting Equipment
A recent story out of Mississippi suggests that even when funding and technology exists to replace aging voting machines, some jurisdictions are hesitant to make the switch.
Supposing is Good, But Finding Out is Better (cont.): Pew on Lines in 2012
New data from Pew paints a more detailed and empirical picture of the issue of lines for voters on (and before) Election Day.
You've Got Mail, Mr. President: Two New Letters Weigh In on Voting Technology Issues
Two recent letters to President on voting technology issues - sent in response to his "we need to fix that" comment on Election Night - will likely help shape the agenda for election reform in the upcoming federal policy debate.
Roeder on Big Data: Could it Work for Election Administration?
A recent op-ed by the Obama campaign's data director describes (and debunks popular misconceptions about) the "big data" phenomenon in politics. Election administrators should take note.
Nevada's New Voter ID Proposal: Election Geek Jujitsu?
Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller has proposed a new voter ID bill that would give poll workers access to voters' photos instead of requiring them to produce ID. It's an act of jujitsu on a long-running issue that has a fighting chance of success (pun intended).
Lines After Election Day: Gronke on the Slow(?) Pace of Counting Ballots
Paul Gronke has a provocative piece about the pressure on election officials to speed ballot counts, especially in jurisdictions (like California) with large number of vote-by-mail ballots.
Hard Math: Small Errors Plus One-Vote Margin Equals Big Problems in Alexandria
A razor-thin one-vote legislative race in Alexandria, MN with Election Day errors has local officials looking at the prospect of randomly removing ballots from the tally followed by an automatic recount and post-election litigation.