Voting
By Eric Ostermeier on August 1, 2012
Only the 1972 Democratic runoff between former Senator Ralph Yarborough and Barefoot Sanders had a smaller drop in turnout of the 11 such U.S. Senate runoffs conducted since 1950
By Eric Ostermeier on May 11, 2012
Buoyed by key primary battles down the ballot and a gay marriage ban initiative, Indiana and North Carolina notch the 3rd and 4th biggest increases in GOP presidential primary turnout from 2008.
By Eric Ostermeier on August 10, 2011
Turnout across six recall elections Tuesday was just 40,000 votes shy of top of the ticket voting in 2010's gubernatorial race.
By Eric Ostermeier on May 15, 2011
Humphrey event examines the movement afoot that seeks to implement an electoral system with a direct, nationwide popular vote
By Eric Ostermeier on April 11, 2011
Only six Wisconsin Supreme Court incumbents have been defeated in state history across more than 120 contests
By Eric Ostermeier on April 7, 2011
Both candidates break old state record by nearly 77,000 votes
By Eric Ostermeier on September 28, 2010
Pollsters' numbers suggest turnout may well exceed 2002's record 64.9 percent mark, but are those numbers reliable?
By Eric Ostermeier on May 2, 2010
Emmer continues to highlight voter ID as core issue to 2010 campaign; popular issue may be the lure to get conservative Democrats onto his coalition's hook
By Eric Ostermeier on February 25, 2010
Many of the 11 DFL defectors represent vulnerable House districts; Norm Coleman carried nine of these districts in 2008, including eight by double digits
By Eric Ostermeier on February 8, 2010
Average 'red state' primary date is June 15th, while average 'blue state' date is July 23rd. 'Purple state' average date is July 11th
By Eric Ostermeier on February 3, 2010
Despite the characterization that caucus night was a quiet night for Republicans in some media reports, GOP turnout nonetheless increased by more than 20 percent since the last time the party was searching for its gubernatorial nominee back in 2002
By Eric Ostermeier on November 5, 2009
Less than half utilized 2nd choice option in mayoral race; voter turnout down by 25,000+ from 2005
By Eric Ostermeier on July 15, 2009
Last Friday four of Minnesota's prominent leaders on election reform convened at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs to discuss what work needs to be done for the Gopher State to improve on its nationally renowned election system. Moderated by Lawrence Jacobs, Director of the Institute's Center for the Study...
By Eric Ostermeier on July 9, 2009
Two leaders from the State Capitol will be speaking at a forum hosted by the Humphrey Institute on Friday morning to pinpoint reforms that could be made in the Minnesota election system to avoid recount pitfalls in the future. DFL Senator Ann Rest (Chair of the Senate State and Local...
By Eric Ostermeier on April 15, 2009
More than two hundred Minnesotans - from party leaders, to legislators, to mayors, to city council members, to interested citizens - rallied in support of ranked choice voting at a fundraising event held for FairVote Minnesota in Minneapolis Tuesday evening. Ranked choice voting (aka instant runoff voting, or IRV) passed...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 13, 2009
In a media availability held at the Minnesota House Minority Leader's office Friday morning, Republican Marty Seifert expressed great 'disappointment' that voter ID, his caucuses' top priority on election reform, failed to get out of committee this week. Seifert is fairly confident his caucus will get another shot at...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 12, 2009
To the surprise of few, the House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections Committee voted down Republican Tom Emmer and Mary Kiffmeyer's "Voter Integrity Act of 2009" on Thursday morning by a vote of 11 to 8. The bill would have required residents to show a valid...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 12, 2009
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie outlined a long legislative 'wish-list' at a press conference Wednesday morning to improve the state's electoral process: · Permitting early voting of 15, 30, or even 45 days before an election to alleviate the burden of absentee ballots on local officials. · Requiring a...
By Eric Ostermeier on January 29, 2009
Even though the Voter Integrity Act of 2009 (HF 57) introduced earlier this week by Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer (R-Delano) has been characterized by some in the media as a "politically divisive idea" ("Requiring Voter IDs Is Back on the Agenda," Pioneer Press, 1/26/09), public opinion conducted on the issue...
By Eric Ostermeier on December 16, 2008
Minnesota voters, buoyed perhaps both by a strong sense of civic duty, a high interest in politics, and a little thing called same-day registration, have once again led the country in voter turnout in the 2008 election. The Gopher State has now topped the country in turnout in seven straight...
