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14 Feb 2012 10:30

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U.S.: Pew study: Millions of voter registrations have significant errors

  • 1/8 of all voter registrations in the U.S. contain errors, Pew says
  • 24M voter registrations contain major errors, according to Pew
  • 2.7M people have current voter registrations in multiple states
  • 1.8M registered voters have one slight problem: they’re dead source
  • » Is this a sign of voter fraud? Not really, Pew says. The bigger problem, they claim, is that outdated methods are being used to sign voters up. They recommend a more centralized voting system that utilizes online registration — similar to the one eight states (Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington) are already working on. They suggest such a system will save money by preventing duplication and cutting down on form usage.

27 Dec 2011 22:28

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Politics: Rick Perry sues Virginia GOP over ballot exclusion

  • SUE ’em if they don’t let you on the ballot! source
  • » That’s Rick Perry’s calculus: A total of five Republicans won’t appear (also including Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman) on the ballot in Virginia’s presidential primary, having failed to collect the 10,000 signatures required by state law, but Rick Perry is the only one to react with a lawsuit (so far). He’s suing the Virginia Republican Party, and the state board of elections, claiming that the state’s signature requirements — in particular, the provision that bans out-of-state circulators from gathering signatures — are unconstitutionally restrictive. Of course, he’s seeking retroactive change in the law, one that would allow him to appear on Virginia’s March 6th ballot after all. We agree with Talking Points Memo that suing one’s own party, even at a statewide level, isn’t normally the best move for a presidential candidate, but then again, what does he have to lose?

21 Mar 2011 23:50

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World: More on Egypt’s recently-passed constitutional referendum

  • Oh yeah, that: With all the chaos in Libya and Japan, there hasn’t been much attention paid to what’s happened in Egypt in the wake of President Hosni Mubarak’s ousting. So, here’s the skinny: Over the weekend, the country voted on a referendum containing substantial changes to the country’s Constitution. Both of the country’s two major political parties, the National Democratic Party and the Muslim Brotherhood, supported the changes, which passed with 77% of the vote. Now, it has to pass a parliamentary vote, which could come as early as September. But what was actually in it, and how is it playing out in Egypt?
  • Limits on the Presidency In addition to reducing the length of presidential terms from six years to four, the new Constitution, if adopted, will instate a two-term limit for future presidents (Mubarak led for thirty years). Also, it requires the President to select a deputy within thirty days of assuming office, and bars anybody under 40 from running for President.
  • High Voter TurnoutBack in the Mubarak days, many Egyptians thought leaders rigged the elections, so there wasn’t much of an impetus to vote. This time, 41% — or 18 million people — came out to vote. Not staggeringly high, for sure, but nothing to sneeze at, either. If anything, this turnout bodes well for the prospects of a democratic Egypt.
  • Mixed Reactions Some pro-democracy groups are upset that the reforms didn’t go far enough. Activists claim the changes will benefit the two major parties, and some want to tear up the constitution and start over. Perhaps. Even so, the referendum’s passage seems — tentatively — like a good step towards rebuilding the country. source

15 Mar 2011 15:04

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Politics: In Wisconsin, the Democrats are told they can’t vote

  • They are free to attend hearings, listen to testimony, debate legislation, introduce amendments, and cast votes to signal their support/opposition, but those votes will not count, and will not be recorded.
  • Wisconsin’s GOP Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald • On the topic of the fourteen Democratic Senators who left Wisconsin to hold up Gov. Scott Walker’s union-busting bill. Basically, he’s saying that because the Democrats were held in contempt while they were in Illinois, that status will continue until they appear for the next legislative roll call, so they don’t get to vote. If this is allowed, the Republicans gain an obvious, if temporary strategic edge. Namely, if the Democrats want to be, you know, members of a representative body again, they’d have to attend the next roll call, which isn’t until April 5th. Therefore, in addition to the benefit of having a neutered opposition until April, the Republicans can be sure the Democrats will want to attend that particular session- meaning they can prioritize their biggest goals to that same day, ensuring the fourteen can’t go AWOL again without extending their vote-less status. A very Scott Walker April, anyone? source

19 Nov 2010 11:00

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World: Spanish get-out-the-vote ad features woman faking orgasm

  • Admit it. If voting had this effect, you’d be more likely to do it. source

06 Oct 2010 13:05

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Tech: Voting board asks hackers to wreak havoc, hackers comply

  • invitation DC’s Board of Elections asked hackers to give their new online voting system their “best shot,” hoping to discover its weaknesses.
  • acceptance University of Michigan successfully broke into the system and made it play their college fight song after voters filled out their ballots. source

21 Sep 2010 11:02

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Politics: Stewart and Colbert’s rallies somehow scaring Democrats

  • A lot of people on campus are going. I’m planning to attend it, too. Right now I don’t think we’re worried about an effect on GOTV. The rally is Saturday; Halloween is Sunday. We’re still going to vote on Tuesday.
  • Georgetown University College Democrats spokesperson William Vogt • Suggesting the Democrats’ worst fears – that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s dueling rallies will affect “get out the vote” efforts on the weekend before the election. Dave Weigel, writing about the phenomenon for Slate, seems skeptical. “The Democratic panic is out of whack,” he writes. “Stewart’s rally will attract two kinds of people: The liberals who weren’t going to GOTV anyway, and the liberals who needed this final jolt to reconnect with their elitism.” We’re with him. It’s going to be tough for the Democrats this year, no matter where their voters are on October 30th. source
 

22 Jun 2009 00:11

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World: The Guardian Council in Iran says yes, there were voting irregularities

  • 50 Iranian cities had a vote count that was over 100% source

16 Apr 2009 21:19

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World: India’s got so many people, a democratic vote is ultra-daunting

  • 714 million people are eligible to vote in India, which sounds like a giant mess waiting to happen. Turnout as high as 86% is expected. source

30 Jan 2009 16:21

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U.S.: Finally! A new Republican National Committee chair is elected

It only took six rounds, but Michael Steele is the first African-American RNC leader. source