Category Archive

Popsugar: During the 2012 presidential election, I was a college student juggling a minimum-wage job, two internships, and a 20-unit academic load. I would leave my house around 4:30 a.m. (to work at a coffee shop) and arrive home past 8 p.m. with only 15-minute breaks between each obligation. I didn’t have a car, which made it impossible to get anywhere in town quickly. It was my first major election as a legal voter, and I was heartbroken; how would I possibly find the time to visit my local polling place and cast my vote? Would it be better to … Read More

New York Times: An Ohio law that curtails early voting and prevents people from registering to vote and casting ballots on the same day illegally discriminates against black voters, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, ordering a crucial swing state to change its rules before the fall elections. Democrats had challenged the law, describing it as one in a long series that Republicans in several states had enacted to suppress voting by blacks and Hispanics, who are more likely than others to vote early and to vote Democratic. Republicans denied that charge, saying the law combated voter fraud. Judge Michael … Read More

New York Times: Alexander Van der Bellen, a 72-year-old economics professor and former Green Party leader, won Austria’s cliffhanger presidential election on Monday, narrowly defeating his far-right rival by the slimmest of margins. Mr. Van der Bellen’s victory was announced by the interior minister, Wolfgang Sobotka. Mr. Van der Bellen won 50.3 percent of the vote, and Mr. Hofer 49.7 percent, a difference of about 30,000 votes…. Sunday’s runoff turned into a cliffhanger as the popular vote was counted and showed an ever-narrowing lead for Mr. Hofer. The Austrian public service broadcaster ORF projected that Mr. Van der Bellen would win … Read More

Kitsap Sun Editorial Board: We may not do everything exactly right in Washington when it comes to elections — witness the failure to move our primary up to the more relevant month of March or the Democratic Party’s insistence on using the antiquated caucus process to allocate delegates for its presidential nomination. But with the period for candidates to file for office having concluded Friday and the state’s presidential primary closing on Tuesday, it’s time to note the benefit to democracy from our process that allows ballots to be distributed and submitted by mail, an experiment that debuted in the early … Read More

Governing.com: A change that simultaneously increases voter participation, saves millions of dollars and makes the postal service relevant again would seem to be what public finances and America’s civic health need. But when it comes to voting by mail, even with a decade-long track record, states seem to be saying, “Not so fast.” In January, Montana decided not to join the exclusive club of vote-by-mail states. A plan to make the switch died early in the legislative session when 15 House members reversed their votes and killed the bill. The promise of saving $2 million each election cycle by eliminating polling … Read More

Register Guard:  Astute — or obsessive — readers will notice a difference between the summary of election recommendations printed above and the version of the list printed a week ago: This time, there’s no endorsement in the Republican presidential race. There’s no need for one, because there’s no race. Donald Trump’s last remaining opponents dropped out after the May 3 Indiana primary, leaving him unopposed for the Republican nomination…. Oregon’s Republican ballot illustrates an inherent risk in the state’s vote-by-mail system. Ballots are mailed nearly three weeks before the actual election date. This year, ballots for the May 17 primary … Read More

WBUR: Voters in Oregon have already cast their ballot in the state’s presidential primary today. That’s because all 2.3 million voters in Oregon now get their ballots through the mail. And this year, Oregon became the first state to automatically register new voters when they get their drivers’ license. Chris Lehman from the Northwest News Network reports on how it works.  Read more.

At a panel discussion sponsored by the National Press Club on May 13, APWU President Mark Dimondstein championed voting by mail, which would give more Americans access to the ballot box.  This year’s presidential contest is the first national election since the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that required states with a history of voter suppression to get approval from the Attorney General before making changes to their voting laws…. Voting by mail is one way to protect and expand the democratic right to vote, Dimondstein said. Before discussing its benefits, he highlighted … Read More

As a new tide of voter disenfranchisement rises across the country, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced a new campaign to expand an Oregon-style vote-by-mail program nationwide and tear down barriers to voting. “My home state of Oregon has led the nation in making voting more accessible. No one has to take time off work just to exercise his or her constitutional rights,” Wyden said. “My proposition is the rest of our country should follow Oregon’s lead and offer all voters a chance to vote by mail.” Voters across the country have faced unreasonable delays and new obstacles to voting. This year … Read More

PEW: The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently released guidance about the design and distribution of election mailings during the 2016 presidential election cycle. The report includes detailed instructions to local election officials regarding appropriate ballot labels and important mailing deadlines for absentee ballots, including those sent to and from members of the military. USPS support of elections grows increasingly critical as states expand vote-by-mail and absentee ballot options. During the last presidential election, USPS handled more than 25 million return ballots, not including those from military voters. Currently, 27 states and the District of Columbia allow no-excuse absentee voting by mail, … Read More