Archive for 2017

Florida lawmakers and election officials are taking a look at the state’s closed primary system as more and more voters are abandoning traditional partisan affiliations but still want to have a say in nominating contests. The Sunshine State’s decision to wrestle with these issues could be a harbinger of similar debates in other states across the country.

A New York federal court ruled last week that the state’s ban on ballot selfies – and a New York City policy implementing that law – do not violate the First Amendment and thus may be enforced at the polls, setting up a potential conflict with a similar case from New Hampshire that could eventually find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case uses some familiar data – and raises even more interesting questions.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission is sponsoring its second annual awards competition for best practices in election administration. These awards, lovingly dubbed the “Clearies” by electiongeek Twitter, really do help identify some of the great work going on out there to advance the field of election administration. The deadline is this Friday, October 6.

Longtime readers of this blog know that one of the longest-running sagas in the field since I started back in 2011 has been the fight to establish online voter registration in Florida. This weekend, it finally happened. Adding Florida to the list of OVR jurisdictions (now 36 states and DC) is a huge step forward for the state and for the field.

The latest electionlineWeekly features a guest column by Kurt Sampsel of the Center for Technology and Civic Life on some fascinating developments in the effort to better estimate how long it takes people to vote. Tools like these are part of a growing arsenal of weapons that election officials can use to fight long lines at the polls

Earlier this week, I wrote about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notifying 21 state election offices of hacking attempts on their systems during the 2016 election. Now it appears that in at least two states (Wisconsin and California), that information was wrong and that the reported attempts did not involve election systems.

San Luis Obispo County, CA is the latest to delay implementation of mailed ballots and vote centers as permitted by the recently-enacted state Voter’s Choice Act. The county cited cybersecurity as a key reason for the delay, but given other challenges to the switch, it isn’t clear if that’s the real reason or just an excuse to go slow.

Today is National Voter Registration Day 2017 – that annual celebration designed to encourage new and existing voters alike to create or update their voter record! Organizers call it he “Earth Day” of democracy — an annual opportunity for Americans of all backgrounds and political affiliations to come together and ensure that everyone gets the chance to exercise their right to vote.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security *finally* notified state election officials about the extent of Russian hacking attempts on their systems during the 2016 election. It’s a useful (albeit belated) first step, but Congress should step up with federal funding and support now that DHS has begun to do its part to help harden and protect the nation’s election systems.

With National Voter Registration Day just 4 days away, electionlineWeekly takes a look at the state of registration nationwide to see where we stand fifteen years after the first state, Arizona, launched the online registration era. It makes me excited to think what innovations are launching today that electiongeeks will marvel at in 2032.