New Pew Research Finds Age is Significant Factor in Support for Election Policy Changes

A new Pew Research Center poll finds that support for election policy changes varies by many different factors – but especially age, as younger voters of all partisan affiliations report preferences that are occasionally at odds with older voters of the same party. In particular, support for reforms like automatic voter registration and Election Day registration are higher among younger voters across party lines.

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Rollercoaster: New Hampshire Supreme Court Reinstates Voting Residency Law

New Hampshire’s Supreme Court has reinstated a state law that requires voters to show proof of residency if they register within 30 days of an election. It capped off a hectic week of litigation where the law went from on to off to on again. Last week’s wild ride – just like a rollercoaster, in that it ended up right where it started – will probably raise as many questions as it answered with Election Day just eight days away.

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Judge Finds Federal VRA Supersedes State Law in St. Paul, MN Voting Assistance Case

A judge in Ramsey County (St. Paul), Minnesota has ruled that the federal Voting Rights Act supersedes state law in a criminal case alleging that a St. Paul city council member illegally assisted a voter in a recent mayoral race. This ruling is obviously important to the defendant, but it’s also instructive on the interaction between federal protections and state prohibitions on election matters like language assistance.

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What the Truck?! 61,000 Adams County, CO Ballots Late After Delivery SNAFU

Mail ballots are finally on their way to 61,000 voters in Colorado’s Adams County – but not until they went missing for a week on a wayward truck due to miscommunication between the printer, a truck driver, the U.S. Postal Service and the county elections office. It’s just another example of how every election relies on successful execution of numerous tasks by many different people. When things go wrong, however, each of those people needs to be prepared to notify someone else that there’s a problem so it can be resolved. Election officials are masterful problem solvers – but only if they know there’s a problem to solve.

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Elections Gone Wild: Alaska Early Voters to Get Animal-Themed “I Voted” Stickers

Election Day is two weeks from tomorrow and I know there is a ton of election news, but LOOK EVERYBODY ALASKA HAS COOL “I VOTED” STICKERS FOR EARLY VOTERS AND THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. Setting aside how fantastic these stickers look, the idea of using “premium” (my word) stickers to encourage early voting is an interesting tactic – and the results could tell us a lot about the power of giveaways like this to shift voters away from Election Day voting.

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An Old Friend Gets a New Look: Electionline’s “October Surprise”

Regular readers may have noticed an exciting new change at electionline.org – an updated look accompanied by some functional changes intended to keep the site informative and useful to the election community for years to come. This refresh comes at a key point in the election cycle; if experience is any guide, traffic (both news and visitors) spikes in the weeks before and after Election Day. Go take a look!

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From A to Z With an Emphasis on USPS: An Inside Look at Colorado’s Ballot Delivery Process

Ballots for Colorado voters have begun to make their way to voters this week – and the Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul has a fascinating inside look at the part everyone plays – especially the United States Postal Service – in making it happen. Given that Colorado’s ballot delivery system could be the wave of the future in many states, it’s a great window into how thoughtful and thorough the process is in preparing, sending and receiving ballots from voters.

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