In or Out? electionline Publishes 2015 List
[Image courtesy of newyear2015]
Happy New Year! I’m sure many of you (like me) are still winding down your holidays, but before we begin 2015 in earnest, here’s a look back at the year in elections courtesy of electionline.org – the 2015 election In and Out List (inspired by the Washington Post’s annual feature):
OUT: Lever voting machines in New York, finally…maybe, then again maybe not
IN: Lever voting machines in local and school elections in New York
OUT: Remembering not to include the H in Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s name
IN: Remembering to include the E (all of them) in new Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence E. Denney’s name
OUT: Casting ballots before Election Day
IN: Counting them [before Election Day]
OUT: Doug Lewis as director of the Election Center
IN: Tim Mattice as new director of the Election Center (effective Jan. 15)
OUT: Wondering what the Supreme Court really meant in Bush v. Gore
IN: Wondering how the Supreme Court is applying Purcell v. Gonzales
OUT: Wishing election law plaintiffs wouldn’t wait so long to sue
IN: Wishing courts hearing election law cases wouldn’t wait so long to rule
OUT: The EAC as zombie agency
IN: Three living, breathing commissioners
OUT: Litigating over NVRA claims
IN: Litigating over Section 5 claims
OUT: Doug L., at Election Center
IN: Doug C. just about everywhere
OUT: Arguing against voter ID because people don’t have it
IN: Arguing against voter ID because people can’t get it
OUT: Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act
IN: Section 3 of the Voting Rights Act
OUT: Alleging impact of election law changes
IN: Proving it
OUT: “All vote by mail”
IN: “Ballot delivery”
OUT: Injunctions
IN: Stays
OUT: Organizations who oppose effective and safe voting for Americans with disabilities
IN: Maryland’s online ballot marking
OUT: Blaming the lack of new voting systems on the lack of an EAC quorum
IN: The EAC quorum
OUT: Prosecuting voters in Iowa
In: Registering voters in Iowa
OUT: Arguing about the benefits of same-day registration
IN: Worrying about implementing same-day registration
OUT: Voting technology purchases
IN: Voting technology leases
OUT: “If I can bank and shop online, why can’t I vote online?”
IN: “Could online voting systems get hacked like Sony?”
OUT: Chuck Schumer, Senate Rules Chair (113th Congress)
IN: Lamar Alexander, Senate Rules Chair (114th Congress)
OUT: Rep. Candace Miller, House Administration Chair (113th Congress)
IN: Rep. Candace Miller, House Administration Chair (114th Congress) [OK – no big change but just to be thorough!]
OUT: Neighborhood polling places
IN: Vote Centers and Vote By Mail
OUT: Because that’s the way we’ve always done it
IN: Testing pilot projects to make elections better
OUT: Interest in online voter registration convenience and digital access
IN: Interest in online voter registration costs and security
OUT: Military voters as drivers of the Internet transmission of ballots
IN: People with disabilities driving the same
OUT: Waiting till you’re 18 to register to vote
IN: Pre-registration for 16-and 17-year olds
Thanks as always to my friend and colleague Mindy Moretti for the list (with help from Dave Bjerke, Jim Dickson, Doug Lewis, Brian Newby, Charles Stewart, Wendy Underhill and yours truly) … I heartily endorse Mindy’s New Year’s resolution not to start her other resolutions until Monday, and wish all you the happiest and election-geekiest New Year yet!