NEW YORK, NY – Predictions of low voter turnout were abound prior to Election Day 2009. Perhaps it is day we vote. Or possibly it is the way we vote. Most agree that our voting system needs a seriously overdue upgrade.

Nearly two years ago, Why Tuesday’s wise co-founder, Norman J. Ornstein put forth, “If Apple or Google — or both — stepped up to the plate to give us the iVote or Voogle, they could save the credibility of American democracy.”

Last year we posed Mr. Ornstein’s idea to Google’s Sergey Brin… watch his answer here.

Just in the nick of time for our annual Thanksgiving-table argument about election reform! (more…)

Posted in Election Reform | No Comments »

NEW YORK, NY – I was digging up 2009 voter turnout statistics and came across a user comment on CNN’s Political Ticker. This comment makes all of us at Why Tuesday? really gratified despite our nation’s increasingly low voter turnout. The comment is in in response to an article about low voter turnout.

Comments on the post are now closed, so here’s our response:

Dear Spirit of America (whoever you are),

Although we don’t believe most folks are afraid of a democracy breakout, we at Why Tuesday? often pray for a democracy breakout before elections, bedtime and large meals.

Thank you again. We could not have said it better ourselves!

Sincerely,

Why Tuesday?

Posted in Election Reform | No Comments »

NEW YORK, NY – On Tuesday November 3rd, a minority of New Yorkers ventured to the polls to cast their ballots. There were more than a handful of elected posts up for grab, most notably Mayor, City Comptroller, Public Advocate and District Attorney. Much was at stake in these elections, not only in the City, but also in Virginia and New Jersey. Be it a weak economic outlook, increasing unemployment, health care, gun control, education, gay rights or a slew of other imperative issues, City voters by-and-large decided to stay quiet, stay home, and not vote. (more…)

Posted in Mayor Bloomberg, New Jersey, New York, Why do we vote on Tuesday? | No Comments »

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – As with so many people across the globe, today is very near and dear to Why Tuesday?’s heart. This organization was founded in the spirit of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by William B. Wachtel whose father, Harry, was a close friend and advisor Dr. King. So today, we also salute the accomplishments of Why Tuesday? Board members Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, III. (more…)

Posted in Barack Obama, Civil Rights, D.C., Election Reform, Election administration, Martin Luther King, Jr., President Obama, WT? Advisory Board | 1 Comment »

Welcome KTRH morning news listeners in Houston! Even up here in the Big Apple we say everything is bigger in Texas. Well, perhaps not the skyscrapers. And yet, when it comes to early voting that certainly is true.

Moreover, in 2004 over 2.4 million Texans or nearly 30% of voting eligible population voted early. So far in 2008, over 2 million Texans have voted early, quickly approaching 25% of the vote eligible population – and there are still 2 days of early voting left. By all accounts, Texas’ 2004 record early voting turnout will be shattered this year. Look here at Galveston County turnout numbers and Lubbock turnout, for example. (more…)

Posted in Absentee ballots, Early voting, Election 2008, Election administration, Houston, National Holiday, Texas, WT? in the news, Weekend voting | Comments Off

According to a local news outlet, Your Valley West, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer took another leap towards making Election Day results in Arizona more transparent and accountable by installing multiple webcams inside all of the State’s vote tabulation rooms.

Arizona is one of two States that currently uses state-wide online voting registration system called EZVoter. The implementation of this system makes registering to vote much more convenient, and perhaps most important, allows interoperability between the States’ various databases rendering electronic voter rolls more accurate, more up-to-date, and more manageable by poll workers and election administrators. So, if you are living in Arizona, here is your suggested Election Day itinerary: (more…)

Posted in Arizona, Election 2008, Election administration, YouTube | Comments Off

Election Day Registration is getting more Democratic support. So far States that allow voters to register and vote on the same day have a experienced a spike in turnout. For example, New Hampshire’s Primary turnout was highest of all primaries thus far at 52.4% (up from 44.4% in 2000), and Iowa’s caucus turnout was highest of all caucuses thus far at 16.4% (up from 6.8% in 2000).

A total of eight States have Election Day Registration: New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, Maine, Wyoming, and Idaho. North Carolina allows same day registration at early voting sites three days before an election but not on Election Day. States with Election Day Registration routinely have turnout at a rate of 10-12 percentage points higher than States that don’t.

While there are some reputable studies purporting that Election Day Registration is not a knight in shining armor, 22 States now have introduced pending legislation in favor of it and more are sure to follow suit. Moreover, a few members of Congress led by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) are introducing a bill (top-heavy on the Democratic side of the aisle) in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Indiana Voter ID decision. However, increasing turnout is not a red or blue issue, and when it comes to the sanctity of our elections we should be thinking red, white and blue.

Posted in Election Day registration, Election Reform | Comments Off

WASHINGTON, D.C — The Democratic Party has publicly and now privately split as to how (and when) Superdelegates should choose to wield their power, and promises to spawn even more divisiveness should the weight of nomination come down on their shoulders. Voters want to know: Will the average citizen ever be able to influence the system of private brokering of Superdelegate votes? (more…)

Posted in Convention, D.C., Election 2008, Election Reform, Election administration, Internet Registration, Internet Voting, Legislation, Opinions, Super Delegate, Superdelegate, What are super delegates?, What are superdelegates? | 1 Comment »

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – I hopped off the campaign trail last week. I thought I needed some space, but I soon found myself yearning for the ebb-and-flow of election energy. Drama among the Democrats, rifts in the Republican base, increasing turnout, and polling percentages… for a political junkie it is all too addicting. Today’s candidate contests are being held in Wisconsin, Hawaii (for the Dems), and Washington (again). (more…)

Posted in Absentee ballots, Campaign finance, Early voting, Election 2008, Election Day registration, Election Reform, Election administration, Hawaii, Legislation, Mail-in voting, Polling, Primary schedule, Washington, Wisconsin | 1 Comment »