We’ve already told you how Senator Bill Nelson wants to change the way and day we vote. Now two other election reform bills have surfaced that may do the same thing, in different ways.

In February, low-key Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl (D) put forward S. 2638, the Weekend Voting Act, something he’s done before and something we’ve discussed with him on video. Right now the bill sits in the Senate Rules and Administration Committee for markup. We’ll keep following it.

In late-breaking news, the other Wisconsin Senator — Russ Feingold (D) — and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), in response to Monday’s Supreme Court voter I.D. decision, put forward a proposal to have nationwide Election Day registration. We’ve talked with Feingold before on video, too. We’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled and bring you any further updates.

For more about Election Day Registration, check out our very own Barnett Zitron’s analysis.

Photo of Senator Kohl, at right, via compujeramey on Flickr.

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Posted in Election Reform, Election Day registration, Weekend voting | 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 Reform, Election Day registration | Comments Off

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

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA — With the onset of Super Tuesday, the Press has started reporting on Barack Obama’s ability to mobilize new, youth and Independent voters, the other candidates’ advantages among established, older voters, and Hillary Clinton’s advantage among Hispanic and female voters. This week’s issue of TIME Magazine reports that Obama’s campaign tactics are more effective in states with forward-thinking election law. Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada have Same-Day Registration. Florida has early voting, but the DNC has stripped the Sunshine State’s democrats of their delegates, Republicans were able to keep half of theirs. (more…)

Posted in Absentee ballots, Election Day registration, Election 2008, New Hampshire, Colorado, Election Reform, What is Super Tuesday?, Nevada, Election administration, Iowa, General, Primary schedule, National Holiday, Legislation, Florida, Opinions, California, Early voting | Comments Off

It was a busy week for us behind the scenes at Why Tuesday?, and in the world of election reform. What is election reform exactly? And who is the guy in the photo? Get the answers, and much more election reform news, by clicking below. Photo by Cheryl Senter for the New York Times.

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Posted in New Hampshire, Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, Arkansas, Election Reform, West Virginia, Election Day registration, Election 2006, Audits, Roundups, Existing laws, Legislation, Iowa, Election 2008, Election administration, Electronic voting | Comments Off

The dust is settling, and all speculation is about the impact of this year’s election on national and foreign policy. If you’re reading this blog you’ve probably read a lot about this year’s elections already: about your own local or state contests and the national issues that galvanized the voter base.

Without being unduly negative, it seems like a good idea to attach some numbers to the adjectival discussion of this momentous midterm. The most straightforward one is this: according to the non-partisan Center for the Study of the American Electorate (CSAE), national turnout was around 83 million this year, or 40.4% of the population. There are some interesting details: despite strong/record turnout in states like Virginia and Tennessee, not all states with hot races saw turnout bumps- Maryland, Minnesota, and Florida all reported drop-offs, despite each having competitive races. Click here to read the full report.

It’s also interesting to see what effect Montana’s experiment with EDR had. Despite causing some delays, it seems to have run very smoothly. Did it increase turnout? A look at the CSAE’s numbers casts some doubt. Montana’s turnout in 2002 (the last mid-term election) was 48.02%, compared to 55.58% in this year’s election. That’s a healthy jump of 7.56%, compared to a 0.7% increase nationally. BUT, if we compare Montana to seven other states with races that were either tight or widely publicized (Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia), we see that they on average enjoyed a 6.55% increase in participation. Amongst that pack, then, it’s not clear that EDR had a dramatic effect.

Which isn’t to say that it’s not a good idea: even a small impact is good, so long as the integrity of the process isn’t compromised, as is any measure that makes voting more convenient for those who fulfill their civic responsibility.

What seems most important to us is to remember- amidst all the comparative values- that the numbers we’re dealing with are still very low. A look at the CSAE’s report shows that, even in states celebrating record turnout, we’re dealing with participation in the low 40- and 50-percent range. Even if one takes the higher numbers offered by political campaigns and various state offices you’re still in the same ballpark.

Bottom line: there’s still work to do. And there’s a big election in a couple of years. So we’re gonna keep on asking why, and trying to figure out how to get as many citizens into the voting booths as possible.

Posted in Maryland, Minnesota, Election Reform, Tennessee, Virginia, Election 2006, Election Day registration, Florida | 1 Comment »