NPR’s Ina Jaffe took a look yesterday for Weekend Edition Sunday at the vote-by-mail election system in Oregon, and how the rules there make campaigning a unique experience.

A big critique of vote-by-mail, which has been echoed here by Norman J. Ornstein, is that the process negates the secret ballot. “We got rid of that big reform that guaranteed secrecy in the voting booth,” said Jim Moore, political science professor at Pacific University, “and got rid of the idea that no one can come between you and directly placing your ballot in the box — a sealed locked box.”

Listen to Jaffe’s piece here. My piece this week for NPR Sunday Soapbox, which was teased on Weekend Edition Sunday, was about how super delegates are shifting the election reform debate from our voting systems to our party system.

Posted in Oregon, Vote-by-mail, Election Reform, Existing laws | No Comments »

Why Tuesday? Board Member Norman J. Ornstein

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is one of the good guys in Congress — smart, thoughtful, decent and hardworking. Now, fortunately, he is turning his attention and considerable energies to election reform, a broadly defined issue.

It is fortunate for two reasons: First, there are big issues out there and enough people distrustful of the electoral process or cynical about it to create a real crisis of governance the next time we have a very close election. Second, precious few lawmakers have decided to devote their time and attention to this topic.

Despite the emotions raised by problems with voting, this is not a slam-dunk winner of an issue politically. And those lawmakers who were instrumental in passing the Help America Vote Act in 2002 have either lost interest in the issue, are exhausted from it or believe we should wait awhile before acting again.

They are wrong. We do need to be careful about rushing to major reform without considering the costs and consequences; we are paying now for the rush to employ touch-screen devices known as DREs, or direct-recording electronic machines. And every major reform has to be absorbed by hapless election administrators who have neither the resources nor the trained personnel to make big changes on a frequent basis.

(more…)

Posted in Vote Centers, D.C., Why do we vote on Tuesday?, Election Reform, Election administration, WT? in the news, Existing laws, Weekend voting, Electoral College, Electronic voting | No Comments »

As Kos noted yesterday, despite last week’s wave of media enthusiasm for Clinton, Obama’s delegate lead didn’t shrink at all. The delegate math doesn’t look good for Clinton: she’ll need a big win in Pennsylvania, an upset in North Carolina, and solid victories in Florida and Michigan revotes, all still up in the air.

So, barring the unlikely, Barack Obama will preserve his delegate lead and become the Democratic nominee. At the risk of starting the Monday morning quarterbacking a bit too early, how did Obama put the Clinton machine on the brink of defeat? (more…)

Posted in Election Reform, Caucus, Why do we vote on Tuesday?, Election 2008, National Holiday, Opinions, Existing laws | 3 Comments »

Five days ago Will Moredock, a columnist for the Charleston City Paper in South Carolina made the case for increasing voter turnout in his state. Given the history of disenfranchisement in South Carolina, he says that young folks who are eligible - you can be 17 to vote in a South Carolina primary if you’ll be 18 by the general election - should “be an adult” and vote. But there’s something else that might help increase voter turnout, and it’s something he doesn’t mention. See if you can figure it out. (more…)

Posted in Election Reform, South Carolina, Existing laws | Comments Off

Today is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, Election Day 2007.

Ian Urbina breaks down who is voting this year, and where, in today’s New York Times. Do you know why we’re voting today, a day smack in the middle of the work week?

If not, you’re not alone. We’ve asked politicians from Main Steet to the Washington, and most don’t have a clue. Isn’t it time for an upgrade? Psst… here’s the answer.

“I voted” sticker courtesy of aperture lag on flickr.

Posted in Election Reform, Election 2007, Election administration, Existing laws | Comments Off

Have a read of the Onion’s in-depth look at the day we vote. Here’s how it starts:

WASHINGTON, DC—After running a thousand errands, working hours of overtime, and being stuck in seemingly endless gridlock traffic commuting to and from their jobs, millions of Americans were disheartened to learn that it was, in fact, only Tuesday.

“Tuesday?” San Diego resident Doris Wagner said. “How in the hell is it still Tuesday?”

Click here for the full article.

Posted in Election Reform, General, Existing laws | Comments Off