voting
Congressional Democrats scrutinize state elections laws for effect on minority voters
WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. House panel on Monday debated whether some state elections laws disenfranchise certain voters, including people of color, and split along party lines in their conclusions. The chair of the elections subcommittee of the House Administration Committee, Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), voiced his concerns about recent voting requirement laws […]
Senators deadlock on major U.S. elections bill in committee vote
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Tuesday tackled a massive voting reforms bill in committee in a heated daylong debate. But the final vote on the bill by the Senate Rules Committee was a 9-9 tie, which means Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer likely would have to use a Senate procedure to bring the legislation to […]
Voting is already safe and secure. Ohio’s new bill makes voting more difficult.
State elections officials and poll workers across the country never got their due in 2020. They ran one of their best elections, a feat that was overtaken by the circus trumpeting the Big Lie about a stolen election rife with fraud. The ringmaster of that ruse used the biggest bully pulpit in the land to […]
Georgia voting law pummeled at U.S. Senate hearing on ‘Jim Crow 2021’
WASHINGTON — Georgia’s new voting law was at the center of Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where senators discussed restoration of a key section in the Voting Rights Act that would prevent states, mostly in the South, from changing their election laws without federal approval. During the more than four-hour hearing, witnesses opposed to the […]
After ‘pesky’ issues on voting day, election protection advocates push for more improvements
While election protection groups reported no major issues on election day, misinformation about curbside voting and some intimidation at the polls joined technical issues in affecting voter experience at the polls, they said Wednesday. Record turnout encouraged groups like the Ohio chapters of the ACLU and the League of Women Voters, who held a media […]
Thousands head to polls as COVID-19 afflicts record numbers of Ohioans
On March 16, the state health department reported that 13 more Ohioans tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the cumulative known caseload to 50. Just after 10 p.m., Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued an order delaying the primary election, scheduled for the next day. The announcement seemingly […]
You have rights when you go to vote — and many people are there to help if there’s trouble
Despite all the challenges to this year’s election – long lines, calls for voter intimidation, baseless claims of fraud – voting is a fundamental civil right. As a political scientist who studies campaigns and elections, I have confidence in American democracy. Lots of people are working at the polls and behind the scenes to ensure […]
Infected with the coronavirus? You can still vote
Ohioans recently infected with COVID-19 can still cast their ballots before polls close Tuesday, per guidance from Ohio’s elections authority. Maggie Sheehan, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office, said there is an emergency option in place for some people who have recently been ordered to quarantine or isolate due to COVID-19. If […]
Bill seeking to prohibit ‘election intimidation’ introduced in Ohio House
A bill regarding election protections was introduced last week by a Democratic Ohio House member. Though the House won’t come back into session to consider the bill until after the general election, state Rep. Adam Miller, D-Columbus, filed the bill that would bar any “reckless attempts” to force a voter to reveal who they voted […]
Ohio still in need of more poll workers as Election Day approaches
Ohio still needs your help. The General Election is a few weeks away and many counties are still searching for more poll workers. The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office has identified a bare minimum of poll workers required in each county, as well as a higher goal to shoot for. There are also minimums and […]
Exercising your right to vote on Election Day
Turn on the news or read a newspaper today and you will see political candidates and public officials making the rounds throughout the country trying to earn your vote. While the issues and formats are much different today, those candidates and public officials are participating in America’s time-honored tradition of democracy. When it comes to […]
Who formally declares the winner of the US presidential election?
With the U.S. presidential election rapidly approaching at a time of extraordinary political and social disruption, the possibility of an unclear or contested result is coming under scrutiny. Unlike many other countries, where the president or prime minister is chosen by direct popular vote, in the U.S., a candidate may win the popular vote and […]