We appear about halfway down in this posting:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-coronavirus-could-change-how-we-vote-in-2020-and-beyond/
We appear about halfway down in this posting:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-coronavirus-could-change-how-we-vote-in-2020-and-beyond/
Cool to see the publicity for tonight’s event. But that picture, oh my gosh, that’s really old …
The first paper, “The Problems of Minimal Support: Considerations for an Establishment Survey of Local Election Officials,” is co-authored by Jay Lee and Paul Gronke.
Here is the abstract (click https:/evic.reed.edu/spsa_sampling_paper/ to view the full paper).
Continue reading
In our last blog post we explored turnover among local election officials in the US. In this installment we turn to examine how the Stewards of Democracy are selected for their positions and how LEOs themselves think about selection methods. We hope our results can inform ongoing discussions about how we select the local and state officials who administer American elections.
Local election officials that administer elections across the United States may have run for office, been appointed, or been hired into their positions. Elections may have been partisan or non-partisan contests. As with so many features in American election administration, selection methods vary both across and within states.
Continue reading
Some 8,000 local election officials guide elections across the United States. These local officials work to assure the safety, security, and legitimacy of our elections. These Stewards of Democracy are a critical group in our nation – yet they do not receive much attention.
In 2018, the Early Voting Information Center (EVIC) at Reed College, in partnership with the Democracy Fund, initiated an annual survey of local elections officials to learn more, and to share the perspectives of these public servants. This is the first in a series of posts sharing our 2019 results, reflecting on what we have learned in the first two years of our polling.
Continue readingI’m following news coverage of the first election with early voting in New York State. I’ve been studying early voting for over fifteen years, and have dealt with a lot of journalists over time. It’s a learning experience for journalists new to the early voting “beat.”
One pattern that we see in almost every state is that older voters gravitate toward early voting (though this pattern typically changes as the system matures, as voters and campaigns adapt to early voting).
But otherwise, these first patterns are always fascinating. The linked story is from Erie County, NY does a nice job unpacking why elderly voters are so heavily represented among the early vote.
First, it looks like most early voting centers were places in senior citizen homes and community centers. And voter response is predictably high among those who frequent these locations.
Second, it’s a low profile election, and these are typically dominated by frequent voters, and elderly voters are far more likely to be frequent voters.
Good job, Buffalo NPR, WBFO!
Local election officials in Wisconsin have been put in an untenable situation. LEOs are being asked to administer an election in the midst of a global pandemic and while a statewide “stay at home” order has been issued by Governor Tony Evers.
For a period of time, it seemed like Wisconsin politicians were able to work together and navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is until an election occurred. While politicians continue to fight with one another from their home offices, 1,849 local election officials, thousands of volunteer poll workers, and millions of citizens are being forced to decide between their health and their right to vote.
Who are these dedicated civil servants who have been asked to shoulder the challenge of holding the first COVID-19 pandemic election? In partnership with the Democracy Fund, the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College has been surveying local election officials nationwide about their jobs, their career aspirations, and their opinions about election integrity and reform. We’d like to share a few of these findings to put a human face on Wisconsin’s “stewards of democracy.”
Continue reading →