Huell Howser, the California public television broadcasting legend, was my idol in all things television. Huell died today, according to various reports.

Ask anyone in Southern California if they know who Huell Howser is, and the answer will be yes. Either because they had played the drinking game created...

It has been nearly a month since Hurricane Sandy disrupted the lives of millions across the eastern seaboard. While power has mostly returned, life is far from normal for residents in areas hardest hit by the storm. Island Park, New York resident Aileen Arroyo described what the experience has been...

Former pro surfer Keith Malloy's latest project is making waves far beyond the surf community. His documentary "Come Hell Or High Water" is an ode to bodysurfing, not surfing, and in it he tells the story of Beau King, a young autistic boy in Hawaii who is profoundly affected by...

President Obama said something in his election night speech that had election reform advocates like me overjoyed. The president, apparently off the cuff as HuffPost's Dan Froomkin reported, called for election reform.

As he spoke in Chicago, he thanked everyone who cast a ballot "whether you voted for the first time, or waited in line for a very long time" -- then he quickly added, in an evident ad lib, "by the way we have to fix that."

After another election with anemic turnout -- only 60% of eligible Americans showed up at the polls, far behind most countries -- and reports of long lines, malfunctioning machines and voter intimidation at the polls, President Obama's remarks were music to election reformers' ears. But as much as I hope the president will follow through on his off handed but crucially important remark -- I'm not so sure, and I have a personal reason to feel this way.

Five years ago I was on the road for Why Tuesday? -- the nonpartisan group I used to run and now am on the board of that advocates for increased voter turnout -- when I met then-Senator Obama. At Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I asked him what we could do to increase voter participation and any election reform plan he might put forward to fix problems plaguing our voting system, and his response (you can watch our encounter in this video) was encouraging.

Well, couple things. Number one, I think we have to make it easier to vote. And I'm assuming that "Why Tuesday?" is for in favor of, for example, having it one weekends so that more people can vote. Same-day registration I think in a lot of states has shown to make sense. You know, early voting is another way to encourage people and make it more convenient for them to vote.

If Obama wanted early voting nationwide, he didn't do anything about it. There are still 15 states where voting is Tuesday-only. As Froomkin pointed out, in Obama's first four years in office, there haven't been any substantial election reforms.

Obama has not made improving the voting process a high priority during his first term. Most notably, he has allowed the Election Assistance Commission, which was created in response to voting problems during the 2000 election, to turn into what the Washington Post recently termed a "zombie voting commission." It lacks any commissioners -- all four spots are vacant -- and doesn't have an executive director.

The Washington Post's Brad Plumber outlines five ways the president can make good on his offer to fix our broken voting system: modernizing voter registration, setting national standards for polling place equipment, restoring the Election Assistance Commission, expanding early voting or making Election Day a national holiday or move it to the weekend (my personal favorite), and finally make sure our election system is prepared for a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy.

Now the president has to make it happen. If he leads the way, the United States of America can go from one of the countries with the worlds worst voter turnouts to the best. But will he? I hope so, but I'm not so...

Hurricane Sandy has reinforced the fact there is absolutely no good reason whatsoever to vote on Tuesday. I'm not saying there's no reason to vote -- there are countless good reasons to do that. But there's no good reason at all for us to have vote on the day that we do, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

The United States is the world's most famous democracy, yet we rank near the bottom of all nations in voter turnout. So why, when U.S. Census data says most Americans don't vote because it's inconvenient, do we vote on Tuesday smack in the middle of the week? Because it was -- ironically -- convienent for people that traveled by horse and buggy when the law was set in 1845. No joke.

For seven years I've been a part of Why Tuesday?, a nonpartisan group that wants to move Election Day to the weekend so more people can vote. Next Tuesday, tens of millions of Americans will have their one-and-only chance to cast a ballot.

Unlike President Obama, who was able to vote early in his home state of Illinois, and residents of 34 other states, there is no early or no-excuse absentee voting for those of you living in 15 states. No chance other than on Election Day to cast a ballot. Too bad if you're a single mother or father, student with long hours, or work multiple jobs.

If Hurricane Sandy struck the day before Election Day, instead of a week before it, there would have been millions along the eastern seaboard who live in states with the antiquated option of voting only on Tuesday. Even today, there are questions as to whether some states will be ready to vote in the wake of the storm. Of course, a storm could hit on a Saturday and Sunday if there was weekend voting, so having Election Day on the weekend isn't good enough.

As American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Norm Ornstein, the co-founder of Why Tuesday?, suggested on HuffPost Live, in the absence of a federal blue ribbon commission that deals specifically with disasters and elections, early voting during the week in the run-up to a weekend election is the way to go.

As we head to the polls next week our out-of-date voting system, and the absence of a united, uniform and accessible election process, must not go...

President Obama and Mitt Romney will spend tens of millions of dollars between now and Election Day working to win every last vote with advertisements and on-the-ground efforts. That's despite reports of presidential advertisements hitting a point of diminishing returns with each passing day. So why...

Dr. Lucy Jones joined HuffPost Live and HuffPost Science Senior Correspondent Cara Santa Maria today to give the inside scoop on the new earthquake warning technology out of USGS.

Jones revealed that USGS could eventually let people know to duck and cover before the ground beneath their...

Lisa Ling, the host of Our America on OWN, sat down with HuffPost Live to discuss her exclusive interview with Alan Chambers, the leader of Exodous International, who recently renounced his view that people could be cured from being gay. He credits Ling's program...

Wilola Lee, one of the plaintiffs in the challenge to a controversial Pennsylvania voter ID law that was upheld today, told HuffPost Live exclusively this evening the decision will make it impossible for her to vote in November. The law was upheld by Republican Judge Robert Simpson of...

Mitt Romney's Vice President pick: there's an app for THAT?!

Unfortunately, yes. And we can blame President Obama. In 2008 Obama announced his VP pick by text message. This year, Romney is announcing his on a mobile app, which debuted today. ABC News has the campaign's explanation...

Senior advisers to both the Obama and Romney campaigns have taken part in a practice where the quotes they give to reporters are only allowed "on the record" if approved and line edited by the advisers themselves, the New York Times reported Monday.

Online reaction to...

Huge institutions, struggling with corruption and suffering historic crises of legitimacy, are becoming all too commonplace these days. Could the same fate befall the largest Christian denomination in the world?

Recently, Catholics -- including Chris Matthews -- have worried that the power of government could destroy the...

The 2012 US Olympic basketball roster has been set, Blake Griffin is already throwing down ridiculous dunks in practice, and some are saying it's the greatest squad to represent America ever.

But could this year's Team USA take down the legendary 1992 Dream Team? The Los Angeles...

Many colleges and universities call themselves “military friendly," but which are truly supportive and which are simply unscrupulous?

Although the post-9/11 G.I. Bill will help finance the educations of more than 606,000 individuals over the next fiscal year, according to the VA, some former military members say it's...

On Sunday, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard General threatened to wipe out Israel if attacked by the Jewish state, while announcing plans for upcoming missile tests. The news came as Europe began enforcing an oil embargo and new sanctions against Iran to deter it from developing a...

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is weighing a proposal to allow hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," in several communities in New York State. Residents are deeply divided over the controversial drilling method. Supporters of "fracking" say it would give a much-needed financial boost to the affected communities. Those against...

This post originally appeared on WhyTuesday.org.

Two of the most hotly-contested primary states this year, South Carolina and Louisiana, produced their highest-ever voter turnout for a Republican presidential primary election while voting on Saturdays. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary with the majority of the record-setting 21...

Voter participation in the United States is too low, and too difficult. The world's most famous democracy ranks near the bottom of all nations in voter participation. So we're asking our presidential candidates to do something about it -- again.

At our 2012 kickoff, we at

One year until Election Day 2012. Well, 364 days actually. But on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2012, Americans will again head to the polls... at least some Americans.

Billions of dollars will be spent yet again on another federal election, but let's be honest: only a...

Reality TV shows that feature sparkling home makeovers or stunning weigh loss make for great entertainment. But a new show beginning this week lifts the "makeover" concept to a whole new level by helping ordinary Americans make a difference for public school students caught in dismal situations.

As a co-host...