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Voter Turnout

Maryland City Promotes the Vote With Innovative Changes

Rob Richie | Posted 04.16.2013 | Politics
Rob Richie

This week, the Takoma Park city council passed a charter amendment by a 6-1 vote on first reading that, if approved when before the council again in the coming month, will be in the best tradition of cities and states leading the nation in advancing voting rights.

Reassessing Colorado's Turnout

Michael P. McDonald | Posted 04.15.2013 | Politics
Michael P. McDonald

As Colorado policymakers consider reforms, I urge them to listen to their local election administrators since they know best how to efficiently run elections to serve their voters.

True the Vote Presents False Findings

Rob Richie | Posted 05.01.2013 | Politics
Rob Richie

True the Vote used numbers that skewed their results in their favor when analyzing turnout in every single state they tested. Once recalibrated, True the Vote's claim that states with new voter ID laws, enacted or pending, experienced an increase in turnout is patently false.

LOOK: Rich Americans Are Nearly Twice As Likely To Vote As Poor People

The Huffington Post | Bonnie Kavoussi | Posted 03.02.2013 | Business

Ever wonder why the government seems fine with cutting unemployment benefits and welfare programs? Part of the answer may be that the rich vote mo...

Recent Presidential Elections: Better Juries, Harder Ballot Initiatives

David J. Brunell | Posted 04.23.2013 | Politics
David J. Brunell

I generally take the longer view and think Supreme Court nominations are the most significant actions U.S. presidents take, but besides anything Obama has already done or will do in the future, the election itself made democracy better -- maybe.

Turnout in the 2012 Presidential Election

Michael P. McDonald | Posted 04.13.2013 | Politics
Michael P. McDonald

The reelection of Barack Obama was tarnished by a lower voter turnout rate than 2008, dropping from 61.6 percent of those eligible to vote to 58.2 percent, or a decrease of 3.4 percentage points. Here, I place the 2012 turnout rate in historical perspective.

The Black Church, Social Justice and the Fiscal Slope

Minister Leslie Watson Malachi | Posted 02.03.2013 | Black Voices
Minister Leslie Watson Malachi

A combination of swift tax hikes on lower- and middle-income earners and drastic cuts in social services would not only stunt economic growth, it would place an immediate burden on the most vulnerable. And unfortunately, a disproportionate number of the most vulnerable are African American.

Rethinking Elections With Gamification

Gabe Zichermann | Posted 11.20.2012 | Technology
Gabe Zichermann

A core concept in gamification is the notion of delivering a sense of progress to the user. So how can gamification help the United States get out the vote?

On Election Day, Republicans Suffered Consequences of Voter Suppression Strategy

Donna Brazile | Posted 01.13.2013 | Black Voices
Donna Brazile

For more than two years Republicans have campaigned and legislated against the right of certain groups of people to vote. The Republicans' strategy failed because it awakened the most powerful force in a democracy: the determination of the voters themselves.

Ignore Young Voters At Your Own Peril, Says CIRCLE Analyst

Youth Radio -- Youth Media International | Posted 01.08.2013 | Politics
Youth Radio -- Youth Media International

By: Robyn Gee The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, is the only institution to estim...

Obama Said "Fix That," But Will He?

Jacob Soboroff | Posted 01.08.2013 | Politics
Jacob Soboroff

If Barack Obama 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 sure.

Roque Planas

Why U.S. Voter Turnout Lags Behind Latin America

HuffingtonPost.com | Roque Planas | Posted 11.08.2012 | Latino Voices

Latinos may not turn out to vote in high numbers, but Latin Americans do. Early estimates indicate that total turnout for the U.S. voting age popu...

Voter Turnout Shaping Up To Be Lower Than 2008

AP | JOSH LEDERMAN | Posted 01.07.2013 | Politics

WASHINGTON — A drop in voter turnout in Tuesday's election didn't keep President Barack Obama from winning a second term. Preliminary figures s...

LOOK: 2012 Voter Turnout (LIVE UPDATES)

Posted 11.06.2012 | Politics

As the election results for 2012 roll in, this is your spot for live updates on voter turnout around the country. Click here to check out our inte...

Time for a Visit to the Woodshed

George T. Haley | Posted 01.05.2013 | Politics
George T. Haley

I have been politically active since my college days as a member of the University of Texas Young Republicans. This year, I am supporting President Obama and all the Democratic candidates for whom I can vote. The Republican Party has crossed the Rubicon.

Why the Citizens Who Can Should Vote and Why 96 Million Citizens May Not

Curtis Gans | Posted 01.05.2013 | Politics
Curtis Gans

The religion of civic responsibility and duty has atrophied. There has been a decline in both the quality of education and the quality and quantity of civic education in the schools, only now beginning to be righted.

You Don't Count Unless You're Counted: Vote!

Rick Horowitz | Posted 01.05.2013 | Politics
Rick Horowitz

Waiting to be inspired? Don't wait to be inspired.

Open Letter to Michael Moore and the 90 Million Planning Not to Vote

Dennis Trainor | Posted 01.05.2013 | Politics
Dennis Trainor

I am voting for Jill Stein, Michael. Give it some thought, and I bet you will do the same. I hope to hear from you before Tuesday.

Our Work Begins on November 7th

Ivanley Noisette | Posted 01.04.2013 | Politics
Ivanley Noisette

Although it does mark the end of long and grueling campaigns, the day after Election Day should not be perceived as the end, but rather, the beginning.

Why Obama Supporters Do Not Need to Worry, but Do Need to Vote

Brian Umana | Posted 01.05.2013 | Politics
Brian Umana

It's true that a small faction of undecided voters truly do not make up their minds until Election Day -- but for such a small portion of a state's electorate to matter, the polls need to already be a toss-up.

All But Ignored, Third Parties Endeavor On

Jake Jares | Posted 01.05.2013 | Teen
Jake Jares

As the third-party debates and the campaigns themselves will likely continue to be neglected by our political culture, the candidates fight on now for their message, not their electoral success.

Ballots, Not Bullets

Christopher Holshek | Posted 01.05.2013 | Politics
Christopher Holshek

No doubt, if we want responsible governance, we need to provide responsible citizenship; but, if we want to lead the world, we must do so first and foremost by example, lest we lose our credibility because we can't walk the talk.

Vote -- It's My Birthday!

Iman Baghai | Posted 01.05.2013 | Teen
Iman Baghai

Clearly, there are issues with the current way our politics run, and we can't fix everything overnight. But there are some simple things that we can do to make people more politically engaged.

Dysfunctional Electorate

Jacqueline Coleman | Posted 01.03.2013 | College
Jacqueline Coleman

Be accountable on November 6th by exercising your right to vote. When the candidate you elect follows through on a campaign promise, be mindful of your reflection. Washington might be broken, but whether we like it or not, Washington is a reflection its electorate.

The Luxury Un-Vote: An Open Letter to Disenchanted Millennials

Elizabeth Nicholas | Posted 01.02.2013 | Politics
Elizabeth Nicholas

In this age of unmitigated self-expression, it seems that its standard-bearer generation -- equipped armies of iPhones and information -- has forgotten that our votes are meant to carry with them actual utility.