Special Coverage: Democracy and Elections

Top 5 Things That Might Keep You From Voting

Allison H. Fine, Huffington Post. October 8, 2008.
Hurry up and register -- it might already be too late in your state.

From the blogs

Wisconsin Attorney General Sued To Stop Voter Purge

by Campaign Legal Center

The Wisconsin attorney general's effort to winnow voter rolls would violate federal law, a suit alleges.

Independent Exit Pollsters in Swing States Seek Volunteers

by Steven Freeman

An independent effort led by noted academics is planning exit polls in Ohio, Missouri and Pennsylvania to verify the official vote count.

Voter Suppression Battle In Northwest Indiana

by Josh Kalven, Progress Illinois

Democrats want to open satellite voting centers, while Republicans favor voting only at county seats.

Live from Main Street: Protecting the Vote

by Laura Flanders

Fed up with waiting for officials or political parties to do the work, concerned citizens are fighting to ensure Americans' right to vote.

Watch Live: Laura Flanders Interviews Steven Rosenfeld About Protecting the Vote

by Laura Flanders, GRITtv

Streaming live: Starting at Oct 1, 2008: Noon EST, 9 am PST

Live from Main Street Ohio: Will Your Vote Count?

by Laura Flanders, GRITtv

Listen to what Ohio voting rights leaders say about 'Golden Week' on Live From Main Street's virtual townhall.

Ohio Supreme Courts Rejects GOP Early Voting Challenge

by Steven Rosenfeld

The Ohio Supreme Court rejected the Ohio GOP's effort to slow Obama's early voting drive.

McCain Brittle, Grumpy; But Controlled Debate

by Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake

Bad news, but also good news, for Obama

Dems say Alabama SOS Won't Share New Voter Rolls

by Steven Rosenfeld

The Alabama Democratic Party is planning to sue Alabama's Republican secretary of state.

Nothing Else Matters if We Don't Have Fair Elections

by Melissa McEwan, Shakesville

I can't believe that the Democrats did not make this issue a centerpiece of their legislation once they secured a Congressional majority.

ACORN Calls Police Raid of Las Vegas Office a Political "Stunt"

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. October 7, 2008.
The group had been sharing material about problem voter registrations with Nevada officials for months.

Voter Rolls Grow As States Help Poor People Register

Scott Novakowski, Demos.org. October 7, 2008.
As North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia and Missouri ask public aid recipients if they want to register to vote, thousands of new voters are added.

Democratic Election Protection Strategy's Missing Link: Electronic Vote Counts

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. October 7, 2008.
As Democrats sense victory in November, they are betting a record turnout will overcome partisan interference with the vote count.

Big Presidential Vote Count Error Found and Fixed in New Mexico

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. October 4, 2008.
A test in Santa Fe County finds and fixes an error that could have cost Democrats thousands of votes.

The Bush League: How The GOP Rolled Back Federal Voting Rights Enforcement

Andrew Gumbel, The Nation. October 3, 2008.
The Bush Administration's strategy on voting rights was to reverse the civil rights movement's gains.

Republicans Challenge 6,000 Voter Registrations in Montana

Steven Rosenfeld. October 2, 2008.
Montana GOP targets likely Democratic voters in university towns and on Native American reservations.

Another Washington Whitewash: The IG Report on Bush's U.S. Attorney Firings

Bob Bauer, More Hard Money Soft Law. October 1, 2008.
A noted Democratic Party election lawyer says the recent Justice Department inspector general report skips the hard questions.

Early Voting in Ohio Begins

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. October 1, 2008.
In Columbus, organizers ferry likely Democratic voters to the polls while no comparable GOP effort is seen.

Partisan Contractors to Count Votes in Illinois, Colorado and Kentucky

Bev Harris, BlackBoxVoting.org. September 30, 2008.
In Illinois, Colorado and Kentucky, contractors with partisan ties to the GOP will be counting the 2008 vote.

GOP Consultant Subpoenaed in Case Alleging Tampering with 2004 Election

Larisa Alexandrovna, Muriel Kane, Raw Story. September 30, 2008.
Michael S. Connell has been subpoenaed in an Ohio vote tampering case.

GOP Plans and Denials to Challenge Foreclosed Voters Examined

J. Gerald Hebert, Campaign Legal Center Blog. September 29, 2008.
The ex-head of the Justice Department's Voting Section parses the GOP's recent threats to target voters who have lost homes to foreclosure.

Nation's Largest Election Protection Coalition Launches Hotline, Website

Kat Zambon, electionline.org. September 29, 2008.
More than 100 partner organizations prepare to help voters for November

October Surprise: Goverment Computers To Go Offline During Voter Registration Peak

Wendy Weiser, Brennan Center for Justice. September 25, 2008.
The Social Security Administration, whose databases verify new voter registrations, will be shut down in mid-October for three days for maintenance.

GOP Issues Absurd Attack on Voter Registration Group

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. September 24, 2008.
The RNC calls ACORN "quasi-criminal" after finding two questionable voter applications in rural Florida.

Fighting for the Rights of Voters Behind Bars

Anthony Papa, Drug Policy Alliance. September 23, 2008.
Exercising the right to vote is important part of prisoner rehabilitation, but over 5 million convicted felons are barred from doing so.

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner: "We Will Be Ready."

Brad Friedman. September 22, 2008.
Ohio's top election official describes how she is planning for a fair presidential election in an exclusive interview with Brad Friedman.

ACLU, Advancement Project Sue Michigan Over Voter Purges

American Civil Liberties Union, Advancement Project. September 19, 2008.
Suit claims thousands may be disenfranchised in Michigan because officials did not follow the federal law governing voter purges.

How the GOP Wired Ohio's 2004 Vote Count for Bush to Win

Steven Rosenfeld. September 18, 2008.
A Republican computer data security expert tells how cyber-partisans could have stolen the 2004 election.

House Passes Veteran Voter Drive Bill

Steven Rosenfeld. September 17, 2008.
Frustration over the VA’s efforts to block voter registration drives throughout 2008 prompts congressional action.

Happy Constitution Day. Now Let's Reclaim Our Democratic Heritage.

Common Cause. September 17, 2008.
On the U.S. Constitution's birthday, current and former senators urge Americans to demand a return to constitutional governance.

Obama Campaign Sues Michigan GOP over Voter Challenges

Steven Rosenfeld. September 16, 2008.
Obama says the GOP is continuing a historic pattern to thwart Democratic voters, while the GOP says Obama's suit is based on a false media report.

Some Swing States Not Prepared for Voting Problems in November

Common Cause. September 16, 2008.
A survey of 10 swing states suggests Florida, Georgia and Virginia may have the most problems on Election Day.

Florida Voting Law May Disenfranchise Thousands

The Brennan Center for Justice and Advancement Project. September 12, 2008.
The state will start enforcing a law that penalizes voters if their names are misspelled in voter registration records and government databases.

Howard Zinn: American Empire Is 'Crumbling'

Al Jazeera. September 11, 2008.
"I think the American empire will go the way of other empires and I think it is on its way now."

2008 Season of Voting Meltdowns Begins

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. September 11, 2008.
Across the country, problems with voter rolls, voting machines and partisan tactics point to trouble in November.

UC Scientists Release Voting Machine Hacking Video

Brad Friedman, Brad Blog. September 10, 2008.
The hack shows vote counts can be altered no matter what the paper receipts say.

Student Voter Registration Faces New Obstacles in Virginia

Sara Hebel, The Chronicle of Higher Education. September 9, 2008.
Local officials interpret residency rules to discourage student voting.

More Bushenomics: Why McCain's Plans Would Only Add to Americans' Economic Pain

Nomi Prins, AlterNet. September 9, 2008.
Ignore the pop-politics and look at the issue that matters most to American families.

VA Now Allows Voter Registration Drives, But Will Its New Policy Help Vets in 2008?

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. September 9, 2008.
With Senate pressure looming, Veterans Affairs issues a new policy after barring voter drives for most of the 2008 voter registration season.

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Engaging low-income and minority voters in the civic process. Check out Project Vote.

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