Special Coverage: Democracy and Elections

Hard Lesson for Franken: Not All Votes Get Counted

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. November 26, 2008.
But the Minnesota Democrat's latest hurdle to a U.S. Senate seat might affect the GOP's senate candidate in Georgia's upcoming runoff election.

From the blogs

Franken-Coleman Recount Update: Searching for Spines

by Phoenix Woman, Firedoglake

The state canvassing board must stop abdicating their authority.

See (Literally) Why Al Franken is Gaining Votes

by Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

Minnesota Public Radio's website has examples of the kinds of errors voters made when marking paper ballots.

Convicted Senator Ted Stevens Now 814 Votes Behind in Alaska

by Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

With 40,000 ballots left to be counted, Democrat Mark Begich has pulled ahead of the incumbent Republican senator.

VideoTheVote Releases Footage of Major Problems on Election Day

by Staff, Video the Vote

The election protection group releases a series of video reports showing the major problems faced by voters in 2008.

Obama Transition Team Rejects Lobbyists: Why It Matters

by Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

Obama issues rules to limit the ability of lobbyists who give his Transition Team advice to make money off it.

Do You Want Lieberman to Have Subpoena Power to Investigate President Obama?

by Robert Greenwald, ZP Heller, Brave New Films

Lieberman smeared Obama, and should not be allowed to caucus with the Democrats.

International Observers Give 2008 Election a Passing Grade

by Steven Rosenfeld

A report by the international election observers finds well-known problems, but approves of Tuesday's vote.

Transformational Presidency

by Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation

The fate of Obama's presidency will be determined by how bold he chooses to be.

The Man Behind Proposition 8

by Max Blumenthal, The Daily Beast

The reclusive billionaire, the mother of Blackwater's Erik Prince, and the drive to fund this year's most controversial referendum.

Turnout High, but Some Polling Place Issues in Philadelphia

by Steven Rosenfeld

Some voters were not on precinct lists and got provisional ballots, which could cut into Obama's totals tonight.

Good Thing Minnesota Has Someone in Charge Who Cares About Counting Every Vote

Jay Walljasper, OnTheCommons.org. November 26, 2008.
Mark Ritchie -- the man in the middle of Minnesota's Senate race recount -- is passionate about making sure every vote counts.

The Pentagon Represents Astounding Excess in Spending and Firepower: Can Obama Take it on?

Frida Berrigan, Tomdispatch.com. November 26, 2008.
Tackling the Pentagon, with its mega-budget and its mega-power, may be the hardest task Obama faces.

More Unfinished 2008 Election Business: Verifiable Vote Counts

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. November 25, 2008.
The ongoing Senate races in Minnesota and Georgia highlight America's disparate systems of voting and auditing the count.

Consensus Builds for Universal Voter Registration

Project Vote. November 19, 2008.
Experts and media call for sweeping reform of how voter registration is conducted in America.

Alaska Poised to Elect Democrat Mark Begich to Senate

Scott Rafferty, AlterNet. November 18, 2008.
As vote counting in Alaska continued Tuesday, Democrat Mark Begich pulled ahead of Sen. Ted Stevens by more than 3,700 votes.

The Invisible Election

Heather Gerken, Election Law Blog. November 18, 2008.
The 2008 presidential election did not end with a contested vote count, but that doesn't mean it went smoothly for voters or election officials.

2008 Results: Fewer White Voters, While Minorities Set Records

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. November 18, 2008.
A preliminary study of 2008 results finds more than a million fewer white voters than in 2004 and nearly 7 million new minority voters.

Democrats' Soft Spot for Automakers Have Shielded Detroit from Its Own Bad Decisions

Garland McLaurin, American News Project. November 17, 2008.
The automobile lobby is back on Capitol Hill to secure $25 billion in loans. Will the money get wasted or put to good use?

Having a 'Better' Economist in Obama's Treasury Won't Cut It

Rebekah and Stephen Hren, Huffington Post. November 17, 2008.
We must restructure our economy from a foundation built on consumption to regeneration and maintenance.

Don't Count On The Senate to Throw Out Alaska's Ted Stevens

Scott Rafferty, AlterNet. November 13, 2008.
Letting the felonious Republican senator languish is another path to a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the first 100 days.

Machine Problems Worsened 2008 Voting Woes

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. November 13, 2008.
Voting machine issues and the confusion they caused compounded the delays faced by untold thousands of voters this fall.

Why Al Franken Will be Minnesota's Next Senator

Scott Rafferty, AlterNet. November 12, 2008.
For many reasons, all listed here, when the final votes are tallied and likely litigation ends in Minnesota, Al Franken will be a U.S. Senator.

Let's Hope the Rumors About Jane Harman in an Obama Admin Aren't Serious

Linda Milazzo, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.
The idea that the author of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act will work with Obama is a scary one.

Despite Clear Presidential Victor, No Shortage of Problems in 2008 Election

Tova Andrea Wang, Common Cause. November 10, 2008.
"If this election had been much closer, the outcry over the problems enumerated would be huge."

Palin Faces Rough Road To Stevens' Senate Seat

John O'Hara, AlterNet. November 10, 2008.
After Sen. Frank Murkowski's engineered his daughter's path to the Senate, Alaskans have limited a governor's appointment powers.

Even After Obama Victory, Hard Lessons from the ACORN Smear Campaign

Art Levine, AlterNet. November 7, 2008.
New wave of vote suppression followed GOP attacks against ACORN. The group claims its anti-fraud efforts are ignored while new restrictions loom.

Inside the Obama Campaign: A Grassroots View

Patrick Levine Rose, AlterNet. November 5, 2008.
An Obama volunteer from East Lansing, Michigan, describes the extraordinary organization and cooperation that help elect the 44th president.

Election Day: Voting Snafus from Around the Country

AlterNet. November 4, 2008.
Election protection coalition ignores vote count issues ... Jammed ballot boxes in Missouri ... Absentee ballot sign-up glitches in FL ...

If You're in a Swing State, Don't Just Vote -- Verify

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. November 4, 2008.
As the 2008 election comes to close, swing states may find voting is needlessly complex -- and that is before any ballots are counted.

Election Day: Hot News, Emerging Trends, Juicy Rumors

AlterNet. November 4, 2008.
NC Sen: GOP Strategist Says Dem Hagan Will Win ... Rahm Emanuel to be Obama's chief of staff? ... Beware of turnout reports

Virginia: The New Florida?

Andrew Gumbel, TheNation.com. November 4, 2008.
Some key Obama strongholds are close to a standstill as record numbers of voters cast their ballots.

Here's What Vote Fraud Really Looks Like

Paul Lehto, AlterNet. November 3, 2008.
California Republican Party's sponsorship of the firm YPM is an voter fraud oak tree compared to the innocent ACORN.

The Big Money Barrier Surrounding the White House

Bill Moyers, Michael Winship, Bill Moyers Journal. November 3, 2008.
Can change happen when the usual suspects are piling up money like sandbags against the public's clamor for a better deal? We'll find out.

If Tuesday's Vote is Close, Get Ready for a Slow Count

Kathy Dopp, AlterNet. November 1, 2008.
If the presidential results are close, the number of yet-to-be-counted ballots may be larger than the spread between candidates in swing states.

GOP's 2008 Legal Strategy: Target Every Battleground State

Steven Rosenfeld. November 1, 2008.
So much for McCain's claim that "the fabric of democracy" is being torn. It's only being ruffled by Republicans in battleground states.

And the Winner of 2008's Most Partisan State Election Administrator Is...

J. Gerald Hebert, Campaign Legal Center Blog. November 1, 2008.
The envelope please ... Indiana's Todd Rokita's pursuit of ACORN wins the award for 2008's most partisan top state election official.

We Can't Parachute Paid Election Workers Into Communities and Expect Good Democracy

Melanie L. Campbell, AlterNet. November 1, 2008.
We'll protect the vote and increase democratic participation better starting from the ground up.

It Is Now Absolutely Crystal Clear That Republican Rule Is Dangerous and Authoritarian

John Dean, FindLaw.com. November 1, 2008.
Republicans rule, rather than govern, when they are in power by imposing their authoritarian conservative philosophy on everyone.

Some PA Counties May Ignore Paper Ballot Court Order

Brad Friedman, Brad Blog. October 31, 2008.
Pennsylvania was ordered to provide emergency paper ballots if voting machines fail. But some local officials say they can't do it.

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