Voter Integrity
Professor Daron Shaw, Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, dives into American election and voter registration trends.
Campaign finance: Money and politics’ relationship gets stronger
Money and politics go hand in hand and the totals going back to 2008 reveal the relationship is only growing stronger. In 2020, spending in federal elections totaled $14.4 billion. It’s been increasing for more than a decade: 2016: $6.5 billion 2012: $6.3 billion 2008: $5.3 billion Does money drive election results? Empirical analysis shows [...]
Midterms could be challenging for Republicans
The November midterms are approaching and the “red wave” Republicans are looking for is not looking as likely as it once was. Between candidate recruitment issues, smaller war chests and recent legislative accomplishments by Democrats, cold November waters may merely ripple. “The terrain isn’t nearly as favorable as you might have expected. And I think [...]
Michigan AG’s investigation could lead to indictment of November opponent
Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is asking for a special prosecutor to review a charging request and handle any subsequent prosecutions in an election-related case because of a potential conflict of interest. One of the nine people facing possible charges is Nessel’s November opponent Mathew DePerno, the presumptive Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general. [...]
Liz Cheney unapologetic at primary debate as polls show 30 point deficit
Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is fighting to keep her congressional seat in a primary race that polls show she’s losing by a lot. But as seen in a debate Thursday night, Cheney is not budging from her actions that got her into trouble in her home state – voting to impeach former President Donald [...]
Voter ID: Facts and myths of identifying yourself at the voting booth
There’s an awful lot of debate about voter identification. Some fact, some fiction and a surplus of opinions. But what are the rules surrounding voter ID? Does it impact turnout? This article answers all those questions, but to sum it up: we certainly don’t have compelling evidence that there’s much to be gained from these [...]
Electing our leaders: How election systems differ around the world
Free and fair elections are the foundation of democratic societies. But not all elections are the same. There are two main types of election systems: single member, simple plurality, or SMSP, and proportional representation. This article will explain how they both work and how they correspond to elections in the United States and around the [...]
How voter registration works across the United States
When U.S. citizens want to exercise their right to vote in America, they must first register. But the rules and requirements vary from state to state. “It’s important to remember that we do not register nationally in the United States. Rather we register at the level of the county,” Professor Daron Shaw said. Why are [...]
Same day, automatic registrations simplify voting in America
Voting in the United States is largely a two-step process. First you register, then you vote. But two options make voting a one-step process: same day registration and automatic registration. “The United States is somewhat distinct compared to other democracies in that we require voters for the most part to register prior to election day [...]
Convenience voting lets voters cast ballots on their terms
The 2020 elections revealed significant changes to the American electorate. But the biggest change wasn’t who voters supported–it was how they cast their ballots. Convenience voting, which includes early in-person, mail-in, and absentee voting, became more popular than ever. In fact, 72 percent of voters used one of those voting methods. MIT Election Data Science [...]