Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with elections

Help me find a flash map.

Jeff_Larson — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:49:09 -0800

Are there any good, preferably open source flash maps available for mapping election data on the national level (with data for each state)? I've tried this, it's very pretty but doesn't seem to be what I need. But it seems to have problems with linking labels to state names, e.g. for the smaller states it must have an option to place labels outside of the state, and have the label's background color link to the states color. It also must be updateable in real-time, have the ability to drilldown into state data using popups or zooming, and look nice with loads of design customization options etc. Basically what I'm looking for is a thing like these:

NY Times - I know they had a deal with many-eyes for this, but i can't seem to get them on the horn to get something updateable.

WAPO - at the bottom.

CNN

Any leads?

Genuinely Fair

netbros — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:44:28 -0800

Now that the primary season is over and major party nominees have been determined for the upcoming U.S. presidential and congressional elections, please help me find unbiased, non-partisan, impartial news and commentary outlets to follow the campaigns. I would really like to avoid mouthpieces and parrots like Fox News, Kos, Sullivan, Reynolds, et. al. Presumably it is still actually possible to get balanced coverage of candidates, parties, and affiliations. Where are they? Any media are fine; TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, internet. As always, thanks in advance for your assistance.

Where to best experience Election Day?

lodev — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:47:58 -0800

I'd like to travel to the US in october and november. Where can I best experience election day? I'm planning a trip from October 25th until november 15th. Last year I did the west coast (San Francisco, L.A., Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yosemite et al.). This year I'd like to go back. Where doesn't really matter. I'd like to go back to San Francisco, but New York City, Boston, Florida, .. all seem nice as well.

One thing I'd really like to witness first hand is election day. I'm guessing the rally where the new mister/ms. president elect is going to give his/her victory speech, surrounded by Ben Affleck et al. is a bit hard to get into for non-party members, but what's the next best thing? What city/state do I need to be in? How do I find out where the action is? How do I get in?

Thanks in advance for the help!
Sorry for "crossposting", but with two posts so far this year (including mine) travelfilter seems a bit in a coma and unlikely to get some answers.

Source of info about actual voter attitudes/knowledge.

Claypole — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:42:55 -0800

I have recently read Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival"; in it, he sights this article , which investigates voter apathy in the 2000 elections, and the surprising figures about how little surveyed voters knew about candidates' policies. The information for this article comes from the Vanishing Voter Project, which no longer exists. Is there any site where I can find out about these sort of subjects in the 2008 elections?

How can I donate more money to Barack Obama?

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:57:15 -0800

How can I donate more money to Barack Obama? I would be willing to donate more of my money to Barack Obama's cause, but I have already donated the maximum legal amount of $2300 for the primary.

I have read that you can donate not just $2300 for the primary, but also another $2300 for the general. In fact, this is encouraged on every politician's website that I've seen. However, it's not clear to me whether the candidate can use general election donations for the primary; if not, I'd rather hold on until it's clear that he's actually going to run in the general.

Another alternative: You can give additional money to... uh... PACs and stuff?

So, my questions are: If I donate now towards the general election, would he be able to use those funds in the primary?

If not, what PAC (or whatever) would most help Obama win the primary?

Submitting anonymously because I'm not interested in having people know that I'm giving thousands of dollars away.

Billary '08?

jytsai — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:41:49 -0800

Settle-a-bet-filter: Lets say that Hillary wins the primaries; would it be legal for Bill to run as her vice president? And how likely is this to occur?

How do I vote strategically in the presidential primaries?

box — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:08:11 -0800

I live in Arkansas. It's a Super Tuesday state, and I can vote in either party primary. Polls currently suggest that Clinton and Huckabee (both of whom have Arkansas ties) are way, way, way ahead in my state. I prefer Obama to Clinton, but I'm not in love with either of them, and, really, I just want to see a Democrat win the general election. Bearing all of this in mind, how should I vote in the primary?

How do primaries work?

Framer — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:45:02 -0800

Are primaries "private" functions of their respective parties, or are they "public"? Who decides how they work? The parties aren't public entities, and they clearly control much of the process -- when the primaries are held in each state, how delegates are parsed, and such. Just as the DNC is punishing MI and FL, could they decide to not even hold primaries in some states, let states choose their delegates based on height, or whatever? And who decides if a state is going to have caucuses (cauci?) or a primary? And it seems that the states' public agencies expend a fair amount of resources -- it's the board of elections that does the tallying, certifying, polling, etc. -- but are they required do do so? Do the parties help cover these costs? If not, could a third party expect the same resources to be made available to them? (No need for a big discussion about the viability of third parties and all that, just wondering.)

Will President Obama take my job away?

micketymoc — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:29:35 -0800

What would an Obama Presidency mean for the business process outsourcing industry? I work for a company that creates marketing materials for US clients. A growing number of my countrymen also work for call centers that do a lot of business with US companies. Barack Obama hinted in his SC victory speech that he would bring back jobs outsourced abroad. What does that mean for my company and its employees?

Has he made any concrete policy positions that would deal with business process outsourcing in particular?

I was impressed by Obama's SC victory speech, but I couldn't help but wonder if I was cheering for someone who would make life very difficult for my employers (and me) in the near future.

Milblogging the Election

k8lin — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:46:13 -0800

Are there deployed soldiers blogging about the US elections? I'm interested in seeing what currently deployed soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan have to say on blogs about the United States elections. While I'm specifically interested in reading about the current state primaries and the upcoming national election, I'd also like to read about previous elections as well, if possible. Are there any military blogs that mention the elections in a post or two? I did a cursory exploration of some popular milblogs and didn't come up with anything.
I'd also like to see if anyone talks about the experience of voting absentee when deployed.
I'm not looking for specific endorsements of candidates -- I know that's probably not out there -- just general thoughts on the electoral process in the United States.

Transportee-ocracy!

orthogonality — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:58:31 -0800

Can you give me a guide to the upcoming Australian federal elections? Please highlight with a broad arrow the close races, the bell weather ~~districts~~ constituencies, the handicapping, the pundits' best prognostications, and which web sites and times to watch real time results in the Dominions beyond the Seas?

Doing my homework

anonymous78 — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:20:04 -0800

I could offer excuses, but I won't. I'm unacceptably uninformed about the presidential hopefuls. Are there any good sites/articles offering summaries, breakdowns and/or analyses of the candidates' views/opinions on key issues? I'm primarily, but not exclusively, interested in the Democratic candidates.

Looking for online communities for newbie politicians?

libertaduno — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:17:17 -0800

I'm looking for online forums/community for politicians, especially for newbies, especially for independents, especially on how to get elected, best states to run in for different political bents, etc.

Books about U.S. presidential elections?

Silune — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:31:40 -0800

What are some good books about U.S. presidential elections? There are lots of books about American presidents, but not so many specifically about elections/campaigns. What are the good ones? (Example. I haven't read it, but it's the kind of book I'm looking for.)

How do I help our relationship thrive when my partner is busy until Election Day?

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:55:54 -0800

What are some good strategies and resources for deepening a nascent romantic relationship when your partner is in a two-month pre-election frenzy of activity? My partner and I began dating about a month ago, and we have enjoyed a rapid expansion of intimacy and grown accustomed to spending a great deal of time together. I find the relationship very satisfying and look forward to learning more about him. However, because of his political activities, we are facing a couple of months of very limited time to spend together. I am specifically interested in hearing from people who have experience being in a relationship with someone who is campaigning as well as people who have been in my partner's situation (trying to balance a relationship with extensive political involvement).

At this time, we are avoiding my becoming extensively involved in his projects in order to allow the relationship to develop more naturally, although I do accompany him to events and fundraisers as appropriate. While these activities do provide an opportunity to be with him, they are substantially different in nature from our more unmediated interactions. We will see each other every day, as a rule, but generally very late and with multiple distractions. I want to find ways to make this time productive for us as individuals and for our relationship as well. So, here are a few questions to get the advice mill working.

Besides the loss of time together, are there any other areas of potential hardship that I should be watching for--for him or for me?

What are some non-demanding and helpful ways of showing support?

Are there relationship-themed books, biographies, or other texts that might particularly speak to this situation?

What are some strategies for both providing a sounding board for your partner's professional preoccupations and also building a safe place for him or her to reconnect to regular life?

How have election outcomes, good or bad, impacted your romantic relationships?

What is the best advice you have ever received on this topic? (And when I say best, I should say that swearing off sex during campaigning is not on the radar, so if you must suggest that, know that I will not take it :-).)

I know that many of these questions are highly dependant on the individual, but I appreciate hearing others' experiences and advice and building a broader and deeper understanding of what this relationship might entail. If you prefer to contact me via email, please contact partisandating [at] gmail dot com.

Votebusters

rolypolyman — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:34:03 -0800

Doonesbury, November 1984. Does anyone remember the "Votebusters" running gag? I have only a foggy memory of it, perhaps being a mashup of Ghostbusters and the Presidential election. What was the joke exactly?

How to win a seat in the House of Reps?

los pijamas del gato — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 07:13:40 -0800

What is involved in running for a seat in the House? Right now there is an uncontested seat in my district, (AR-03) Arkansas, going to Boozman (R). He has a lot of financial backing and and a solid religious support base but he is also batshit insane. I am a 32 year old network/computer specialist that works for the university with no previous political experience, I am pretty good organizer and a fair public speaker and would do well on web activism. but I am not sure if this would even make a difference in a real congressional race as I have no $$$, if there was another candidate I would support them, but this guy is running unopposed so somebody should do something!

What prevents illegal immigrants from voting?

gnash — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:53:25 -0800

What prevents illegal immigrants from voting? Assuming illegal voting occurs how do you feel about it (looking for opinions from all sides)? I have thought about this question for a while as I realized in my own local elections just how little identification was required.

Given we have a federal election in two years I am concerned about the impact of election outcomes with illegal votes (whether it be illegal immigrants or legal immigrants).

For those that are curious I am neither Democrat nor Republican. I will say that if it is happening I can't say I am a supporter of it. This question has been bugging me for a while so I am seeking the wisdom of MeFites.

For my state, all that is required is one of the following for voting day registration. I know many states have similar requirements:

* Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, identification card, or receipt for one, with your current address
* Tribal ID**
* If the Minnesota license, Tribal ID or MN State ID has a former address, you may bring a recent utility bill* to use with your license
* “Notice of Late Registration” postcard
* U.S. passport with utility bill*
* U.S. military photo ID card with utility bill*
* Prior registration listed on roster at former address in precinct
* Oath of a registered voter in precinct ("vouching")
* If you are a student, you can use...
o Student ID, registration, or fee statement with your current address
o Student photo ID with utility bill*
o Student ID if you are on a student housing list on file at the polling place
o Someone who is registered in the precinct where you live who will vouch for your residence

How do you run for Congress?

papakwanz — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:15:36 -0800

How do you run for Congress? More specifically, as a representative in the U.S. House? What forms do you need to file, how many signatures do you need, any particular qualifications that you need to meet? Any estimates on baseline costs to run a grassroots campaign, advice on how to get your message out there?

Question number 12510

Vidiot — Sun, 05 Dec 2004 00:30:46 -0800

Is there any place where results for the recent US election are available, sorted by congressional district? This site doesn't seem to have them yet...anywhere else?

Question number 11520

probablysteve — Fri, 05 Nov 2004 09:30:57 -0800

The "moral issues" explanation for the 2004 election is clearly based on exit polls. Are these the same exit polls that wrongly projected Kerry winning almost everywhere? Also, where can I find details re: the results of these polls and the actual questions for myself?

Question number 11458

FunkyHelix — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 12:11:25 -0800

Do they still continue to count ballots after one of the candidates concedes to the other? What happens if someone concedes and then it's found out that he had the votes needed to win?

Question number 11444

twine42 — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 05:41:58 -0800

As I understand it, the US election is won by winning areas and then counting up how many wins each person got. Give or take. It's not all that important to the question.

Does anyone know if/when the actual voter figures will be released? I'd love to compare this system to a true winner-takes-all system...

Question number 11286

inksyndicate — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 17:25:15 -0800

Domestic absentee voting predicament: So I sent away for an absentee ballot, from a county elections office 8 hours away. They goofed, mistakenly thought it was a registration to vote at the local polls -- and mailed me a sample ballot instead. Now it's too late to get an absentee ballot. Am I pwned, or is there some (federal?) backup form I can use? I live in California.

Question number 11127

solistrato — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 16:12:08 -0800

Where can I find out about a specific company's campaign contributions?