US-election filter: are felons allowed to vote? [more inside]
posted on Jul 5, 2008 - 13 answers

NPR-story-with-little-to-go-on-filter: Several years ago, I heard a radio story involving a tribal election in which one candidate was represented as being for re-investing funds in the tribe, while another was for direct payments to tribe members. An tribe member, interviewed, said he'd vote for the latter, although even he didn't think it was best for the tribe or for him in the long term -- because he wanted the cash. [more inside]
posted on Mar 18, 2008 - 9 answers

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?
posted on Jan 30, 2008 - 46 answers

Has any democracy, in a free, fair and open election, ever chosen a racial minority as a head of state or head of government? [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2007 - 34 answers

How much civic duty is enough? Should I keep going as an election judge? [more inside]
posted on Nov 8, 2007 - 18 answers

I'm looking for suggestions for electronic voting/polling systems. It would be used to conduct officer elections for a large membership organization. [more inside]
posted on Nov 7, 2007 - 1 answers

How do I register as a Republican and vote in the primary? [more inside]
posted on Oct 7, 2007 - 16 answers

What steps can I personally take over the next year to help abolish the electoral system and move to a popular vote for the president? (Live in Brooklyn, don't want to attend a ton of meetings, can donate $50-$100 to charity. Bonus points if I don't end up helping a specific candidate.)
posted on Sep 30, 2007 - 12 answers

We are in the middle of a redesign of a community voting site - and we're lookng for examples of good voting buttons. [more inside]
posted on Jul 31, 2007 - 2 answers

cumulative voting: so a small number of shares could affect a proposal by stacking the votes? [more inside]
posted on Dec 26, 2006 - 3 answers

Can you use a phone (to get assistance from a friend, for example) while voting? [more inside]
posted on Nov 7, 2006 - 7 answers

Do I keep my plans with a friend this evening or go home to vote? [more inside]
posted on Nov 7, 2006 - 44 answers

Congress Facts: I watched this video on YouTube about Bernie Sanders that states he has sponsored 165 bills, but only one has become law. How can I find a concise list of stats like this (sponsored, vs become law) for all congressional members?
posted on Nov 6, 2006 - 4 answers

Where does the phrase "Get out the vote" come from? [more inside]
posted on Nov 6, 2006 - 8 answers

As much as I'd like to contribute my vote to what could be a pivotal senate race, I don't want to do anything illegal. I need some clarification. [more inside]
posted on Nov 6, 2006 - 13 answers

My absentee ballot hasn't arrived yet, and the election is on Tuesday. What do I do? [more inside]
posted on Nov 5, 2006 - 10 answers

How should I vote at the bottom of the ballot? [more inside]
posted on Nov 5, 2006 - 17 answers

I am philosophically opposed to the concept of voter initiatives and ballot questions. There are three questions on my ballot on Tuesday. Should I leave them blank, or vote no? [more inside]
posted on Nov 5, 2006 - 21 answers

Could I possibly get in trouble for snapping a picture of my ballot/voting screen with my phonecam? [more inside]
posted on Oct 25, 2006 - 9 answers

Condo-buying followup: scarabic now asks, "Should I be concerned about introducing a third party and potentially going from 50% voting rights to 33% voting rights?" [more inside]
posted on Oct 1, 2006 - 9 answers

Is it possible to tell if other people are using votebots or scripts in an online contest? [more inside]
posted on Sep 27, 2006 - 9 answers

Can I vote in the Dutch elections in November? I have dual US and Netherlands citizenship. I have only voted in US elections in the past, never in Holland. How do I find out if I can vote in the upcoming Dutch elections, what I need to do, etc., and importantly, will I jeopardize my US citizenship by doing so? Thank you.
posted on Jul 14, 2006 - 3 answers

Is abstaining from voting in an American election... [more inside]
posted on Jun 7, 2006 - 73 answers

Are there any good, secure, free and easy to install systems for running an election on a website? [more inside]
posted on Jun 5, 2006 - 4 answers

What's a good and free software solution for counting up hand written ballots? [more inside]
posted on May 4, 2006 - 13 answers

Who gets to vote in US Presidential elections? Specifically, what are the rules for expats, Guam, and other edge cases? [more inside]
posted on Apr 18, 2006 - 4 answers

What prevents illegal immigrants from voting? Assuming illegal voting occurs how do you feel about it (looking for opinions from all sides)? [more inside]
posted on Feb 22, 2006 - 50 answers

Help me not commit voter fraud. [more inside]
posted on Feb 13, 2006 - 13 answers

Dirty Tricks Filter: Who would likely benefit from this bogus election email? [more inside]
posted on Jan 22, 2006 - 5 answers

I want to allow people to vote on things in a blog entry. Is there a code I can use to track voting easily and allow people to just click a radio button or something to cast their vote?
posted on Jun 19, 2005 - 1 answers

I really want to understand: Why did you vote for Bush? Not snark at all -- a sincere question. I voted for Kerry. 51% of the people in this country think differently than I do and I'd like to try to get past my usual filters and biases and hear your point of view. If you voted for Bush/Cheney I'd appreciate you taking the time to explain to me what issues, beliefs, hopes, and fears motivated you voted the way you did, if you're willing.
posted on Nov 6, 2004 - 62 answers

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?
posted on Nov 3, 2004 - 5 answers

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...
posted on Nov 3, 2004 - 4 answers

How was voting today?
posted on Nov 2, 2004 - 83 answers

Any place have the web equivalent of those "I Voted" stickers?
posted on Nov 2, 2004 - 8 answers

Any advice on how to research the bazillion non-presidential candidates that will appear on tomorrow's ballot? I've always had problems figuring out which circuit court judge to vote for, or which state assemblyperson, for example.
posted on Nov 1, 2004 - 12 answers

What website should I be locked into on Tuesday night? I want raw data, real-time lists of media and VNS calls for various states, as well as info on Senate and House returns.
posted on Oct 31, 2004 - 10 answers

Could a tight presidential result in lead to civil war?
posted on Oct 28, 2004 - 50 answers

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.
posted on Oct 27, 2004 - 4 answers

Election season special. Just to make sure I'm not missing anything: when a ballot measure says it will "issue $30 million in bonds" to pay for a highway or school retrofit, that means "go into debt" or "borrow the money," right?

Secondarily, let's say such a measure passes - what's to stop a legislature from canceling it thereafter, in order to balance a state/federal/municipal budget? Is that bond money somehow "separate" from the general fund?
posted on Oct 21, 2004 - 7 answers

Last week I received my absentee ballot for Central Massachusetts. I haven't been there in a few years, so I don't recognize some of the candidates running for the more obscure offices. When Google fails, and the local newspaper coverage is sketchy, how do you go about finding out more information about these candidates?
posted on Oct 20, 2004 - 7 answers

When I filed my absentee ballot yesterday, the clerk insisted that my father and I vote in pencil... (more inside)
posted on Oct 14, 2004 - 15 answers

When are Massachusetts absentee ballots sent out?
posted on Oct 8, 2004 - 3 answers

I'm looking for a web page that asks for a zip code (or an address) and returns the voting district, what candidates are running on the ballot and any other measures or items up for the vote. Does anything like this exist on a national, state or more local level?

I know that Paul Ford is screenscraping the Government, but I'm assuming that won't be done in time for this November's election.
posted on Oct 8, 2004 - 1 answers

RegisterToVoteFilter: I've just moved from one state to another, accompanying my wife while she attends graduate school. Should I register to vote in the new state or the old one? [MI]
posted on Oct 4, 2004 - 5 answers

I sent a voter registration card in the mail several weeks ago and have received no card or confirmation. How can I be sure I'm registered?
posted on Sep 27, 2004 - 7 answers

I've just read an article in the Economist about the pros and cons of using machines to count votes in the forthcoming US elections. It seems there are 7 methods of voting - optical, electronic etc. This might be a silly question but what's wrong with putting a cross in a box with a pencil like we do in the UK (at least in all the elections I've voted in)?
posted on Sep 21, 2004 - 26 answers

US election question: The US Presidential election is being held Nov. 2, 2004. Last election was on Nov. 7th. I was confused last time and this time because I swear that I remember learning that elections are always held on the second Tuesday of November. Anyone aware of whether that second Tuesday thing is a rule, and, if so, is there some historical origin to it? If it is a rule, anyone know why the last two elections were held on the first Tuesday of November?
posted on Sep 14, 2004 - 8 answers

What's the easiest way to figure out where I'm registered to vote? I've moved several times in-state, and I'm not sure whether I've updated my registration, or, whether I've updated or not, where my voting center would be.
posted on Sep 13, 2004 - 6 answers

With all this talk about potential touch-screen voting machines, I was thinking, "What, exactly, is the big deal? Worst case scenario, even?" I've heard 1/3 of the senate is up for grabs, along with the entire house of representatives and the presidency (correct me if I'm wrong). So, what would happen if there is some touch-screen SNAFU and they all came back republican? Is there anything anybody could do? Also, with a CURRENT republican majority in the house, the senate and a conservative leaning supreme court (that might not have jurisdiction), what if the probable investigations are stymied until January?
posted on Sep 7, 2004 - 10 answers