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Maryland can save its election by letting people vote at home

Eric Cortellessa

March 20, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Utah

Utah is an example of how states can smoothly transition to universal vote-by-mail elections during the Covid-19 pandemic. Utah moved in stages by first allowing all registered voters to vote-by-mail for any reason, followed by inviting counties to opt in to universal voting by mail once they were ready. Administrators found it easier and cheaper, voters found it more convenient, and turnout increased 5 percentage points in counties that had switched. Details like whether to include return postage on ballots have to be worked out, but four states have transitioned to universal absentee voting with success.

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Elections amid coronavirus: How officials aim to keep voters safe

Alfred Ng

March 17, 2020 |

CNET |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Many are looking to in-person voting alternatives already used on smaller scales to address the challenges of holding an election during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online or mobile app voting is allowed on a limited basis in several states. Voatz is a mobile voting app that has been used in 50 elections since 2016, with more than 80,000 votes cast. The company uses blockchain to encrypt the data and has offered to discuss the free use of its software for the 2020 presidential election. Experts caution the possibility of cyber-attacks as well as the difficulty of widely implementing new technologies so quickly.

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How to Save Elections From a Pandemic

Eric Cortellessa

March 16, 2020 |

Washington Monthly |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

The coronavirus pandemic swept the nation at a time when many would be going to polling stations to cast their votes in primary elections, but vote-at-home practices are providing a solution for this civic inconvenience. Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and now Utah have all implemented statewide all-mail election campaigns that not only improve voter turnout, but also cost less to taxpayers than only relying on in-person polling booths.

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Map the Vote app finds unregistered voters in cities and helps get them to the polls

Katherine Rapin

March 11, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Register2Vote (R2V) identified unregistered voters in Texas and built a platform for them to fill out the form online, which R2V printed and mailed to them with a stamped envelope addressed to their county’s registrar’s office. 112,000 of the 156,000 new voters they registered voted in 2018. R2V later created Map the Vote, a nationwide crowdsourced app that maps where unregistered voters live. It also provides tools to help organizations, or even neighbors, register new voters, including scripts that people can use to start a conversation about registering to vote and respond to common voting concerns.

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Advocates, teachers aim to help growing number of young Texas voters wield their power

Vicky Camarillo

March 11, 2020 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Organizations and educators in Texas work to increase voter engagement among young people. Schools must provide voter registrations, but many don't, so some teachers register students and teach the importance of civic participation. Several groups also work to get high school and college-age voters to the polls. MOVE Texas and Texas Rising registered thousands of young voters on National Voter Registration Day in 2019. Utilizing technology, going to where young people are, and teaching media literacy increased civic engagement among young people in 2018, although the turnout was still relatively low at 25%.

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How organizations, lawsuits are fighting voter suppression in Texas

John C. Moritz

March 05, 2020 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Civil rights groups used a lawsuit and a vigilant network of activists to defeat an attempt to purge qualified voters from the list of Texas' eligible voters and to guard against ongoing attempts to disenfranchise naturalized citizens and other people of color. In 2019, the Texas Secretary of State's office compiled a list of what it said were as many as 100,000 illegally registered voters. Countering claims of fraud and threats of prosecution, activists forced the state to abandon the effort and oust the secretary of state. A study shows at least 17 million names have been cut from voter lists nationwide.

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Harnessing the power of Latino voters could reshape politics in Texas

Vicky Camarillo

March 02, 2020 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Texas voter registration initiatives are aimed at Latino voters, where less than 41% of eligible Latinos voted in 2016. Voto Latino focuses on college campuses, registering 15% of all new Texas voters in 2018. Southwest Voter Registration Education Project visits Latino-majority schools, including reaching out to 500 high schools across Texas. Jolt Action registers voters, held the first Latino-focused political candidate forum in Texas attended by 870 people, and runs Poder Quince where girls can have a free photo booth at their quinceañera if paired with a voter registration table and pledge to vote at 18.

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The Beto Effect: Transforming Houston's Criminal Justice System

Keri Blakinger

February 25, 2020 |

The Marshall Project |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Beto O’Rourke’s failed Senate campaign in 2018 nonetheless has made lasting change in Texas’ largest city, where Democrats drawn to the polls by O'Rourke's candidacy swept out Republican judges who had blocked various criminal justice reforms. Since then, Houston's newly Democrat-controlled judiciary has transformed a famously punitive legal culture. It largely abolished cash bail in low-level cases, keeping more defendants out of jail pending trial. The city sends far fewer juveniles to youth prisons, and now prosecutors at all levels face stiffer resistance when they appear in court.

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Meet the Latinos Trying to Get Latinos to the Polls

Isabella Grullón Paz

February 10, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

The Democratic Party consistently struggles to turn out the Latinx vote, which is projected to be 32 million people. Instead of trying to find a cohesive message for this incredibly diverse group of people like in the past, Democratic candidates this year are letting Latinx people lead engagement in their own communities.

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Iowa Election Snafu: What Happens When IT And Cybersecurity Best Practices Are Ignored

Jody Westby

February 06, 2020 |

Forbes |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Iowa

The wireless application that malfunctioned during the Iowa caucuses highlighted lessons that election officials must apply in future caucuses. The app skipped or was deficient in most of the established best practices for developing software systems. Software should meet minimum privacy and security standards and it should be tested for functionality and security, with access to regular maintenance as needed. Officials should understand the importance of the best practices and standards when making IT decisions and regular testing to identify vulnerabilities, which are promptly addressed, should take place.

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