Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 128 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Midterms turnout: Could Australia-style voting help in US?

Tiffanie Turnbull Jason Arnesto

November 04, 2022 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

In Australia, all eligible adults are required to vote unless they qualify for an approved exception, with a failure to show up on election day resulting in a fine of A$20. The country has one of the highest turnout rates in the world, with 76 percent of eligible voters casting ballots in 2022.

Read More
Go to Original Story
In North Carolina, a Rush to “Restore Hope in the Vote” in People with Felony Convictions

Kelan Lyons

November 04, 2022 |

Bolts |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Bern, North Carolina

A Superior Court ruling in North Carolina restored voting rights to people with felony convictions who are no longer in prison, giving up to 56,000 residents the opportunity to return to the ballot box. Organizations participating in the "Unlock Our Vote" movement are working to connect with and register disenfranchised voters, and people who have been re-enfranchised say reclaiming their rights has given them new hope that they can help effect change.

Read More
Go to Original Story
When It Comes to Voting in Jail, the Devil Is in the Details

Alexandra Arriaga

November 04, 2022 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

To help eligible voters behind bars participate in elections, civic and volunteer groups visit jails such as the Vernon C. Bain Center with registration packets and absentee ballot request forms. The volunteers also answer questions about issues, candidates, and the voting process, and about 300 people in New York jails have registered to vote since January.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Navajo voters in one Arizona County see their ballots rejected more frequently. Here's what would fix that.

Jen Fifield Carrie Levine

November 03, 2022 |

Votebeat |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Navajo Nation, United States, Arizona

Some Arizona counties that include parts of the Navajo Nation have set up voting centers, central locations where residents can come to vote in-person regardless of what precinct they are assigned to. The centers have helped reduce the number of provisional ballots cast on the reservation, which faces significant voting barriers due to distance, transportation access, and spotty mail and internet service, and other counties with reservation land are now pushing to establish their own voting centers.

Read More
Go to Original Story
‘We depend on each other': A community driven to vote

Jingnan Peng

November 03, 2022 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Decatur, Georgia

Disability rights activist Zan Thornton organizes a network of volunteer drivers in Georgia to help voters with disabilities get accessible rides to the polls. In 2021, they organized free transportation for more than 150 people and have helped more than 50 so far for the 2022 midterms.

Read More
Go to Original Story
'We don't read print': Blind voters say new accessible ballot measures fall short

Olivia Ebertz

November 02, 2022 |

Gothamist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In 2022, New York rolled out a new accessible voting option for blind residents, allowing them to fill out their ballots electronically using screen reader technology. Roughly 1,000 people requested the accessible ballots for the 2022 general election, but blind voters say there are still issues that need to be worked out, such as the requirement to print and mail in the ballots.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Doug Mastriano's proposed voter roll purge addresses a non-existent problem and targets vulnerable voters, experts say

Robby Brod

November 02, 2022 |

WITF |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania uses ERIC, or the Electronic Registration Information Center, to cross-check its voter rolls against Department of Motor Vehicle data from other states to identify voters who have moved and become "inactive." In 2020, state and county leaders reported they removed more than 180,000 out-of-state residents and 80,000 deceased voters.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How parts of northwestern Ontario bucked the provincial trend of a lower municipal voter turnout

Olivia Levesque

October 28, 2022 |

CBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Atikokan, Ontario

Though voter turnout for municipal elections dropped about 4 percent across Ontario in 2022, a handful of communities in the northwestern part of the province bucked that trend by switching to online voting or telephone voting and a focus on outreach with younger residents. In the town of Atikokan, about 56 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, compared to 34 percent throughout the province as a whole.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Thousands of eligible Wisconsin voters face ballot barriers in jail

Matt Mencarini Erin McGroarty Phoebe Petrovic

October 18, 2022 |

Wisconsin Watch |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Jails in Illinois and Texas have improved voting access for people who are incarcerated by coordinating with voting rights advocacy groups and bringing the polls on-site. In June, voter turnout at the Cook County Jail in Illinois exceeded that of the city of Chicago as a whole, and the Harris County Jail in Texas saw 96 people vote in-person in November 2021 and about 200 cast ballots in the March primary.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How to Fix America's Confusing Voting System

Aliyya Swaby Annie Waldman

September 12, 2022 |

ProPublica |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The Center for Civic Design helps states simplify ballot and registration forms to make their voting processes more accessible for people with low literacy, who are more likely to struggle with the complex language of most election materials. Such reforms have led to fewer ballots being rejected, including in New York, where a redesigned absentee ballot helped the number of rejected ballots drop from 22 percent to just 4 percent.

Read More
Go to Original Story