"Election Preview 2006: What's Changed, What Hasn't and Why"

Electionline has issued this latest report in this series. I rely heavily on these reports to get a handle on trends in election administration in the states. I don't sing the praises of Electionline (and its head) Doug Chapin enough; they are really doing tremendous work both collecting and analyzing data on election administration trends across the U.S. From the press release accompanying the report:

With the mid-term election two weeks away, a comprehensive report on the state of election administration around the country finds cause for concern in a number of states. An estimated third of all voters will cast ballots on voting systems never before used in a general election, while new procedures and legal battles over voter identification could confuse voters, poll workers or both. Unfinished and just-completed statewide voter registration databases, required as of Jan. 1, 2006 by the Help America Vote Act, have led to some confusion in parts of the country as state agencies combine records and local election officials cede control of their long-held registration rosters."

The press release also notes: "An 11th-hour decision by the U.S. Supreme Court will allow Arizona to continue to enforce its identification requirements at the polls. Voters will be required to show either a government-issued photo ID or two alternative forms. The legal back-and-forth could confuse both poll workers and voters on Election Day, just as it has some journalists in recent coverage."

Posted by Rick Hasen at October 24, 2006 06:34 AM