Supreme Court allows longer deadlines for mail-in ballots in NC and PA
“Given the extraordinary circumstances, the country faces with the pandemic … the elections board in North Carolina… determined they needed more time,” says Robert Brandon. He was referring to a lawsuit to extend ballot counting until Nov 12 in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Wanted: Poll workers willing to turn out on election day amid coronavirus crisis
By Associated Press | July 20, 2020 Wanted: Poll workers willing to brave a global pandemic in November. Governments across the country are scrambling to find people to staff polling places for the presidential election this fall as the coronavirus sows doubt about how safe it will be to cast a ballot in person and […]
The Student Voting Mess
By Shera Avi-Yonah, The American Prospect | July 28, 2020 While higher-education administrators wring their hands over falling enrollment and tuition dollars, another crisis is looming for nearly 20 million college students: Socially distant learning might imperil the programs that push them to register and vote. Even before the pandemic, Republican state legislatures were slowly […]
The pandemic has caused a serious shortage of poll workers. Your high schooler can help
By Lauren Dezenski, CNN | July 29, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has amped up pressure on election officials ahead of November’s general election. They’re charged with filling a likely shortfall caused by older poll workers, at greater risk from coronavirus, who are canceling plans to work at local polling places. And young people could help […]
Help wanted: Florida poll workers to brave the coronavirus
By Allison Ross, Tampa Bay Times | July 30, 2020 Shirley Anderson realized six weeks ago that there was just no way she could open all her polling places for the August primary. Too many of Hernando County’s experienced poll workers had dropped out over fears about the coronavirus. Too few were available to step […]
With seniors staying home, young people needed to fill poll worker shortage
By Allison Royal, CBS 8 San Diego | August 7, 2020 SAN DIEGO — When you think of a poll worker, there’s a good chance you picture a retiree waiting to greet you with the quintessential “I voted” sticker on election day. In fact, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 58% of poll workers […]
The Pandemic Could Create a Nightmare at the Polls. Here’s One Way to Fix That.
By Abigail Weinberg, Mother Jones | August 10, 2020 In April and May, as the coronavirus ravaged places like New York City and Los Angeles, it looked as if Texas might somehow make it through the pandemic largely unscathed. But then the state’s case counts began to rise precipitously—just in time for its May 26 […]
Pandemic spurs effort to recruit younger poll workers
By Bethany Davis, WSFA-TV (with video) | August 12, 2020 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – COVID-19 is creating more complications for election day. Many poll workers, the majority of whom are retirees, say they don’t feel safe manning election sites in the middle of the pandemic. “Sixty percent of them are 60 year over. And with […]
Former USPS chair of board of governors sounds alarm on mail-in voting
CBS News (with video) | August 15, 2020 Funding the U.S. Postal Service has become a political hot-button issue in the run-up to the November presidential election. The USPS has formally warned 41 states that it cannot guarantee that all votes cast by mail will be delivered in time to be counted. Former chairman of […]
Former USPS board chair questions timing, motives for mail policy changes
PBS Newshour (with video) | August 17, 2020 Transcript (click on link below for video) Judy Woodruff: The battle surrounding changes at the U.S. Postal Service is intensifying. And, as William Brangham reports, House Democrats are planning legislation to block recent moves by the postmaster general, and making changes to their summer calendar to address […]
