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Southwest Florida works around Hurricane Ian ahead of November election

Romy Ellenbogen

October 07, 2022 |

Tampa Bay Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle weeks before a general election in 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order allowing counties to expand early voting and shift polling locations, with some opting for consolidated "voting supercenters." Though turnout in affected counties dropped by 7 percent, statewide turnout increased and election workers reported that some voters were even more motivated to get to the polls because of the disaster.

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US midterm elections: The country with the world's youngest politicians

Sam Cabral Amund Trellevik

October 06, 2022 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Norway

Norway's electoral system allows several people from the same party to be elected in the same district, and political parties there have influential youth wings, paving the way for younger generations to take office more easily. This has resulted in Norway claiming the highest proportion of young politicians in the world, with 13.6 percent of representatives under the age of 30.

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Wineries, breweries help Secretary of State recruit younger poll workers

Amber Smith

October 05, 2022 |

Spectrum News 1 Kentucky |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Kentucky

In 2020, the Kentucky Secretary of State's Office teamed up with local breweries to recruit a new generation of poll workers, distributing bottle tags with QR codes leading to online information about volunteering in elections. The effort was one of several initiatives that helped attract roughly 5,000 new poll workers, and the state has now expanded the program to local wineries for the 2022 election.

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Nevada Voters Consider Bringing Ranked Choice Elections to a Swing State

Spenser Mestel

September 27, 2022 |

Bolts |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alaska

Alaska recently held its first high-profile election using ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to select a second- and third-choice candidate to transfer their vote to if their first-choice candidate doesn't get enough votes to advance. Democrat Mary Peltola was elected in an upset over Republican Sarah Palin after receiving a higher percentage of second-choice votes transferred from the third candidate in the race, and this fall, a number of other states, including Nevada, will consider whether to implement ranked-choice voting.

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Can the Democrats Win Back Rural Voters?

Robert Kuttner

September 27, 2022 |

The American Prospect |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wisconsin

Movement Labs' Rural Power Lab program channels grant funding and strategic help to Democratic parties in rural counties, with the goal of recruiting more activists and volunteers for voter engagement campaigns. In one Wisconsin county, the nonprofit's unique text message-based strategy has helped the county party grow to more than 300 members.

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Poll worker shortage? Alabama unconcerned but recruiting underway

John Sharp

September 18, 2022 |

AL.com (Alabama Media Group) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Alabama

In 2019, Alabama passed a law allowing high school students to become interns at election polling sites, where they assist with computerized pollbooks, greet voters, and hand out stickers. In one county, more than 70 students participated last year, and more than 150 applied to work on the recent state primary.

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Behind the scenes of free and fair elections in New Jersey's Warren County

Jennie Aylward

September 15, 2022 |

CivicStory |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

To ensure election security, the Board of Elections in Warren County, New Jersey, provides oversight for every step of the voting process, from troubleshooting issues at polling sites on Election Day to reaching out to voters to help them "cure" mistakes made on mail-in ballots. Warren County has not had a recount since 2013, when it upheld the result of a primary election in which the candidates were separated by only 18 votes.

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Douglas County woman strengthens democracy through ballot pickup service

Dominic Bhola

September 15, 2022 |

Nebraska News Service |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Nebraska

In Douglas County, Nebraska, a volunteer effort called Ballot Buddies collects sealed mail-in ballots from voters and delivers them to official Election Commission drop boxes. During the 2020 presidential election, vetted volunteers delivered hundreds of ballots at a time when the U.S. Postal Service was experiencing significant delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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.

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Democracy Reform: Ranked-Choice Voting

Jim Meigs Richard Davies

August 26, 2022 |

How Do We Fix It? |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City is among more than 55 cities, states, and counties now using ranked-choice voting, which allows residents to select a second and third choice candidate rather than choosing just one. The method was used to elect Mayor Eric Adams, with 90 percent of voters ranking more than one option on the ballot and 70 percent of those polled reporting they found the system easy to use.

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