elections

A King County, Wash., elections worker opens ballots during this November’s election. The office began stocking an overdose-reversal drug after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer; it was evacuated the day after Election Day when it got a similar envelope. Since the 2020 presidential election, state and local election officials nationwide have been bombarded with threats. Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press

In face of threats, election workers vow: ‘You are not disrupting the democratic process’

BY: - November 29, 2023

Since the 2020 presidential election, state and local election officials nationwide have been bombarded with threats, as lies perpetuated by former President Donald Trump and his allies around “rigged” elections have fueled conspiracy theories.

Three presidential debates, one VP debate scheduled ahead of 2024 election

BY: - November 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — The Democratic and Republican nominees for president would debate three times next year if both candidates agree to a schedule released Monday by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. “The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates […]

One year out: how a free and fair 2024 presidential election could be under threat

BY: - November 6, 2023

The last time America elected a president, it led to a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol and a failed coup that gravely damaged the political system and marred the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in U.S. history. A year from now, the nation’s voters will decide another presidential contest — likely […]

How you can help prevent your ballot from getting rejected

BY: - October 27, 2023

There are three basic ways Washington voters can prevent their ballots from being rejected in the upcoming Nov. 7 election: mail your ballot early, sign it with the same signature used on your driver’s license and use your legal name. That’s according to a new study from the University of Washington on the most common […]

How well did WA do with redistricting? New report grades the state’s process

BY: - October 12, 2023

Washington’s framework for redrawing legislative and congressional districts is working OK but there’s room for improvement, particularly with transparency and keeping politicians away from the process.  That’s according to a new report that looks at redistricting across the country. The Coalition Hub for Advancing Redistricting & Grassroots Engagement says it based its findings on hundreds […]

States that send a mail ballot to every voter really do increase turnout, scholars find

BY: - October 9, 2023

Lately, a rough consensus has emerged among people who study the impact of voting policies: Though they often spark fierce partisan fighting, most changes to voting laws do little to affect overall turnout, much less election results. But one fast-growing reform appears to stand out as an exception. When every registered voter gets sent a ballot […]

On Democracy Day, newsrooms unite for pro-democracy coverage

BY: - September 15, 2023

It’s no secret: U.S. democracy is under serious threat. Politicians use rigged maps to entrench themselves in power, allowing them to ignore the will of voters. Hundreds of members of Congress, state lawmakers, and top state officials — including chief elections officials — deny the results of the last presidential contest. And a leading candidate for 2024 talks openly […]

‘Fueled by lies,’ Trump charged with seeking to overturn 2020 election

BY: , and - August 1, 2023

WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Donald Trump on Tuesday, alleging that Trump and co-conspirators attempted to subvert the 2020 election to keep the former president in power through a series of illegal actions that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The former president faces four charges in […]

As states hunt for new voters, Massachusetts adds thousands via Medicaid applications

BY: - July 6, 2023

Massachusetts saw a more-than-five-fold jump in voter registration applications through social service agencies in the last election cycle, new federal data shows. The striking increase comes after the state implemented an automatic voter registration system that includes Medicaid applicants. Any eligible voter in the state who applies for Medicaid is automatically added to the rolls, […]