Congress Could Postpone the Electoral College To Prevent Election Chaos
Voting during COVID means "we are not going to know who won this on election night," Utah's Republican gubernatorial nominee warns. Postponing post-election deadlines can help.
Voting
Justifying a Moral Duty to Vote is a Lot Harder than You Might Think
Political philosopher Jason Brennan explains why.
Americans Dislike Both Biden and Trump
Hostility to political opponents sustains what's left of the legacy parties.
Don't Blame Donald Trump if the Post Office Loses Your Vote
Even if all presidential votes were cast through the mail and sent on the same day, they would amount to 30 percent of a single day's volume.
The Election Could Be Chaotic. Why Is Trump Trying To Make It Worse?
America's general election is facing both logistical and political hurdles, creating a feedback loop that threatens to derail the legitimacy of the results.
America Is Going To Vote by Mail. We're Not Ready.
President Trump threatens to delay the election over at-home voting, but a bigger problem looms: States haven’t prepared for a huge influx of mail-in ballots.
Trump's Warnings About Voting by Mail Mix Reasonable Concerns With Fanciful Conspiracy Theories
New York City's primary election fiasco reveals gross incompetence rather than fraud.
Ted Cruz Isn't the Only Politician Talking Nonsense About Tech Companies and Election Integrity
Unpacking TikTok freakouts, mail-in voting controversies, and money printers going brrr, on the Reason Roundtable podcast.
No, Trump Can't Delay the Election
And no, mail-in voting is not more vulnerable to fraud than absentee voting. It's actually the exact same thing.
Trump's Threat to Withhold Federal Funds from States that Expand Voting By Mail Highlights Growing Menace to Federalism and Separation of Powers
A president who can attach his own new conditions to federal grants to states could use that power to undermine state autonomy on many issues - especially now that federal spending has been massively expanded during the coronavirus crisis.
Suffrage
From our modern vantage point, it's easy to scorn some decisions that suffrage movement leaders made. Suffrage adds context.
Mandatory Voting Will Build Resentment, Not Democracy
Fining non-voters would show that government is all about forcing people to do things just to make politicians happy.
California Took Voters' Choices Away. Now One Lawmaker Wants to Make Voting Mandatory.
You have this Democrat or this other Democrat. What other options do you need?
There's Nothing Special About Iowa. Time To Let Other States Vote First.
Letting any single state go first is a mistake. But a national primary would be problematic too. Luckily, those aren't the only two options.
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Make It a Crime To Give Out Fake Info About Voting
When politicians call to punish “disinformation,” we should worry about what that definition encompasses.
In Advisory Opinion, Florida Supreme Court Says State Can Require Ex-Felons To Pay Fines Before Having Their Voting Rights Restored
The Court argues that Amendment 4's language covers financial obligations, not just terms of imprisonment and supervised release.
My Forthcoming Book "Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom"
It will be published by Oxford University Press in April.
Boise's New Stadium Referendum Requirement Should Be a Model for Other Cities
A proposition approved last week will require a majority of city voters to approve any future stadium project that uses more than $5 million in public money.
When Ranked-Choice Voting Comes to New York City, Expect More Voter Participation, Not Radical Changes
Voters won’t have to worry as much about having to choose between similar candidates or “throwing away” votes on third-party choices.
Federal Judge Says California Can't Force Trump To Release His Tax Returns in Exchange for Ballot Access
Written ruling says the state is violating the rights of voters as well as the presidential candidates.
India Is Riding the Nativist Wave to Launch the Biggest Decitizenship Drive in Human History
This is a giant step in advancing Prime Minister Nardendra Modi's vision of India as a Hindu nation.
Trump's Census Surrender Hints at the Real Reason He Tried to Add a Citizenship Question
Even if the president's motives were partisan, a more plausible cover story would have been enough to pass judicial muster.
Bernie Sanders Is Right: We Should Let the Boston Marathon Bomber Vote
Incarcerated people are already paying their debt to society. What good does it do the rest of the population to take away their right to have a say?
Reforming Democracy
A new symposium outlines several ideas for improving our democratic system. All are worth considering. But none are likely to be as good as expanding opportunities for people to "vote with their feet."
Politicians in Oregon and California Want To Give 16- and 17-Year-Olds the Right To Vote
We trust young people to make a lot of weighty decisions. Voting should be one of them.
Democracy in Decline?
If its recent record is any indication, Winston Churchill might have been wrong about democracy.
Don't Fear Independents Like Howard Schultz! Politics Should Be More Like a Starbucks Menu
There are more forms of hepatitis than there are major parties in America.
Should Longtime Expats Have the Right to Vote in Elections?
A Canadian Supreme Court decision striking down a law denying the right to vote to expats who have resided abroad for over five years raises broader questions about democratic theory.
Introduction to my book "Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter" Now Available on SSRN
The Introduction to the revised second edition summarizes the rest of the book, and is available for free.
Federal Judge Upholds Maine's Ranked-Choice Voting
A Republican representative lost his seat in the new instant runoff system, so he sued.
California's Top-Two Voting System Keeps Leaving Voters Without Options
Given only two candidates from the same party, millions just don't choose at all.
Should We Let Children Vote? The Troubling Implications of Standard Reasons for Rejecting a Flawed Idea
Few will agree with Cambridge political scientist David Runciman's proposal to lower the voting age to 6. But standard reasons for rejecting the idea raise serious questions about many adult voters, too.
Political Ignorance and George H.W. Bush's Defeat in the 1992 Election
Bush lost because voters punished him for the recession of the early 1990s - an event he did not cause. This is just one example of a broader phenomenon of voters rewarding and punishing politicians for things they do not control.
8 Years in Prison for Voting Illegally Is Way Too Much
But not according Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Ranked-Choice Voting Flips House Seat in Maine
GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin fails to get a majority vote. Jared Golden joins the House's new Democratic majority.
Does Trump Really Think You Need ID to Buy a Box of Breakfast Cereal?
Also, are people putting on disguises so they can vote more than once?
Maine's GOP Congressman Sues to Stop Ranked-Choice Voting
Bruce Poliquin is currently ahead. But a new requirement that he get a majority vote could unseat him.
Democrats Did Better Than Early Election Results Revealed: Reason Roundup
Plus: The FDA will ban flavored e-cigarette sales at most places, and Chris Christie is being floated as Jeff Sessions' replacement.
Ranked-Choice Voting in Maine May Affect House Race Results
Meanwhile, Fargo citizens adopt a different way to choose winners of citywide races.
Forget the Polls. Listen to the Gamblers.
When it comes to predicting the outcome of an election, bettors are better.
Why Voting Based on Values Can't Overcome the Problem of Political Ignorance
Values are important. But so is factual knowledge about public policy. In some ways, the significance of values actually makes the problem of voter ignorance more pressing, not less so.
Political Ignorance and the Midterm Elections
It is not yet clear who will win. But widespread political ignorance already ensures many of us will be losers.
