William & Mary Law School | Election Law Society
By Sarah Wiley, Editor
On Friday October 18, a federal district judge in Virginia’s northern district rejected the Democratic Party’s request for an injunction blocking the removal of 38,000 voters from the Virginia voter rolls. Democrats contended that the lists used to remove voters are inaccurate. [Read more…] about 38,000 Voters Removed from Virginia’s Voter Rolls
by Christopher L. Rollins, Contributor
In the face of the recent government shutdown, neither of the established major political parties is maintaining a positive image with the average voter. Fortunately for some dissatisfied Tennessee voters, minority parties have slowly increased ballot access over the last few years. [Read more…] about Tennessee Takes a Third Option
by Meredith Weinberg, Contributor
A recent case out of South Carolina is drawing attention to the potential impact of open primaries on election results. South Carolina law does not require voters to formally register with a particular political party in order to cast a vote in a primary. A system in which voters can select the primary they wish to vote in regardless of party affiliation is called an open primary system. Open primary systems sometimes draw criticism because they can allow voters to engage in so-called crossover voting. Crossover voting occurs when members of one political party deliberately vote for a candidate they perceive to be weaker in an opposing party’s primary in order to give their candidate an advantage. It is important to note that voters in an open primary system do have to select only one primary in which to vote, so crossover voting naturally removes a voter’s opportunity to cast a ballot for the actual candidate of her choice in her own party’s primary. Exit polls provide evidence that voters have crossed party lines during primaries in South Carolina. For example, despite South Carolina’s traditionally conservative electorate, nearly 30% of the voters in the Republican presidential primary in 2012 were either Democrats or Independents. Further, nearly a quarter of the independents chose Ron Paul as their candidate of choice, rather than the eventual winner in the primary, Newt Gingrich. [Read more…] about Could Open Primaries Close the Door on Graham in 2014?
by James Devereaux, Contributor
In a state that is largely dominated by a single party, with a majority of the state voting in the Republican column, primary elections carry more significance than the general elections. With only one of the four congressional districts being held by a Democrat, Jim Matheson, and the two U.S. Senate seats belonging to the Republicans there is little variation in the political makeup of the congressional seats. Only the seat held by the Democrat was close enough for the general election to matter. [Read more…] about In Utah, Organization Makes Voting a Primary Concern
Last month, two state senators lost their positions in hotly contested recall elections. As well as bringing further attention to the ongoing national gun debate, it these elections also highlighted claims of voter suppression. A major concern came from District Judge Robert McGahey’s ruling allowing two Colorado Libertarians on the recall ballot. The effect of this ruling in essence meant that Colorado voters could no longer use mail-ballots to a cast a vote in this election, despite the fact that the General Assembly passed House Bill 13-1303 in early August. [Read more…] about Colorado Recall Election Highlights Voter Suppression