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Can a Group of Scrappy Young Activists Build Real Progressive Power in Trump Country?

Jimmy Tobias

October 18, 2018 |

The Nation (New York) |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Leaders from Lancaster Stands Up, an independent political organization, are bridging the gap between Democrats and Republicans in small, rural, conservative towns. They are building a progressive base by going back to the basics: door knocking and having conversations with voters. Their membership has grown to 800 people, and they’ve closed the gap between a progressive candidate and the Republican incumbent.

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Voter ID tied to lower Wisconsin turnout; students, people of color, elderly most affected

Cameron Smith

September 30, 2018 |

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wisconsin

Voter ID laws may reduce voter turnout, enough to change election results. For example, according to a UW-Madison study, thousands of people in Dane and Milwaukee counties did not vote in the 2016 presidential election because of confusion over new voter ID requirements or a lack of proper identification. Meanwhile, voter fraud, the justification for such voter ID laws, has been found to be a largely overblown fear by a federal judge.

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A Grassroots Call to Ban Gerrymandering

Erick Trickey

September 23, 2018 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lansing, Michigan

In Michigan, a group of people decided they were done with gerrymandering: a political process in which district maps are redrawn to favor one party over another. They formed a group called “Voters Not Politicians,” and did what no one thought they would be able to do. “The crowdsourced campaign held 33 town-hall meetings in 33 days, wrote a ballot proposal to give redistricting powers to a citizens’ commission” and “collected 425,000 petition signatures in four months to secure a spot on Michigan’s ballot—a rare feat, usually accomplished only by hiring paid signature gatherers.”

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Kyrgyzstan wants transparency to curb corruption

Nicolas Zahn

September 11, 2018 |

GovInsider |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is using technology to tackle corruption and reduce costs. The country is centralizing and digitizing government services with help from Estonia. It is also using biometrics in elections to reduce the chances of rigged ballots and build public trust.

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Restoring Ex-Convicts' Voting Rights

Nina Sparling

August 29, 2018 |

WhoWhatWhy |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A digital tool called Restore Your Vote launched in the summer of 2018 to help ex-convicts understand their voting restoration status after re-integrating into society. The initiative, which has been piloted in Alabama, aims to reduce disenfranchisement in ex-convict communities by targeting unclear language, misinformation, and lack of access to education.

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Helping Tenants Register to Vote

Alex Braden

August 29, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

Know how to register to vote? In St. Paul, your landlord is required to tell you. The city passed the ordinance to keep voter turnout high as the number of renters grew.

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W. Va. Blockchain Experiment Could Be the Future of U.S. Voting

Jen A. Miller

August 18, 2018 |

ThirtyK |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Clarksburg, West Virginia

West Virginia became the first state to test out voting in a federal election using blockchain technology. A pilot program allowed military voters from two counties in West Virginia to use a mobile app called Voatz in order to vote while overseas. Instead of a traditional paper absentee ballot, the app relied on blockchain to secure the voting process. The state expects to spread the program statewide for the general election this November.

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Want Young People to Vote? Make Them Sign a Pledge.

Graham Vyse

August 15, 2018 |

Governing |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Having young people sign a voting pledge, and then reminding them that they signed, increased voter turnout on college campuses in Colorado and Pennsylvania in 2016. The approach was more effective than asking youth to sign up for a reminder to vote.

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Is Blockchain Technology the Future of Voting?

Nafeesa Syeed

August 10, 2018 |

Bloomberg |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, West Virginia

During West Virginia’s primary elections, a pilot program used blockchain technology and a mobile app to record votes. The aim was to improve election security and make it easier for Americans abroad to cast their ballots. Critics say that the program left many security issues unsolved.

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In Germany, a news site is pairing up liberals and conservatives and actually getting them to (gasp) have a civil conversation

Shan Wang

August 08, 2018 |

Nieman Lab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

German news site Zeit Online helped 600 pairs of people with opposing political views meet to discuss the issues in person. The "My Country Talks" initiative was so well-reviewed that Zeit Online is now partnering with a dozen other German media organizations to grow the project, as well as a variety of groups outside the country.

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