Social Sciences

San Juan County expands in-person voting on the Navajo Nation during the pandemic

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/10/18/san-juan-county-expands?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Zak Podmore

The Salt Lake Tribune

18 October 2020

Text / 1500-3000 Words

A legal settlement in Utah expanded access to voting on Navajo Nations and influenced similar settlements in Arizona. All registered voters receive a mail-in ballot, but counties also offer early voting and election-day polling locations, where Navajo translators are available. Counties run bilingual radio, print, and social media ads to inform residents about their voting options. The hybrid in-person and mail-in system boosted turnout of active voters in San Juan County’s 2018 election by 10 percentage points from 2014, when the lawsuit was filed because the county closed in-person polling places.

The Tricky Business Of Coronavirus Testing On College Campuses

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/09/922542104/the-tricky-business-of-coronavirus-testing-on-college-campuses?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Elissa Nadworny

Madeline K. Sofia

Lauren Migaki

Rebecca Ramirez

NPR

16 October 2020

Podcast / 5-15 Minutes

When the University of Illinois reopened during the coronavirus pandemic for on-campus student instruction, efforts focused on a fast and frequent mass testing program for staff and students. Although the case numbers were higher than officials had anticipated, researchers were able to learn how the virus was spreading amongst students and implement mandatory lockdowns and hire more contact tracers as a result.

What Canada Can Teach America about Racial Reconciliation

https://wearenotdivided.reasonstobecheerful.world/canada-truth-reconciliation-lessons-for-america?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Scott Shigeoka

Reasons to be Cheerful

15 October 2020

Podcast / 5-15 Minutes

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) traveled throughout Canada to speak with Indigenous people who were forced from their homes as youth into residential homes. The TRC created public forums for survivors to share their stories, which often included examples of horrific abuse. The experience led to profound healing for some of the speakers and greater understanding among white Canadians about the structural injustices inflicted on Indigenous communities. Lessons about how to heal from human rights abuses are more broadly transferrable and could be implemented in the United States.

Ballot boxes bring rural voters security and ease of mind

https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/ballot-boxes-bring-rural-voters-security-and-ease-of-mind?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Kaisha Batman

KSNW-TV

12 October 2020

Multi-Media / Under 800 Words

The Kansas Secretary of State approved and provided all counties with an official ballot drop box to help collect confidential sealed ballots, which is particularly useful in rural counties where mail services can take longer. Some rural counties have already received more early ballots than were received in total for the primary election. The official drop boxes help residents feel more secure that their ballots will be counted because of the slower mail system. Ballots are collected daily, including on weekends, and the boxes are under 24/7 surveillance to protect against fraud.

A Broken Bond: How New York Judges are Getting Around Bail Reform

https://www.nysfocus.com/2020/10/12/new-york-judges-are-rolling-back-bail-reform?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Akash V. Mehta

New York Focus

12 October 2020

Text / 1500-3000 Words

A key part of New York state's bail system reform legislation gave judges the ability to use alternative forms of bail designed to be more affordable to more people, But, by giving judges broad discretion, the law left large loopholes that judges have used to undercut the law's purpose. In addition to the two standard forms of bail -- payment in cash or a nonrefundable fee to a bail bonds company -- the law allowed for cost-free or refundable-deposit bonds that judges either have avoided using or have turned into a new costly obligation, leaving thousands to sit in jail pending trial.

Latinos hold almost half of all elected positions in Fresno County. Here's how they made gains

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article246185600.html?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Nadia Lopez

The Fresno Bee

9 October 2020

Multi-Media / Over 15 Minutes

Latinx politicians hold 48% of all elected positions in Fresno County, gains made possible by the California Voting Rights Act. The law calls for local governments to use district elections instead of citywide races if communities believe they are disenfranchised. Districts are smaller units, so candidates have to win within their immediate community rather than citywide. Financing a campaign for a district election is more reasonable and it removes the disproportionate influence of communities that have historically high voter turnout. About 130 of 450 cities adopted district elections after the law passed.