Corpus Christi Caller Times
24 October 2016
Text / Under 800 Words
Colorado, United States
Colorado employs a wide array of methods to increase voter turnout, and it pays off. The state is one of the country's most successful in terms of voter turnout, thanks to Election Day voter registration, mail-in ballots sent to every Colorado voter, drop off locations for mail-in ballots, and voter pre-registration for 16- and 17-year old residents.
http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/a-grass-roots-drive-for-clean-elections-in-karnataka
Ankita Rao
The New York Times
15 May 2014
Text / 800-1500 Words
B. Godihal is one of the thousands of communities in Karnataka that have worked to hold clean elections, stirred by a confluence of awareness campaigns by nongovernmental organizations and rising public frustration with candidates’ broken promises.
http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/ideas-steal-lower-voting-age-16
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
The Philadelphia Citizen
22 March 2016
Text / 800-1500 Words
In Takoma Park, Maryland, the voting age for local elections is 16. Lowering the age has increased turnout among youth—and studies show that the sooner people start to vote, the more likely they are to be lifetime voters.
http://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/ideas-we-should-steal-compulsory-voting
Emma Eisenberg
The Philadelphia Citizen
1 October 2001
Text / 800-1500 Words
In the U.S. the electorate skews white, wealthy, and old because such demographics are more likely to vote. Creating mandatory voting laws would increase voter turnout and thus increase voting equity.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/enriching-voting-in-africa-by-having-candidates-debate
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
10 November 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Voters tend to know a lot about presidential and local candidates but little about those in between. In Sierra Leon, an organization hosted, filmed, and then projected the debates in villages, increasing voters’ knowledge of the candidates and issues, and changing the way people voted.
http://theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/02/democracy-tarnished-brand-desperate-need-reinvention
Patrick Chalmers
The Guardian
2 July 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Low voter turnouts, populists offering half-truths, corporate interests, and the blurring of facts in the media are signs that democracy around the world is in turmoil. Internationally, citizens have assembled different programs and initiatives that arm ordinary people with information about policy and their elected officials, as well as distinctive ways to reform the electoral system.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04t8k2w
Kathleen Hawkins
BBC
26 February 2017
Radio / Over 15 Minutes
Voter turnout is a problem around the world, especially in local elections and among minority groups. But a small group of academics and activists in the US are experimenting with a new way to encourage people to turn up to vote: a lottery. Every voter is entered and one lucky winner gets a big cash prize, eliminating the risk of bribery and bought votes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/us/politics/oregon-voter-registration.html?_r=0
Niraj Chokshi
The New York Times
2 December 2016
Text / Under 800 Words
Low voter turnout has affected the results of numerous elections across the country. Oregon gave its residents the choice to opt in instead of out when receiving government services, in the hopes of increasing voter turnout.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/opinion/for-better-citizenship-scratch-and-win.html
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
11 October 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
In China, rampant sales tax fraud was addressed with a unique solution. In an attempt to increase transparent sales and receipt use, the government implemented a scratch lottery system on receipts. This solution, using lottery systems to increase turnout and engagement, is being used across the globe, even in the United States to help increase voter turnout.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/15/meet-the-male-champions-supporting-kenyas-new-women-politicians
Sophie Mbugua
News Deeply
15 September 2017
Text / 800-1500 Words
In Kenya, men have been overrepresented in government positions, sparking new legislation that women should occupy at least one-third of the public elected body. Men have become increasingly involved in helping women get elected by helping them campaign, protecting their safety, overseeing election procedures etc.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article118306828.html
Hedrick Smith
Sacramento Bee
1 December 2016
Text / 800-1500 Words
For the third election in a row, House Republicans got bonus seats in 2016, through gerrymandering. Thanks to a grassroots citizen movement and computer sleuthing, Florida admitted to breaking the law and has replaced state maps with more competitive, voter-friendly districts.
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