voters

Thousands Join Conservative Political Party 'by Mistake'

Demi Moore is among those who joined

(Newser) - A survey has found that tens of thousands of voters, including Demi Moore and other celebrities, have mistakenly registered as members of a conservative minor political party in California in a mix-up over its name, a newspaper reported Sunday, the AP reports. The Los Angeles Times says that a telephone... More »

2M Catalans Diss Spain, Vote in Declawed Poll

Most in favor of independence, but many more stay home

(Newser) - About 1.6 million people in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia voted yesterday in favor of breaking away from the country in a mock independence poll, but more Catalans avoided voting, either because of the poll's questionable legality or their opposition to secession. Results released early this morning,... More »

Arizona, Kansas Create Federal-Only Class of Voters

Those who register with federal form can't vote in state, local elections

(Newser) - It sounds a little like whack-a-mole on voter ID laws: After the Supreme Court told Arizona it could no longer require proof of citizenship for voters in federal elections, the state plans to employ a work-around of sorts. The Arizona Republic calls it a "dual-track voting system" and the... More »

In a First, Blacks Voted at Higher Rate Than Whites

African-Americans turned out at a record high 66.2%

(Newser) - The US had a political milestone last November: Black people voted at a higher rate than whites for the first time in history, reports the Los Angeles Times . It was close, with blacks at 66.2% and whites at 64.1%, but long-term trends in both groups suggest that it... More »

'Grandma Brigade' Gathers Data on Minnesota Voters

ProPublica: Nosy seniors keep Democrats' database up to date

(Newser) - It's no secret that both political parties are compiling as much info as they can on voters for their databases. But ProPublica has details on the unusual way Democrats get the job done in Minnesota, thanks to a group called the Grandma Brigade. "These women, in their 50s,... More »

Voter Turnout Down From 2008

Blame Sandy and the nasty political climate

(Newser) - Early figures suggest that fewer voters showed up to cast a ballot yesterday than in 2008, despite long lines at the polls, reports the AP . Vermont saw a decline in turnout greater than 14%, and South Carolina and Mississippi were nearly as large. In most states, numbers look lower than... More »

How to Follow Ohio's Results

By tonight, we might know who's ahead, but not who's won

(Newser) - All eyes are on the swing state of Ohio tonight, but when polls close at 7:30pm, there's a good chance we won't know anything for certain. For those following at home, here's what we'll know, when we'll know it, and what factors could make... More »

Woman, 108, Votes for the First Time

Joanna Jenkins backs Obama

(Newser) - Joanna Jenkins was not allowed to vote in her younger years thanks to Jim Crow laws—but even after those were abolished and the Voting Rights Act passed, she never voted … until this year, at the age of 108. Whose name did she check on her absentee ballot? “... More »

30K Dead Voters Registered in NC, But...

...there's no word on whether fraud actually occurred

(Newser) - An anti-voter fraud group says it has discovered 30,000 dead folks registered to vote across North Carolina. The group collected the names by comparing death records from the past decade to voter rolls; it says the figure would have been bigger had the group had access to death records... More »

90M Won't Vote— and They Back Obama 2 to 1

They're disenchanted—or simply too busy to hit polls

(Newser) - President Obama could get a big leg up in a close election, without having to win people over—if only he could get them to the polls. Some 80 million eligible voters didn't vote in 2008, and this year, the number is poised to reach 90 million, USA Today... More »

Obama Campaign App Tracks Down Democrats

Map shows nearest 'blue' households for canvassers: ProPublica

(Newser) - Click a button on your iPhone and locate the nearest… Democrat? A new app unveiled by the Obama campaign displays a Google map speckled with blue flags representing the closest registered Democratic households to where you're standing, reports ProPublica . Each blue flag is accompanied by a first name, age,... More »

Study: Voter ID Laws Will Keep Poor From Ballot Box

Many don't have money or a car to get the new documents

(Newser) - A new report asserts that voter ID laws passed in 10 states will discourage low-income voters because they do not have the money or transportation to meet the new requirements. Conducted by NYU Law School's Brennan Center, which opposes the laws, the report reveals that roughly half a million... More »

Mandatory Voting: 'Absurd, Cynical, Repugnant'

Jonah Goldberg weighs in; plus, Sasha Issenberg's idea

(Newser) - To say that Jonah Goldberg disagrees with Peter Orszag—who recently called for compulsory voting —is a bit of an understatement: In the Los Angeles Times , Goldberg calls the idea of mandatory voting "absurd, cynical, and repugnant." The fact that Orszag and other Democrats are pushing for... More »

Florida Gov Slams Feds' Lawsuit Against Voter Purges

Rick Scott: 'It doesn't make any sense'

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott is showing no signs of backing off his showdown with the federal government, giving Fox & Friends today an earful over the feds' lawsuit to stop the Sunshine State's noncitizen voter purges . "We want to make sure that our voters get to vote and... More »

Feds Suing Florida Over Voter Purge

...while Florida sues feds over denied access to database

(Newser) - The Department of Justice is taking Florida's Board of Elections to court for disregarding its warnings and continuing to purge its voter lists . Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez has told Florida officials that the state's attempt to purge people it believes are noncitizens from the rolls needs to... More »

New GOP Super PAC Targets Young Voters

Crossroads Generation hopes to turn frustration into GOP gain

(Newser) - A new super PAC is targeting younger voters—but it's Republican, not Democratic. Crossroads Generation aims to tap into the frustration of young Americans fed up with poor job prospects, overwhelming student loans, and a weak economy. The new PAC is today launching a $50,000 social media campaign... More »

Parties Ignoring Asian-Americans at Their Peril

Demographic could be pivotal in swing states: Atlantic

(Newser) - President Obama is currently way ahead among Asian-American voters, leading Mitt Romney by 59% to 13%. But that could easily change come November: Right now, 29% of Asian-Americans haven't formed an opinion on Mitt Romney, and about half rate President Obama's performance as fair or poor. And yet,... More »

David and Charles Koch Invest Millions in Conservative Database

Koch Bros. Pump $2.5M Into Right-Wing Database

Billionaires aim to repeat Democrats' success

(Newser) - Extending the reach of corporate power into next year's elections , the Koch Brothers are drawing on a wide range of right-wing groups to establish a database of conservative voters, the Guardian reports. Oil billionaires David and Charles Koch pumped $2.5 million into the voter file, called Themis, which... More »

Why Not Let Kids Vote?

Sure, it sounds radical ... at first

(Newser) - Japan’s population is aging, and the Economist thinks that should worry you. (Of course, notes Michael Kinsley, “the number of things the Economist would have us worrying about is alarming in itself.”) But in this case, the article spawned something nice: A fresh idea to discuss.... More »

'Non-Voters' Will Decide Midterms

Poorer, more liberal will likely surrender field to conservative voters

(Newser) - In what may be the final twist of irony in America's odder-than-odd midterm elections, it's the non-voters who will likely end up deciding tomorrow's races, suggests the Los Angeles Times . The "real majority" in US politics are those who stay home on election day, and they tend to be... More »