Author: Honest Ballot

How to Research a Political Candidate

How to Research a Political Candidate

It’s Election Day, and you’re sitting in the voting booth, looking at all of the names on your ballot. Unsure of who any of these people are, you choose the ones that are members of your party, or you pick a name that sounds familiar. You then cast your ballot and walk away, hoping that… Read more »

A History of Voting Machines

A History of Voting Machines

Voting hasn’t always been a high-tech affair. While many of us still use a pen and paper to cast our votes, we also use voting machines to scan and count our ballots. Before the age of voting machines, however, things were very different. Voting before voting machines The first uniform, official ballots were used in… Read more »

Brokered vs. Contested Conventions

Brokered vs. Contested Convention

From August 17 to August 20, the Democratic Party will be officially choosing their nominee for President of the United States. However, there are multiple ways that the convention can play out. For instance, it can turn into a brokered convention or a contested convention. Here we discuss the difference between the two: Brokered convention… Read more »

Primaries vs. Caucuses: What’s the Difference?

Primaries vs. Caucuses: What's the Difference?

With the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary coming up, many voters will be going to the polls to vote for their preferred Presidential Primary candidate. Nevertheless, the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary are two very different elections, and not just because they’re held in different states. Iowa votes under a caucus system,… Read more »

The 3 Main Types of Electoral Systems

The 3 Main Types of Electoral Systems

An electoral system is how our votes are used to elect governments and government officials. There are many different types of electoral systems, making it impossible to cover all of them in a simple blog post. Nevertheless, there are three main types that are widely used across the globe. These include plurality electoral systems, majority… Read more »

States Explore New Ways to Keep Their Voting Systems Secure

Two-Factor Authentication

Election security is on everyone’s mind in the leadup to November’s midterm elections. Although a measure to provide states with an additional $250 million to upgrade their voting systems recently failed in the Senate, many state officials are still working hard to adopt new security protocols and ensure the integrity of their upcoming elections. Replacing… Read more »

DHS Offers Election Security Guidance to State Officials

Voting Machine

The 2018 midterm elections are approaching fast, and the Department of Homeland Security is ratcheting up its efforts to help states shore up their voting systems in time for November. In addition to conducting risk and vulnerability assessments in 17 states, Homeland Security officials are also offering guidance on how states can best use their… Read more »

NY Senate Democrats Introduce Plans for Voting Reforms

New York Capitol Building

Despite New York’s long history of political engagement, the Empire State has struggled to combat consistently low voter turnout in recent years. Following the 2016 general election, a report from Nonprofit VOTE found that New York ranked 41st in the nation for voter turnout, with barely 57 percent of eligible voters casting ballots. New York’s ranking… Read more »

What Can America’s Electoral System Learn From the Oscars?

Oscar Statues

Earlier this month, millions of Americans tuned in to see which movies, actors and producers would take home an Oscar at the 2018 Academy Awards. It’s always an exciting event for film buffs, but in recent years the Oscars have gained the attention of statisticians and political scientists as well. That’s because since 2009, the… Read more »

Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduces Election Security Bill

Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduces Election Security Bill

Since American intelligence agencies revealed that Russian hackers attempted to probe electronic voting machines prior to the 2016 presidential election, election security has become a hot topic of discussion among politicians and computer scientists. Now, a new bipartisan bill called the Secure Elections Act is aiming quell concerns about voting machine vulnerabilities in time for… Read more »