What journalists need to know about potential threats to the ballot initiative process
In this commentary, the manager of a voter empowerment project discusses what it takes for citizens to get a proposition on the ballot.
Elections
Tip sheets, explainers and research roundups to inform coverage of elections
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2022: What we can learn from predictive models and polls
Will 2022 be a ‘normal’ year for voting on House seats? Academic statistical models predict a Republican win in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, but opinion polls add a cautionary note.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2022: ‘Known unknowns’ in the US midterms
We know reapportionment, redistricting, and a host of new laws affecting ballot access may give Republicans an advantage, writes media scholar Tom Patterson. The unknowns lie in the impact that each of those factors will have.
Expert Commentary
The role of local election officials: 5 studies to consider
We highlight recent research that can inform journalists who are reporting on precinct staffing challenges, bias in who gets help voting, and more.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: Blue wave? Red dawn? What’s the future of the Republican Party?
In the last of his Election Beat 2020 columns, Thomas E. Patterson argues that the Republican Party is in trouble.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: Not all battleground states are equal
George Orwell famously wrote, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” So it is with America’s voters. The outcome of today’s election is in the hands of those voters lucky enough
Expert Commentary
Adults with health problems, disabilities are less likely to vote but could swing elections
Adults with health problems are less likely to vote during elections — and racial minorities, seniors and voters with physical and intellectual disabilities are most likely to have health problems.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: How news outlets become misinformation superspreaders
How could America’s news outlets, which claim to be guardians of the truth, be a prime source of untruth?
The answer lies in journalists’ routines and their need to attract an audience.
Expert Commentary
Decisions, decisions: How national news outlets project and call presidential winners
The national media will call or project winners for president and thousands of other races after Election Day 2020. Here’s how they’ll do it.
Expert Commentary
Election Beat 2020: Preventing an election night nightmare
Focusing on the electoral vote on election night will highlight yet-to-be-counted ballots and slow the urge to call the election too soon.
Expert Commentary