Estonia was the first country to adopt nationwide online voting in 2005 for municipal elections. Since then, online voting has expanded for other types of elections, with nearly 25% of voters casting their votes online in the 2011 parliamentary election. No other countries have adopted online voting nationwide due to security concerns. The Netherlands and […]
Wyoming was the first US state to allow women to vote and run in 1869, followed by Utah in 1870. New Jersey briefly allowed women to vote from 1790-1807. New Zealand allowed women to vote in 1893 and run in 1919. Finland was the first country to grant full suffrage in 1906. Saudi Arabia and […]
Wyoming gave women the right to vote in 1869, 50 years before the 19th Amendment. The bill was passed to increase the population to qualify for statehood. Wyoming became a state in 1890. Other states that allowed women to vote were Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Tennessee cast the deciding vote for the 19th Amendment. Women […]
The original US Constitution only allowed white male landlords to vote, but voting amendments have since enfranchised other residents. The 15th Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote, while the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. The 24th Amendment addressed poll taxes, and the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18. […]
The US Congress creates laws through the voting process. Bills are introduced by Senators and Representatives, studied by committees, and then placed on the congressional vote schedule. Voting methods include voice voting, split voting, and roll call voting. Both houses must pass legislation in the same form before the president can sign it into law. […]
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins a majority, instant runoffs occur until a winner is declared. It saves money and allows voters to vote based on conscience rather than fear. It could increase support for third-party candidates and lead to more balanced representation in parliament. In […]
The US Constitution has several amendments affecting voting rights, including Amendments 15, 19, 24, and 26. Initially, only white males could vote, but over time, these amendments extended voting rights to all citizens regardless of race, gender, or age. The 17th amendment allowed for the direct election of senators. Despite these changes, many still do […]
Voting rules for US primaries vary by state, with closed, open, and semi-closed systems in place. Some states use conventions and caucuses, and rules can change. Voters should check with their state’s secretary of state to ensure proper registration. The state-by-state rules for voting in the U.S. primaries are extremely complex, as each state has […]
Postal voting may not be reliable as many votes disappear during the election period due to delivery problems, errors, and inability to return ballots. 25% of all ballots are absentee, with the same number unaccounted for. Only 57% of voters who mailed in their ballots in 2008 were confident their votes were counted. Those who […]
The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests that were used to deny African Americans the right to vote and established federal oversight of states with violations. Poll taxes were also outlawed in 1964, and literacy tests were perniciously discriminatory. The Act warned states that citizens’ voting rights were under federal protection, and […]
Phantom voting is when a legislator casts a vote without being present in the voting chamber. It can occur through pushing another lawmaker’s vote button or remotely manipulating their own. Some suggest legalizing it for regulation, but it can also be used for electoral fraud. Phantom voting is a practice in which a member of […]
Voting can be important, but it depends on what you vote for. Voter registration totals can reveal how important people think votes are. Not voting can affect the degree to which you like what your government is doing. Your vote doesn’t always mean your candidate or position will win, but not voting creates more opportunities […]
Rainy weather can influence US election results, with at least 1 in 100 voters switching from Democrat to Republican. Researchers suggest people may feel safer voting conservative in bad weather, but the reason is unclear. Voter turnout is typically higher for Republicans during inclement weather. It is said that all politics is local, but who […]
Proxy voting allows someone to vote on behalf of another person, commonly used in lawmaking, elections, and corporate shareholder meetings. It is allowed in some countries for elections but prohibited in the US. Shareholders who cannot attend a meeting can submit proxies through paper or online ballots. Proxy voting is a process that allows one […]
Diebold Voting Machine, now known as Premier Election Solutions, is a subsidiary of Diebold that manufactures and sells voting systems. Its machines are responsible for tabulating over 75% of votes in the US. The software has been criticized for security vulnerabilities and unreliable tabbing statistics. Diebold began as a manufacturer of bank vaults and later […]
A voting trust is an agreement where shareholders extend voting rights to a trustee for a designated period. It can be used for convenience, consolidating a common position, or preventing a hostile takeover. It also frees shareholders from attending meetings and other responsibilities. Voting trusts are trust arrangements in which the shareholders of a given […]
