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Live Results: Oregon midterm state and congressional primaries
Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and the nearly two dozen challengers hoping to defeat her are among the candidates who will seek their parties’ nominations for state and federal offices in Tuesday’s primary.
Live Results: Pennsylvania midterm congressional primaries
Democratic voters in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary will pick their nominees to flip four seats seen as critical for the party to retake the U.S. House in November.
Live Results: Idaho midterm congressional primaries
The contests will set the stage for the November general election, when Republicans will count on big wins in Idaho to help keep control of the U.S. Senate and House.
Live Results: Georgia midterm congressional primaries
Voting concludes in the swing state of Georgia on Tuesday in competitive primaries for governor and a U.S. Senate seat that could decide control of the closely divided chamber.
Live updates: Democrats, Republicans pick their nominees in Pa. primaries
Democratic and Republican voters will chose their nominees in Pennsylvania’s primaries on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Get live updates.
What to know about today's primaries in Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and more
What to know about today's primaries in Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and more
What to watch in Tuesday’s primaries in Kentucky, Georgia and elsewhere
Tuesday brings one of the busiest primary days of the 2026 calendar year, with six states holding nominating contests.
What to watch in Tuesday's primaries as Trump's endorsement is put to the test
Is there a future in politics for Republicans who buck President Donald Trump
What to watch in Tuesday's primaries as Trump's endorsement is put to the test
Is there a future in politics for Republicans who buck President Donald Trump.
What to watch in Tuesday's primaries as Trump's endorsement is put to the test
Is there a future in politics for Republicans who buck President Donald Trump.
Trump targets Massie in explosive Kentucky showdown as six states hold high-stakes primaries
Six states hold primaries Tuesday testing President Trump's grip on the GOP, with high-profile races in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
Live Results: Kentucky midterm congressional primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party, faces a tough primary challenge Tuesday in Kentucky’s state primary. It’s the latest example this primary season of the president trying to purge the party of Republicans he perceives as disloyal. Kentucky voters will also pick nominees for U.S. Senate, five other U.S. House seats and the state General Assembly. Voters in Louisville will winnow down
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Oregon’s primaries
Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and the nearly two dozen challengers hoping to defeat her are among the candidates on the ballot in Oregon's primary.
AP Decision Notes: What to Expect in Oregon’s Primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and the nearly two dozen challengers hoping to defeat her are among the candidates who will seek their parties’ nominations for state and federal offices in Tuesday’s primary. Voters will also decide a statewide ballot measure that would raise ...
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Kentucky’s primaries
One of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party faces a tough primary challenge in Kentucky’s state primary | 97.3 The Sky
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Kentucky’s primaries
One of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party faces a tough primary challenge in Kentucky’s state primary.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Alabama's primaries
Alabama voters will choose nominees for U.S. Senate, governor and a full slate of state and local offices.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Georgia's primaries
Voting will conclude in the swing state of Georgia in competitive primaries for governor and a U.S. Senate seat that could decide control of the closely divided chamber.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Pennsylvania’s primaries
Pennsylvania Democrats will pick nominees to unseat a trio of vulnerable Republican members of Congress in a state primary on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Decision Spurred Swift Action in Louisiana and Alabama
The timing brought the court into the middle of a fight to redraw voting maps across the South, even as some primaries were underway.
Live Results: Louisiana midterm state and congressional primaries
Louisiana voters will participate in a revamped and stripped-down state primary Saturday and decide the political fate of an embattled Republican U.S. senator targeted for defeat by President Donald Trump.
Open Primaries Have Their Fans. The Parties Are Not Among Them.
New research claims that bipartisan primaries have broad societal benefit, but opposition is growing, and Louisiana voters this weekend will participate in the state’s first closed primary since 1978.
In delayed U.S. House vote, Louisiana poised to temporarily move back to open primaries
Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the elections after the Supreme Court ruled the current voting map unconstitutional.
SC GOP announces plans to file a federal lawsuit to close primaries
The South Carolina Republican Party is planning on filing a federal lawsuit to require partisan voter registration and close state primary elections.
Mysterious Meddling in Democratic Primaries Has G.O.P. Fingerprints
A new super PAC with ties to Republicans is intervening in Democratic primaries, in one instance helping a sex therapist in Texas accused of antisemitism.
Actress Marie Stark Launches Stark Contrast Entertainment With Drama Series ‘White Coat’
EXCLUSIVE: Producer and actress Marie Stark (Games People Play) has officially launched her production company, Stark Contrast Entertainment, and set its first project. White Coat will follow Dr Maya ...
Marie Stark Debuts Stark Contrast Entertainment With 'White Coat'
Producer and actress Marie Stark has officially launched her production company, Stark Contrast Entertainment, and set its first project 'White Coat.'
Live Results: West Virginia midterm state and congressional primaries
West Virginia voters will nominate candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.
Live Results: Nebraska midterm state and congressional primaries
One of the more notable matchups in Nebraska’s state primary on Tuesday features two Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate who accuse each other of being “fake” candidates with no intention of competing to win the general election.
Tuesday’s primaries will set up midterm matchups for Nebraska, West Virginia
Retiring Rep. Don Bacon’s 2nd District is a top target for Democrats, while Democratic drama in the Senate primary could shake up GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts’ re-election race.
GOP dissenters purged in Indiana primaries
Trump encouraged the ouster of Republicans who voted down a new congressional map
MSOE students share nanoscience with St. Joan Antida High Schoolers
Students became the teachers in SCI 3750 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology course thanks to a unique partnership that has been fostered for more than a decade. Dr. Anne-Marie Nickel, professor in the Physics and Chemistry Department, has partnered with St…
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Nebraska's primaries
Nebraska voters will choose nominees for a full slate of contests ranging from governor to state Legislature and local offices.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in West Virginia's primaries
Republican West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey isn’t on the primary ballot Tuesday but is staking his political capital to reshape his party’s massive supermajorities in the state Legislature more to his liking
Texas GOP primaries show President Donald Trump’s endorsement power
President Donald Trump flexed his endorsement power during the Texas primaries. More tests are ahead for the May runoffs and beyond.
Ballot measure to scrap party primaries sparks Democrat infighting
A ballot question that would eliminate political party primaries for state elections in favor of a single, all-party primary is creating fractures among Massachusetts Democrats, pitting members of the state committee against a handful of prominent figures.
Free prostate screenings aim to close health gaps
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Cobb County Public Library are working together to help close health barriers + disparities. Now man who are uninsured or can't afford a prostate screening will be able to get checked for cancer screenings through a free mobile clinic. Per Emory, Black men are at a higher risk to get prostate cancer and its second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the state of Georgia, The first clinic at a Cobb library is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Switzer Library, 266 Roswell St. in downtown Marietta.
Trump's Indiana wins show his power over GOP with more primaries and redistricting debates ahead
Tuesday's election results in Indiana prove President Donald Trump can still punish wayward party members after he endorsed a slate of challengers who defeated almost every one of those lawmakers he wanted to dislodge.
Google’s AI search summaries will now quote Reddit
You know, that thing many of us were already looking for manually.
Trump's Indiana wins show his power over GOP with more primaries and redistricting debates ahead
The primary election results in Indiana show how President Donald Trump can punish Republican lawmakers who defy him.
After defying Trump, a Republican lawmaker hangs on by a thread
Republicans in Indiana’s Senate tested voters’ tolerance for defying the president. Most lost in primaries amid a wave of threats, campaign cash and popular backlash.
Ramaswamy advances in Ohio, and other takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
Primaries in Indiana and Ohio reinforced President Donald Trump’s power in the GOP and set the stakes for several top-tier midterm races.
Trump gets revenge, and other takeaways from Tuesday’s Indiana and Ohio primaries
President Donald Trump vowed revenge when the Republican supermajority in the Indiana state Senate embarrassed him in December, voting down Trump’s demands to redraw the state’s congressional maps to help the party win two more seats.
Verdict: How Trump-endorsed challengers fared in Indiana Senate primaries
It was the ultimate test of President Donald Trump's endorsement: low-level Indiana state Senate primaries. Here's how those races played out.
7 Indiana state senators face Trump-backed primary challengers after bucking him on redistricting
Trump's intervention has shined a bright national spotlight on what are usually quiet Republican primaries for Indiana state Senate seats.
Trump's influence tested in Indiana primaries after failed redistricting push
Indiana's primary will test President Donald Trump's enduring power over the Republican Party as he tries to dislodge state senators who refused to go along with his call to redraw the state's congressional map.
Redistricting battles back on midterm political map as Ohio, Indiana vote in primaries
Alabama and Tennessee move into redistricting fights while midterm voters in Indiana and Ohio head to the polls, spotlighting election maps, primaries and 2026 political stakes.
Live Results: Indiana state primaries
Seven GOP state senators who blocked President Donald Trump's push to redraw the state’s congressional districts now face primary challengers endorsed by him.
Live Results: Ohio state primaries
Ohio is expected to play a high-profile role in the midterm elections.
What to watch in Tuesday’s primaries in Indiana and Ohio
A set of May primaries will test the strength of Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party and the role the president intends to play as GOP voters pick their candidates knowing he’ll never again appear on the ballot.
Ramaswamy’s personality, Trump’s revenge define Ohio, Indiana primaries
Ohio and Indiana primary voters hit the polls on May 5 and will test whether President Donald Trump's grip on the Republican Party is slipping.
Bellaire breaks ground on recreation and entertainment complex
BELLAIRE – Ground was broken Monday morning for Bellaire’s recreation and entertainment complex. The project is made possible through a $1,468,912 through the federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program grant and $200,000 from the State Capital Budget Fund procured by Ohio State Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta. Construction will begin June 15. The complex will […]
Bellaire breaks ground on recreation and entertainment complex
BELLAIRE – Ground was broken Monday morning for Bellaire’s recreation and entertainment complex. The project is made possible through a $1,468,912 through the federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program grant and $200,000 from the State Capital Budget Fund procured by Ohio State Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta. Construction will begin June 15. The complex will […]
House Democrats’ campaign arm takes sides in contentious primaries key to winning midterms
The House Democratic campaign arm on Monday inflamed ongoing tensions over the influence of party leadership by taking sides in several competitive primaries for battleground House seats.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Indiana's state primaries
President Donald Trump is waging a retribution campaign against some fellow Republicans in the primary in Indiana.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Ohio's state primaries
Candidates for Ohio’s top elected offices will stand before voters in a statewide primary on Tuesday, although many of them are already looking ahead to the November general election. In
Democrats Add 8 Candidates to House Battlefield Program for Midterms
The party’s congressional campaign arm is promoting more contenders to take down at-risk Republicans — and is taking sides in some competitive primaries.
Memorial Health Foundation awards $15K to Red Cross
MARIETTA – The American Red Cross Ohio River Valley Chapter has received a $15,000 Community Impact grant to improve how blood is collected for local patients from the Memorial Health Foundation. The contribution, made ahead of the summer months when the Red Cross often sees a dip in blood donations, helped the Red Cross purchase […]
Cleo Fields, other House candidates ask to join to lawsuit over Louisiana suspending election
U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields has asked a judge to join a lawsuit challenging Gov. Jeff Landry’s suspension of congressional primaries in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling declaring Louisiana’s U.S. House map unconstitutional.
Delayed Louisiana Primaries Stoke Confusion at Ballot Box
On the first day of early voting, some glimpses of voter bewilderment came into focus, part of a dizzying scramble playing out days after a major Supreme Court ruling.
Trump’s Push for Electoral Retribution Heads to the Ballot Box
The president’s push to punish political enemies in his own party will play a starring role in a series of Republican primaries this month in which he has backed challengers.
Trump’s Push for Electoral Retribution Heads to the Ballot Box
The president’s push to punish political enemies in his own party will play a starring role in a series of Republican primaries this month in which he has backed challengers.
Trump can’t live his life by fear, says political strategist
Panelists Christina Pascucci and Tiffany Marie Brannon discuss President Donald Trump’s comments about assassination fears on ‘Fox News @ Night.’
Alabama governor calls special session to move primaries for redistricting, while Georgia passes
Following a seismic Supreme Court ruling on race and redistricting, Alabama lawmakers are planning to reschedule their primary to redraw state maps, if the court allows.
How hot jobs, drone delivery and actor’s advice are changing business in Miami
Check out these summaries if you missed these top stories.
Sports betting industry spending big on Kentucky House GOP primaries
Sports betting companies are funding a PAC that is spending large sums to support Kentucky GOP lawmakers in their primary, despite their votes against legalizing the industry.
Costs are rising in Miami. See the latest on rent, gas, businesses
Check out these summaries if you missed the news.
Louisiana congressional primaries suspended after Supreme Court ruling, state officials say
Early voting had been scheduled to begin Saturday in advance of the May 16 primary.
Thoughts on partisan politics, primaries and what matters
Recently, we learned that Hickman County was spending $30,000 on the primary election coming up next week, but Crystal Fitzgerald, county finance director, shared some good news as well. Tennessee lawmakers decided to reimburse counties that chose to hold primary elections. Good idea, but how about we not even run the increasingly needless exercise in
Louisiana to delay House primaries after Supreme Court redistricting ruling
Primaries under the current congressional map, which the Supreme Court struck down Wednesday, were slated for May 16. It's not clear if the delay will affect the state's Senate race.
Louisiana governor expected to delay some May primaries after Supreme Court ruling, sources tell CNN
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to suspend at least some contests in his state’s May 16 primary election following the US Supreme Court’s decision invalidating his state’s congressional map and calling it an unconstitutional gerrymander.
Local Politics: There’s nothing secondary about primaries
Here are the local candidates on Franklin County’s ballot this year.
Research commissioner pitches EU to US scientists and investors
Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is just back from a two-day trip to San Francisco, where she pitched the EU as the place to be for US researchers looking to move and US venture capitalists looking to invest. A Commission spokesperson told Science|Business that Zaharieva used the trip to “promote Europe as a stable, rule-based and vibrant innovation destination.” She emphasised Europe’s excellent infrastructure and predictable funding, particularly through the European Research Council (ERC) and Europe Innovation Council.These are already proving tempting, with applications from US-based researchers to ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) calls increasing substantially over the past few years. According to the Commission, the number of US-based applicants for the annual ERC Consolidator Grant call rose from 19 in 2025 to 64 in 2026, while US bids to the ERC Advanced Grant call rose from 23 in 2024 to 114 in 2025. Meanwhile, US applications to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme rose from 352 in 2024 to 998 in 2025.Pressure on US scientists to seek alternative employment has increased since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Jobs at federal science agencies have been slashed, funding cut in some research areas and international scientific partnerships turned upside down. He has also made unprecedented attempts to control university affairs.During her trip, Zaharieva made a point of highlighting the protection of academic freedom in Europe, “especially in areas like climate change, renewable energy, and health, where US funding has faced cuts,” the spokesperson said.She also underlined the EU’s “attractive long-term career opportunities and relocation support for top researchers from anywhere in the world,” especially through its new Choose Europe for Science initiative.“Transatlantic cooperation remains essential to tackle global challenges while safeguarding shared values such as academic freedom and openness,” Zaharieva wrote on social media ahead of her visit.Related articlesERC walks back stricter resubmission rules for 2027Don’t feel guilty about poaching scientists fleeing Trump, US science body tells EuropeHer itinerary took in Stanford University’s business school and school of medicine, where topics for discussion included entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration. She also met with venture capital firms, including Playground Global, Forgepoint Capital and Akkadian Venture Capital, as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the US.Other meetings included Jensen Huang, the chief executive of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia, and local business associations such as the Bay Area Council and EuroCham. European delegations in the area also received visits, including Advantage Austria and France’s La French Tech, and the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.
Federal judge rejects Colorado GOP’s effort to block unaffiliated voters from participating in party’s 2026 primaries
U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer said excluding unaffiliated voters days before the state’s ballot certification deadline, and just weeks before ballots start being mailed out, would create too much confusion.
Louisiana governor prepares to suspend House primaries after court ruling
Gov. Jeff Landry (R) told Republican House candidates he plans to suspend the May 16 primary elections so lawmakers can redraw the congressional map.
Supreme Court ruling not expected to affect House maps this year: experts
Supreme Court overturning Louisiana's congressional map shouldn't mean redrawing maps in other states this year because primaries have already passed.
Political parties in Texas choose how to run their primaries. Here’s how that causes headaches for voters.
Even after this year’s chaos, lawmakers are unlikely to curb parties’ sway over primary elections.
Trump aims to defeat dissident Republicans in key May primaries
Trump has endorsed primary challengers to multiple GOP lawmakers, with Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky as his top target.
Political violence raises security questions ahead of NH primaries
With primary elections just months away in New Hampshire, questions are emerging about whether changes will be made to how voters interact with candidates.
Alabama politics shift as PAC attacks, policy gaps, voters collide
A mystery PAC roiled GOP primaries as lawmakers logged narrow gains and a report found 800,000 Alabamians remained outside the electoral process.
Why Ohio's 1st District features 2 'actual' primaries this year
In one of the country's competitive congressional districts, Democratic voters seem torn and Republican voters face a field of political newcomers.
Experienced candidates face political newcomers in primaries for Ohio secretary of state
COLUMBUS — The Democratic and Republican primary elections for Ohio secretary of state both pit candidates with experience in elected office against ...
Does new Michael Jackson movie include marriage to Lisa Marie Presley?
Lisa Marie Presley married Michael Jackson, the so-called King of Pop, on May 26, 1994, in a private ceremony in the Dominican Republic.
Two Primaries to Test Trump’s Grip on Republican Politics
The president is backing opponents of two Republican incumbents in primaries.
Churn in the Statehouse should make for interesting, and crowded, legislative races
With five state senators and 19 House members either retiring or running for other offices in 2026, there will be significant Statehouse turnover come 2027, which means you don’t have to look too far down the ballot to find interesting battles in the primaries.
Google Meet will take AI notes for in-person meetings too
AI summaries for meetings in-person or on Zoom and Teams.
29-year-old spent $1,000 to launch a wedding camcorder business—it brought in $1.7 million in sales in less than a year
Anne Marie Carroll started Wedding Weekender with one camcorder in May 2025. Within 10 days of launching she had 50 orders and over $36,000 in sales.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
Disallowance of COVID-19 Leave Credits: A Review of Substantiation and Trade or Business Requirements — Current Federal Tax Developments
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