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Lynx win 10 in a row, Savannah Bananas taking over Target Field and other Minnesota sports news
The Lynx beat the Fever 108-100 to get their 10th win in a row. It makes it the team’s longest winning streak since 2016.
Vikings’ Exciting Rookie Sends Clear Message to NFL WRs
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Charles Demmings with the 163rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many expected the team to go corner in the first round, but instead, they decided to go defensive tackle. That defensive tackle would end up being Caleb Banks of Florida.The Vikings’ cornerback room heading into the 2026 offseason was […] The post Vikings’ Exciting Rookie Sends Clear Message to NFL WRs appeared first on HEAVY.
Twins vs Mariners Highlights ⚾️ MLB on FOX
Watch the best highlights between the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners.
Vikings Running Back Got to Camp in Terrific Shape
Vikings running back Jordan Mason is a hulking, rugged guy. Quite possibly, he’s in better shape than last year. Minnesota […]
Minnesota Vikings Three-Round 2027 NFL Mock Draft
Why not make a mock draft ahead of training camp?
Are disability services in Minnesota backsliding? Advocates fear being ‘pawns in political games.’
It’s a precarious moment for people with disabilities. Some fear funding cuts, fraud fallout and other federal and state actions put their services and rights at risk.
Vikings Get Strong Baker Mayfield Take Amid Contract Drama
The Minnesota Vikings are holding a quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy to decide who will start in the 2026 season. The hope is that one of them seizes the job and gives Minnesota a long-term answer at the position.Still, there’s also a chance neither quarterback proves to be the solution. If that […] The post Vikings Get Strong Baker Mayfield Take Amid Contract Drama appeared first on HEAVY.
New bakery business opens in MN Lake
Ruth Francour went to college for commercial art but now she is the Ruth of Aunt Ruth’s Baked Goods, a cottage bakery located on Main Street in Minnesota Lake. “We opened for walk-in sales on April 18 of 2025,” Ruth says. Just to be clear, a cottage bakery means she bakes and sells things out […]
Twins vs Mariners Highlights ⚾️ MLB on FOX
Watch the best highlights between the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners.
Mariners' Randy Arozarena hits homer to extend lead vs Twins
Randy Arozarena hit a home run that extended the Seattle Mariners' lead to 3-0 against the Minnesota Twins.
Minnesota's ban on crypto ATMs goes into effect after citizens report losing nearly $1 million in scams
Minnesota's ban on crypto ATMs went into effect on Saturday, and by Dec. 31, all existing machines across the state must be removed.
Northeast Minnesota wildfires causing disastrous economic impacts to tourism industry
Small business owners in northeastern Minnesota told their state legislators Friday that the wildfires that have been burning in and around the Boundary Waters for almost a month have had a “disastrous” impact on their bottom lines. One canoe outfitter says he lost 98 percent of his revenue to cancellations in July.
Christian Darrisaw on his health: 'Best I've felt in two years'
The Vikings need a healthy Christian Darrisaw in 2026 and so far he seems to be early in training camp.
Trump Blames Minnesota, Not Iran, for Cyberattack, Despite Initial Investigation
President Trump claimed without evidence that Minnesota’s Democratic government was “behind” a cyberattack on the state’s own water systems. Investigators believe Iran is likely responsible.
Trump rejects Iran blame for Minnesota cyberattack, points finger at 'corrupt' political foe
Trump dismissed claims that Iranian hackers targeted Minnesota water systems, instead blaming the state's governor for what he called gross incompetence.
Minnesota Vikings Over/Under Win Total: What To Expect In 2026
Check out the 2026 O/U win total for the Vikings, who won nine games last season and finished third in the NFC North.
Missteps Mount in Justice Dept.’s Case Against Minnesota Anti-ICE Protesters
The problems plaguing the case have not only hurt the government’s chances, lawyers say, but have also undermined the bonds of trust that prosecutors have traditionally enjoyed in court.
Cyclospora confusion? Four questions about the parasite in Minnesota, answered
Minnesotans can be reassured that the large multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis infections, a gastrointestinal illness caused by cyclospora, has not yet reached the state.
Vikings Issued Major QB Battle Update Amid Training Camp
The Minnesota Vikings‘ QB battle is the one many in the national football media have their eyes on to see who comes out the winner between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. It’s only a couple of days of training camp, but each day the performances of the two players go under the microscope. During a […] The post Vikings Issued Major QB Battle Update Amid Training Camp appeared first on HEAVY.
Minnesota Twins Officially Enter Buy-Mode, Strike Trade With Mets
The Twins and New York Mets agreed to a deal late Thursday night for left-handed reliever A.J. Minter.
Viking Row Meets Minnesota: Gophers Adopt Norway's World Cup Celebration
The Minnesota Gophers are adopting a well known World Cup tradition at their home games this season.
Students Take on Airborne Field Research with NASA
The gusty wind didn’t make it easy to hold tight to a balloon so large. The balloon, a scientific instrument called an ozonesonde, was about to be released
Health alert issued for Red's frozen steak burritos due to allergen risk
The products were shipped to Costco distribution locations in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
Vikings Get Intriguing Message Involving Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield
The Minnesota Vikings are having a QB battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy to determine their starter for the 2026 NFL season. In a perfect world, one of McCarthy or Murray emerges and solves the Vikings’ issue under center for the foreseeable future.Nonetheless, there’s also the possibility that neither is the answer after having […] The post Vikings Get Intriguing Message Involving Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield appeared first on HEAVY.
Kyler Murray Drops Major Vikings Offense Update Amid QB Battle
The Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback competition is underway and while many see Kyler Murray as the favorite to win, J.J. McCarthy does have one major advantage: He knows the offense.It’s Year 3 for McCarthy in the Vikings’ offense under head coach Kevin O’Connell, while Murray is only a handful of months into it. As a result, […] The post Kyler Murray Drops Major Vikings Offense Update Amid QB Battle appeared first on HEAVY.
Vikings Rookie’s Latest Comments Have Fans Watching Closely
The Minnesota Vikings were able to get an important injury update from one of their confirmed that he was healthy and ready to go for the start of the season.Banks was selected with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. The former Florida Gators star measures in at six-foot-six, […] The post Vikings Rookie’s Latest Comments Have Fans Watching Closely appeared first on HEAVY.
One Vikings Receiver Stole the Show at Wednesday’s Practice
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison impressed during Wednesday’s training camp practice. He was all over the field, according to multiple media reports, and statistically, he had a great day. He caught five passes on seven targets from quarterback Kyler Murray. Bring Me The News’s Will Ragatz reported this.Addison was reportedly able to make a […] The post One Vikings Receiver Stole the Show at Wednesday’s Practice appeared first on HEAVY.
Vikings showing faith in backup QB despite tough 2025
The Vikings aren't giving up on their 2025 UDFA despite struggles in two starts as a rookie.
Person of the Year + TCB 100 Celebration
Featured Event Person of the Year + TCB 100 Celebration December 03, 2026 @ 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm Directions Location Minnesota Orchestra Hall 1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis 55403 Description Each December, Twin Cities Business unveils the TCB 100 list, our annual "list of all lists" recognizing the business leaders, innovators, and changemakers poised to
CBS Sports highlights the Vikings first-round pick track record
Here's how CBS Sports has the Minnesota Vikings first-round pick record.
Lawmakers begin crafting aid package for businesses affected by wildfires
A Democrat and Republican from northeast Minnesota say they’ll be ready with a proposal if the Legislature convenes in a special session.
Change could cripple Endangered Species Act, Minnesota science teacher says
The federal government’s decision to alter the definition of the word “harm” under the Endangered Species Act is a “stake through the heart” of the law, St. Cloud science teacher Devon Bowker — a.k.a. Devon the Nature guy — told MPR News.
Former Lions Defender Lands With NFC North Rival
When the Detroit Lions released veteran safety Jamal Adams near the end of the 2024 season it looked like his career was nearly over. However, Adams not only played the entire 2025 season, but he is also now signing for the 2026 season. The division rival Minnesota Vikings will now be seeing if Adams can […] The post Former Lions Defender Lands With NFC North Rival appeared first on HEAVY.
Pro Bowl linebacker Jamal Adams indicates he's joining Vikings on the eve of camp
Three-time Pro Bowler Jamal Adams says he’s joining the Minnesota Vikings on the eve of training camp
Ely-area businesses navigating impact of Minnesota wildfires, BWCA closure
From outfitters to resorts and local businesses in downtown Ely and surrounding areas, owners say they are feeling the economic toll of the wildfires in northern Minnesota.
For one Minnesota man, peer connection was the key to mental health recovery
Fairview is expanding outpatient group programs across Minnesota, giving teens and adults more intensive support while helping them stay connected to work, school and home.
Sustainable Mendota Heights Business Spotlight
Since 1987, Sovran has helped Minnesota organizations grow and compete by providing information technology (IT) services. As one of the first Sustainable Mendota Heights Businesses, Sovran leads in th
Kendall Qualls' running mate, picked for business acumen, owes workers money
Brian Nicholson told his workers earlier this month at an Albertville manufacturer that he was doing everything in his power — and even seeking divine intervention — to strike one of five “Hail Mary” deals so he could pay them what they’re owed. “I’m praying on my knees every night before I go to bed […]
Kevin Seifert Drops Clear Message on Vikings' 2026 Season
Despite regular-season dominance, Kevin O’Connell faces a high-stakes ultimatum: secure a postseason victory or risk joining a short list of coaches who failed to survive October.
Which Vikings players made ESPN's All-Backup team for 2026?
Two Vikings made ESPN's all-backup team ahead of the 2026 season.
Sports Illustrated ranks NFL QBs and places Kyler Murray near the middle
Kyler Murray projects as a middle-of-the-pack quarterback for the Vikings this year.
Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman says Angie Craig sought his endorsement while he was in ICU
Hoffman and his wife were the victims of a politically motivated assassination attempt last year.
ESPN highlights trench players for the Vikings on unique list
ESPN recently ranked the best players under the age of 25 and ther Vikings' trench players got some shine.
Kendry Rojas Continues To Impress In Short Notice Start
Rojas tossed four scoreless innings in a spot start on Saturday, a day in which he did not expect to start.
Twins' Paredes scratched minutes before start with oblique strain
Minnesota Twins right-hander Mike Paredes was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against the Athletics just minutes before the game was scheduled to begin. Paredes suffered a left oblique strain during warmups, the team said. Left-hander Kendry Rojas replaced Paredes as the starter.
Vikings given cornerback help in 2026 NFL Draft redo
The Minnesota Vikings get cornerback help in this 2026 NFL Draft redo.
Without Harrison Smith, Vikings have questions at safety in 2026
The Vikings enter training camp with uncertainty at safety as Jay Ward, Theo Jackson and rookie Jakobe Thomas compete to help replace Harrison Smith.
Addressing adolescence mental health through creativity
Through its partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is helping teens harness the power of art therapy to achieve better mental health outcomes.
Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce unveils inaugural Black Business Hall of Fame
Minnesota man gets two life terms for political killings
Vance Boelter assassinated former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband
Justin Jefferson Speaks On The Vikings QB Competition
All eyes are on the competition, but what does the franchise star think?
In greater Minnesota, the data center boom is reshaping local politics
The potential for tech warehouses to land in rural towns has triggered newly minted politicians, moratoriums and raucous meetings.
Harrison Smith's Potential Return Could Force Tough Vikings Roster Decision
SKOR North Minnesota Sports believes the Vikings could face difficult roster decisions depending on what role the veteran safety would fill in 2026 if he decides to return.
New Dave & Busters owned entertainment center Main Event to open in Woodbury
Minnesota’s first Main Event location showcases activities like bowling, laser tag, arcade games and more.
ICYMI: Minnesota Small Business Owner Joins NFIB’s Small Business Rundown
Rep. Brad Finstad of Minnesota joined the Small Business Rundown to discuss repealing Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting
Justin Jefferson Sends Clear Message to Vikings Teammate J.J. McCarthy
The superstar receiver challenges his young quarterback to embrace a "dog" mentality and earn his starting role through high-stakes competition during a pivotal Minnesota offseason.
Vikings May Have Found Next Hidden Gem in Undrafted Rookie
The Minnesota Vikings have several intriguing players as they head into training camp. Of course, veterans such as Justin Jefferson and Kyler Murray will take all the major headlines. However, one undrafted free agent is creating buzz as well. Wide receiver Dillon Bell is turning heads with training camp on the horizon.Bell was signed by […] The post Vikings May Have Found Next Hidden Gem in Undrafted Rookie appeared first on HEAVY.
Jose Ramirez Makes Immediate Impact in Return, Despite Guardians' Loss
The Cleveland Guardians may have lost to the Minnesota Twins, but it was a win to see Jose Ramirez back on the field.
NFL Insider Makes Huge Claim About Vikings’ Quarterback Battle
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback battle is going to be one of the most interesting storylines throughout the course of training camp. It has been a storyline picking up over the past couple of weeks, with some experts siding with J. J McCarthy. Other individuals, such as Vikings legend Cris Carter have spoken highly of Kyler […] The post NFL Insider Makes Huge Claim About Vikings’ Quarterback Battle appeared first on HEAVY.
New Jersey’s Noncitizen Voting Reveal Is a Nightmare For Democrats | WSJ Politics Newsletter for July 22
Plus, Pete Hegseth says the cost of the war in Iran is now $37.5 billion, and the administration freezes $1 billion in Medicaid funding to California and Minnesota.
Fewer Canadian shoppers leave border businesses struggling
Political conflict, a weaker Canadian dollar and tough economic times have cut into Minnesota and North Dakota retail.
49ers Site Issues Warning about Jauan Jennings
Minnesota Vikings fans were thrilled by the club’s decision to sign wide receiver Jauan Jennings in May, as the purple […]
Preview: Sporting KC hosts Minnesota on Wednesday in Soccer Capital of America celebration at Sporting Park
Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FC 2026 MLS Regular Season | Game 16 Wednesday, July 22 | 7:30 p.m. CT (7:40 kickoff) Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas Watch: Apple TV | Pub Partners Listen: 810 AM | 1340 AM | SKC App More: Know Before You Go |
NHL to produce games for Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Wild, Blues
The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, along with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, have their games produced and distributed by the NHL for the upcoming season, as the league branches out into centralized production.
Trump administration deferring Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the administration of targeting it for political reasons
Trump administration deferring Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the administration of targeting it for political reasons
Lunchbreak: Vikings SKOL Chant Tops Sports Illustrated’s Ranking of NFL Rallying Cries
Minnesota Vikings Latest News
US Health Secretary Kennedy says CMS is pausing Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota
The Trump administration is pausing over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota "because of suspected fraud and noncompliance," U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said on Tuesday.
US Health Secretary Kennedy Says CMS Is Pausing Medicaid Payments to California and Minnesota
July 21 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is pausing over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota "because of suspected fraud and noncompliance," U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said on Tuesday. "If those states want that money they need to ...
Vikings Get Hit with a Bleak Assessment by Sports Juggernaut
The Vikings getting hit with pessimism isn’t particularly profound. Many, including among those who cheer for Minnesota, express very negative […]
J.J. McCarthy Receives Strong Take Amid Vikings QB Competition
The Minnesota Vikings will use a QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray to determine their starter for the 2026 NFL season. Nonetheless, even with the competition ongoing, many expect Murray to emerge victorious.Murray is looking to show that he’s still a starting QB despite the Arizona Cardinals cutting ties with him this offseason. […] The post J.J. McCarthy Receives Strong Take Amid Vikings QB Competition appeared first on HEAVY.
Vikings Expected to Release Injury-Riddled TE
The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting situation brewing in their tight end room.The Vikings made some alterations to the contract of starting tight end T.J. Hockenson. The altered deal lowered his $21.3 million cap hit to $16.3 million. This $5 million cap savings also came with a change to the end of the existing contract. […] The post Vikings Expected to Release Injury-Riddled TE appeared first on HEAVY.
DEED brings ‘Choose Minnesota’ small-business roundtable to Duluth
The discussion is part of the “Choose Minnesota” campaign, which aims to encourage Minnesotans to shop local.
Wildfires impacting businesses in northern Minnesota
Many businesses near the gunflint trail remain open regardless of wildfires. Golden Eagle Lodge is one of them. Owner of the resort Ruth Wagner joins All Day to talk about how they are open for business and safe from the fires.
Power Rankings: Where Do Vikings Come In At?
That's higher than most power rankings for Minnesota.
Minnesota couple accused of failing to pay over $2 million in income, corporate taxes
Fewer Canadian shoppers leave border businesses struggling
Border businesses in Minnesota and North Dakota say fewer Canadian visitors are cutting into sales, forcing some to reduce hours, staff and spending.
Small Town Event. Big Time Entertainment.
If you are looking for a small town to visit, look no further than Houston and Whalan, Minnesota. Both communities are hosting signature events this coming weekend: Music in the Bluffs and Houston Hoedown Days. Small Town Vibes in Whalan Whalan, population 67, hosts three outdoor concerts throughout the summer, one each month. The community’s
Health insurers hedge on Trump-backed pledge to improve denials process
Patients, their advocates, and clinicians say little has improved.
Shaky political "science": breakdown of the peer review process
[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 December 2025, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting (RCV). 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 four articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report; the second one analyzed 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; a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research; and a fourth article that analyzed seven studies sponsored by New America’s political reform program that deployed flawed methodology based on “simulated” elections instead of real-world elections, which when combined with some basic misunderstandings of RCV, produced odd and misleading results]. In this fifth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we examine two flawed studies on the impact of RCV on voter turnout authored by San Francisco State University professor Jason McDaniel. McDaniel’s research in these two papers stands out for its puzzling methodology, inadequate and cherry-picked data, and faulty analyses that not only misunderstands ranked choice voting but reflects a basic misunderstanding of politics in general. The first of the McDaniel studies actually passed through a peer review process and then was subsequently published by the Journal of Urban Affairs, despite its obvious errors. It is perplexing that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the errors and send it back to McDaniel for a rewrite or outright rejection. This calls into question the credibility of the peer review process itself. The peer review process is supposed to represent the intellectual pinnacle of the profession – a way for academics to certify the quality of each other’s work, and to act as a check against sloppy research. In the case of the McDaniel study, the peer review process failed. Yet his flawed study has been cited dozens of times by other political scientists in their own flawed works — an unvirtuous circle of academic research. Here is the first Jason McDaniel study that we analyzed: “Writing the Rules to Rank the Candidates: Examining the Impact of Instant-Runoff Voting on Racial Group Turnout in San Francisco Mayoral Elections,” by Jason McDaniel, 2016, Journal of Urban Affairs. This study covered San Francisco’s use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in mayoral elections, purporting to show that RCV reduces voter turnout overall, increases voter errors, and has a negative impact on “marginal populations,” i.e. racial minorities, mainly as the result of the alleged complexity of RCV asking voters to rank candidates and having to be familiar with multiple candidates and related dynamics. McDaniel reached these conclusions by examining five San Francisco mayoral elections taking place in odd years (i.e. where there are no federal or state races on the ballot) from 1995 to 2011, comparing three earlier non-RCV races (in 1995, 1999 and 2003) with the later two RCV races (in 2007 and 2011). Only two RCV races were studied, and as McDaniel acknowledged, only the contest in 2011 was “competitive” (that contest in 2007 was the first mayoral election using RCV, and incumbent mayor Gavin Newsom won easily in the first round of counting, earning 74% of first choices and far ahead of the second place candidate who had just 6.3% of first choices). Yet even the allegedly competitive contest in 2011was won by an incumbent with a landslide margin of nearly 20 points. No other elections were studied by McDaniel, even though San Francisco elects 17 other offices besides mayor with RCV, including the 11 seats on the Board of Supervisors (the name for the city council) in even years, and six other citywide offices in odd years. Previous academic research has found that competitive elections can stimulate greater voter involvement and higher turnout. For unexplained reasons, this study ignored at least 34 other RCV races between the years 2004 to 2011, many of which were very competitive and had high voter turnout. Instead, McDaniel’s analysis based its conclusions on data from only a single, marginally-competitive mayor’s race using RCV. These 2007 and 2011 mayoral elections were the only two RCV elections that McDaniel used as the sole basis for his small data set to determine the impact of RCV on voter turnout. Despite having no meaningful data to inform his study, McDaniel nonetheless concluded that RCV lowered turnout when compared to the previous three mayoral non-RCV elections using two-round runoffs. Then, using the same inadequate database of San Francisco elections, McDaniel also found that “Instant-runoff voting is associated with a significant decline in Black voter turnout and White voter turnout…On average, Black voter turnout decreases by 18 points and White voter turnout decreases by 16 points …” But how could he credibly arrive at that conclusion when his study was based on voter turnout in two RCV contests that were not even remotely competitive? Beyond that, McDaniel tacitly admits that the key determining factor driving Black voter turnout was not RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable Black candidate. McDaniel wrote, “Black voter turnout was about 17 percentage points higher for the two elections that featured an African American candidate compared to the three elections that did not” — but one of those three elections did not use RCV. The same dynamic was present for White voter turnout, in which higher turnout was not correlated with RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable White candidate. Beyond that, McDaniel’s voter turnout results, whether correlated with the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections, showed no clear patterns. In his Figure 1, he shows low Asian voter turnout in the non-RCV elections in 1999 and 2003 when there was no viable Asian candidate running, but in the 2007 mayoral election using RCV, there is still no viable Asian candidate, yet Asian turnout increases dramatically. For Latinos, voter turnout is virtually the same in 1999 (no viable Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2003 (leading Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2007 (no viable Latino candidate, RCV elections) and 2011 (leading Latino candidate, RCV elections). Meanwhile White voter turnout increased dramatically from a low in the 2007 mayoral election, in which the leading candidate was a white incumbent, to the 2011 election in which there were no leading white candidates that finished any higher than sixth place with 5.6% of the vote. Clearly other factors were determining voter turnout than either the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections. Despite these inconsistent findings, McDaniel boldly marches forth to render conclusions about the impact of RCV on different groups of racial voters, even though his conclusions are not remotely supported by his data. This looks like the worst kind of “data cherry picking” to cover up a puzzling conclusion based on a poor data set involving only two RCV elections, neither of which were remotely competitive. McDaniel’s cherry picking didn’t stop there. In calculating voter turnout for the three non-RCV mayoral elections in 1995, 1999 and 2003, he failed to mention that in each of these years there was a two-round runoff election, with a first round election in November in which no candidate garnered a winning majority of the vote, followed by the decisive runoff in December. So there were two non-RCV elections in each election year. But McDaniel only decided to include one of the two elections in his data set, apparently the December runoff in each year (which had higher turnout in two out of the three mayor’s races, and lower turnout in the third). So he ignored the November 1995 election, the November 1999 election when turnout was only 45 percent, and the November 2003 election when turnout was only 45.7 percent. This is flawed methodology based on blatant cherry picking, since McDaniel simply omitted three elections worth of data that did not fit within his frame. His study should never have made it through a peer review process, and it is an embarrassment to political science that not only was it approved for publication, but it has been uncritically cited by dozens of other political scientists. Share A “study” without wider context or credible data Lacking a data set that included even a single competitive RCV mayoral race, McDaniel declared that RCV lowered voter turnout in 2011, when turnout was 42.5 percent. But he also ignored -- or did not realize -- that voter turnout in mayoral elections during 2011 had sharply declined in all big cities, including far more steeply in nearby Los Angeles and other cities. In fact, San Francisco’s election in 2011 had the second highest turnout of any mayoral election in the nation’s 22 largest cities from 2008-2011. Was 2011 just a particularly low turnout year all across the country, perhaps because the country was still reeling from the aftermath of the housing market collapse in 2008-2010? McDaniel ignored this factor and did not search for alternative explanations beyond his flawed thesis. Furthermore, while McDaniel suggested that RCV leads to more “overvotes” – which is an invalidated ballot in which a voter, in either a non-RCV or RCV race, makes a mistake and selects two candidates for a single choice – he failed to address that in the June 2012 US Senate primary contest, which used the typical “one-choice” plurality method and did not use RCV, there was more than five times as many overvotes in San Francisco and Oakland than in the RCV mayoral elections in those cities. Additionally, turnout had been significantly higher and more representative in RCV elections for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors races -- that McDaniel didn’t even bother to study -- as compared to previous “delayed two-round runoffs” for those offices, often higher by as much as 40% in the RCV races. Perhaps the most surprising irony was that an earlier study co-authored by McDaniel (Overvoting and the Equality of Voice under Instant-Runoff Voting in San Francisco by Francis Neely and Jason McDaniel, 2015, California Journal of Politics and Policy) found that overvotes are often more common in lower-income precincts, but that the pattern of overvoting is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. Wrote Neely and McDaniel: “[Overvote] errors appear to be a function of complexity in general and not IRV per se…. the pattern of overvoting is similar in both IRV and non-IRV contests…Even among votes cast in a top-of-the-ticket race like U.S. Senate, overvoting occurs in an uneven fashion” (IRV, or ‘instant runoff voting,’ is another name for ranked choice voting in single-winner contests). So McDaniel not only contradicted his own conclusion in his earlier study with Neely, but the earlier study had been an important corrective for one of the most frequently made mistakes made by anti-RCV political scientists – a continual failure to provide crucial context by pairing a comparative analysis of real world RCV elections with an analysis of real world plurality or other electoral methods. Unfortunately McDaniel’s earlier study does not get cited much by other researchers, and McDaniel did not even cite it in his own flawed study analyzed above. Incredibly, McDaniel cherrypicked McDaniel, even as his flawed study has been cited dozens of times. Despite being a textbook example of poor political “science,” featuring both inadequate as well as cherrypicked data, the shelf life of McDaniel’s study has been extended endlessly by other political scientists and media outlets who have cited it uncritically. Equally troubling, the Journal of Urban Affairs put this paper through its peer review process and published it despite its numerous flaws. McDaniel gets it wrong, Part II Not content with producing one shoddy, confused paper, McDaniel produced another one a few years later, here is the link: Electoral Rules and Voter Turnout in Mayoral Elections: An Analysis of Ranked-Choice Voting by Jason McDaniel. San Francisco State Univ. (McDaniel, 2019). In this paper, McDaniel extended his previous flawed research focused on San Francisco, about voter turnout and voter impact, to multiple RCV cities through the 2018 elections. In his data set he included San Francisco, Minneapolis, St Paul, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro and Santa Fe. He then compared their turnout in mayoral elections to non-RCV cities, and to mayoral elections in those cities held before first RCV usage, and concluded “a significant decrease in voter turnout of approximately 3–5 percentage points in RCV cities after the implementation of RCV.” But he replicated many of the same mistakes as his first study presented above. While in this study McDaniel attempted to distinguish between various factors, such as odd year vs. even year elections, competitive races vs. noncompetitive, contests with open seats and other factors, the analysis is superficial and inadequate. He attempts to incorporate so many often-conflicting variables that his conclusions are once again unsupported by the actual data, and ultimately unconvincing (this second study never underwent a peer review process). For example, McDaniel declared that for RCV cities “in elections that are more competitive than average (margin of victory less than 20%), there is no significant RCV effect on voter turnout.” Yet McDaniel is a professor in a city, San Francisco, in which the 2018 special election using RCV to fill a mayoral vacancy was exceedingly close, decided by a margin of only one percentage point, and resulted in the second highest turnout in San Francisco history for a mayoral election. Illustrating the complexity involved in assessing the critical factors in turnout, that special election was held on the same election day as federal and state offices, which tends to boost turnout. Yet more voters participated in that RCV mayoral election than voted on the same day in the non-RCV primary for governor in which former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom was running. Even more puzzling, in this study McDaniel inaccurately cited his own previous study from 2015 with Neely. McDaniel wrote, “Neely and McDaniel (2015) examine individual ballot image files within a natural experiment, and find higher rates of ballot errors in RCV elections compared to non-RCV elections” (emphasis added). However, we quoted from that 2015 study several paragraphs above, and in actual fact Neely and McDaniel actually concluded the opposite -- that the pattern of overvoting – which is the most common form of ballot error – is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. McDaniel also ignored the fact that in Bay Area RCV elections held in even years – at the same time as federal and state elections, when turnout is highest -- the “undervote” (that is, the dropoff in ballots cast for governor or mayor) has declined, which contradicts his thesis that the act of ranking ballots in RCV elections is too complex and presents a barrier for certain demographics of voters. To his credit, McDaniel actually acknowledged another contradiction in his own paper, which found a negative RCV turnout effect in some odd-year elections but not others, admitting that “may present a challenge to the theory that increased complexity [from RCV] will have a marginal negative effect on voter turnout.” But he tried to wallpaper over that contradiction by blaming it on an unlikely source -- bad election administration. McDaniels wrote, “This would suggest that the negative impact of RCV on voter participation may be alleviated by high quality election administration,” without presenting any data or even anecdotes to support such an unfounded theory. While competent election administration of any election, whether RCV or non-RCV, is crucially important, there is no credible research that supports the far-fetched notion that the quality of election administration has much of an impact on voter turnout in US elections, whether using RCV or otherwise. Upgrade to a $5 subscription The unvirtuous circle of academic research It is puzzling how McDaniel’s first study could have survived the peer review process for the Journal of Urban Affairs. The mistakes in McDaniel’s first study above should have been obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of ranked choice voting as well as elections in general, and elections in San Francisco specifically. It undermines faith in the credibility of the peer review process to think that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the egregious errors and reject McDaniel’s sloppy research and paper. And it remains a black mark on political science that this thoroughly discredited study has been cited dozens of times by other researchers. Indeed, in our research paper it became apparent that many political scientists cite each other’s flawed research to pad their list of citations and to legitimize their own flawed research, creating an unvirtuous circle of political science. More broadly, McDaniel’s voter turnout studies, like other studies evaluating RCV’s impact on turnout, lacked a recognition that no credible opinion or research can claim that RCV increases voter turnout merely because so many voters are excited to vote for their favorite candidates instead of “lesser evil” candidates without worrying about spoilers. Instead, with respect to turnout, the advantage of RCV has always been that, in most places where it has been used, it has eliminated a pre-November primary or post-November runoff, which usually saw about half the turnout of the November general election. This is especially true during even years when there are state and federal elections on the ballot which substantially drive turnout more than local contests. Any study that does not adequately account for this non-November primary/runoff vs November general election dynamic, or odd year vs even year election factors, is simply not credible. Both of McDaniel’s studies largely failed on those grounds. Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to a $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS…your digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
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