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Purdue names School of Business building after alumnus following $42M gift
The gift is the largest contribution from an individual for a facility in Purdue’s history. As a result, the building on the West Lafayette campus will be called the Roland G. Parrish Hall of Business.
Giants-Commanders matchup: Can the Giants contain QB Jayden Daniels?
Can the NY Giants defense keep the momentum going and shut down the Washington Commanders offense?
Longtime Purdue benefactor Parrish commits $42M to name new Daniels School building
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University has received a $42 million commitment from longtime benefactor and alumnus Roland G. Parrish to name the new flagship facility within the Mitch Daniels School…
Cowboys have plenty of reason for concern after home loss to winless Buccaneers
The Cowboys (2-3) fell 24-16 on Thursday night to a Bucs team with undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels filling in for the injured Baker Mayfield.
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys live updates, inactives, news: Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb host UDFA rookie Jalon Daniels & Co. on 'Thursday Night Football'
Jayden Daniels fully takes part in practice
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels fully practices after missing a few weeks
Award-Winning QB Ashton Daniels's Season Needs Re-Evaluation
Davey O'Brien National QB of the Week Ashton Daniels willed the Florida State Seminoles to victory last Saturday against Virginia, setting a school record with five rushing touchdowns in a 38-7 win. With two losses to ranked teams, the blame for the team's misfortune hardly belongs to Daniels alone.
The Daily Mauling: 10/5/26
Kansas Jayhawks News It’s official, Melvin Council, Jr is coming back to Kansas Jalon Daniels got his first NFL start this weekend. It didn’t go especially well, but he vows to use the lessons he learned moving forward What did we learn from the 55-0 drubbing of MTSU? The LJW weighs in The Topeka Capitol-Journal […]
3 veteran quarterbacks Commanders could pursue after Marcus Mariota's injury
Even if Jayden Daniels returns next week, the Commanders could need another veteran, especially if Marcus Mariota is out for a while.
Pub owner next to Jeff Daniels' new bistro says his business damaged
Pat Cleary, owner of Cleary's Pub in Chelsea, says construction of Jeff Daniels' JD's Stage Bistro next door has caused structural damage to his pub.
Worst-Case Scenario for Bucs’ Mayfield Revealed
A dislocated thumb sidelines Baker Mayfield for up to six weeks, forcing undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to lead a winless roster and salvage Tampa Bay’s fading season.
Jalon Daniels Shows Promise in First NFL Start Despite Loss
Jalon Daniels Shows Promise in First NFL Start Despite Loss
Jalon Daniels Makes Plays, Mistakes and Loses First NFL Start
The undrafted rookie flashed his ability, but also made some mistakes as Tampa comes up just short in Daniels’ first NFL start.
Buccaneers’ Rally Falls Short Against Packers
The Buccaneers dropped to 0-4 after Jalon Daniels’ late comeback attempt fell short.
Jalon Daniels comes up short in first NFL start
TAMPA, FL (KSNT) – Jalon Daniels comes up short in his first NFL start. Daniels and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved to 0-4 on the season, losing to the Green Bay Packers 17-14. The former Kansas star was 19-for-27 for 148 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He added eight carries for 55 yards […]
Jayden Daniels to return to practice this week
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will be a full participant in practice ahead of the Week 5 game
Three Last-Minute Packers vs. Buccaneers Predictions
Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love seeks rhythm against a winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels leading the charge.
Don't blame Commanders' running backs for run game issues
The Commanders have struggled to run the ball consistently outside of Jayden Daniels. Don't blame the running backs.
Florida State Plays Inspired in Dominant Win Over Virginia
Florida State scored 38 unanswered points in a dominant victory over the Virginia Cavaliers, and Ashton Daniels and the Seminoles defense were a juggernaut on both sides of the ball as the Seminoles earned their third win of the season and evened their record in ACC play at 1-1.
Expert Sends Packers Warning About Jalon Daniels, Buccaneers
The Green Bay Packers matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not be as easy as some think.
QB Daniels Must Deliver for Seminoles Against Virginia
Florida State needs QB Ashton Daniels to protect the football, make plays, and finally deliver a complete game against Virginia.
Jalon Daniels ‘Will not be Scared’ in First Buccaneers Start
When the Buccaneers take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is confident that undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will not be afraid when he makes his first-career start.
Packers HC': Bucs' Daniels 'A Very Talented Player'
With Baker Mayfield sidelined, rookie Jalon Daniels faces a high-stakes first start. Matt LaFleur warns that the undrafted dual-threat weapon possesses the tools to shock his team.
Commanders rule out Jayden Daniels, confirm Marcus Mariota will start vs. Colts in London Week 4
Jayden Daniels out for Week 4
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (elbow) won't play in Week 4. QB Marcus Mariota will start against the Indianapolis Colts.
Is Jayden Daniels concerned about reinjuring elbow when he returns?
When he returns, will Jayden Daniels be concerned about possibly reinjuring his elbow?
Buccaneers QB Jalon Daniels on First Start: ‘It Means Everything’
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is being thrust into an almost impossible situation, but he won't hide his excitement at realizing a dream come true.
Battle of the Bays features winless Buccaneers and struggling Packers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) need a victory even more than the Green Bay Packers (1-2) on Sunday. At least Green Bay has quarterback Jordan Love. Tampa Bay is turning to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels after Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb in a loss to Minnesota.
Jayden Daniels returns to Commanders' practice, not concerned about potentially reinjuring elbow
Undrafted Rookie Daniels Gets the Call for Buccaneers
Jalon Daniels becomes the Buccaneers’ first undrafted rookie quarterback to start an NFL game.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels traveling to London, possibly playing Colts
Jayden Daniels will return to Commanders practice this week in London, though playing prospects vs. Colts are uncertain
Mariota stars as Commanders end Seahawks' winning run
Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes as the Washington Commanders claimed a 33-31 victory over Seattle to end the Seahawks' long winning streak. Seattle had won a dozen games in a row, following up last season's Super Bowl triumph by starting their campaign with back-to-back triumphs, but Mariota starred in the absence of the injured Jayden Daniels.
Mariota stars as Commanders end Seahawks' winning run
Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes as the Washington Commanders claimed a 33-31 victory over Seattle to end the Seahawks' long winning streak. Seattle had won a dozen games in a row, following up last season's Super Bowl triumph by starting their campaign with back-to-back triumphs, but Mariota starred in the absence of the injured Jayden Daniels.
Hip-hop legend Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels making appearance at Wichita’s Somewhere Fest
McDaniels, a founding member of Run-DMC, told KSN he will join Two Lot during the band’s set on Friday night.
Jayden Daniels officially ruled out for Week 3
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels unavailable because of elbow injury
Jayden Daniels injury update as Commanders announce positive news
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders got some good news about the quarterback's elbow injury. Here's the latest.
Jayden Daniels avoids Injured Reserve for now
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels not scheduled for surgery and will remain on roster
Jayden Daniels injury update from Commanders GM spells good news
The Washington Commanders revealed good news on star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Norvell Leads Seminoles vs. Alma Mater Central Arkansas
Florida State coach Mike Norvell will lead his Seminoles against his alma mater, Central Arkansas. Florida State is coming off a loss to Alabama and will look to get back in the win column against the FCS Bears. QB Ashton Daniels must eliminate his turnovers from a week ago to get the victory.
Norvell Blinded by QB Loyalty Ahead of Central Arkansas Game
Florida State coach continues to praise his starting quarterback, Ashton Daniels, even after throwing three interceptions in a 50-36 loss to Alabama last Saturday. Norvell praises his confidence and decision-making skills. Daniels has thrown three touchdown passes against ranked teams this season.
Josh McDaniels preaches patience with Patriots offense
New England has scored just two offensive touchdowns in its first two games.
Can Marcus Mariota Keep Washington Commanders' Offense on Track?
Jayden Daniels’ injury leaves Marcus Mariota with more than a starting job. He inherits an offense missing its biggest rushing threat, dealing with injuries along the offensive line and searching for more production from its WR1. Through it all, Mariota must keep Washington’s offense moving.
Week 3 fantasy defense rankings: Top D/ST streamers, starts
With starting quarterback Jayden Daniels sidelined in Washington, the Seattle Seahawks are perched atop this week's fantasy defense rankings.
Encouraging Jayden Daniels injury update comes from very unlikely source
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is in good spirits, according to a Basketball Hall of Famer.
Jayden Daniels set to meet with specialists
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels scheduled to meet with experts on elbow injury
Prescott throws 4 TD passes as Cowboys beat Commanders
Prescott threw four touchdown passes to break Romo's record of 248, and the Cowboys beat Washington 37-20 on Sunday after the Commanders' Jayden Daniels went down with another gruesome-looking dislocated left elbow.
Commanders' Marcus Mariota heartbroken for Jayden Daniels
Marcus Mariota heartbroken Jayden Daniels after Sunday's injury.
How Marcus Mariota, Commanders reacted to Jayden Daniels injury
“It sucks”: Marcus Mariota, Commanders promised to maintain resolve after Jayden Daniels injury vs. Cowboys
Jayden Daniels throws two touchdowns in opener
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 loss
Eagles face a healthier, more commanding Jayden Daniels in opener
Jayden Daniels enters Week 1 healthy and with more control of Washington’s offense, creating several problems for the Eagles’ defense
Five causes for concern as Eagles prepare to face Commanders
Jayden Daniels, Washington’s rushing attack and Philadelphia’s offensive transition create legitimate causes for concern entering Week 1
Can Science Explain Why You Feel “Vibes” From People?
On the latest episode of “The Astounding Pop Mech Show,” Andrew Daniels, Shawn Gorman, and John Gilpatrick discuss the science behind that instant “click” you feel with certain people.
Can Science Explain Why You Feel “Vibes” From People?
On the latest episode of “The Astounding Pop Mech Show,” Andrew Daniels, Shawn Gorman, and John Gilpatrick discuss the science behind that instant “click” you feel with certain people.
NFL Week 1 QB power rankings: Where is Jayden Daniels?
Where did Jayden Daniels land in the Week 1 QB power rankings?
Patriots Have Former Buffalo Bills Weapon to Protect Drake Maye
The New England Patriots made obvious investments around Drake Maye, but a quieter addition could become especially useful when defenses turn up the pressure. Reggie Gilliam arrived in New England after six seasons with the Buffalo Bills, giving offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels a true fullback with a track record as one of the NFL’s better […] The post Patriots Have Former Buffalo Bills Weapon to Protect Drake Maye appeared first on HEAVY.
Top Three Commanders to Target in Fantasy Football This Season
The Commanders have plenty of questions heading into Week 1, but there’s still fantasy value to be found in Washington. From Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs, these three players could make a major impact for fantasy managers in 2026.
Grading Florida State’s Offensive Performance vs. SMU
Ashton Daniels’ scrambling sparked early momentum, but relentless sacks and a dismal third-down conversion rate forced the Seminoles to survive a sluggish, error-prone performance in Tallahassee.
Atlanta Hawks Insider Reports Critical Dyson Daniels Injury Update
Is Atlanta Hawks swingman Dyson Daniels injured?
Craig Robinson reveals ‘The Office’ creator’s surprising feedback that made him panic during audition
Craig Robinson tells EW about the unprompted praise from ‘The Office’ creator Greg Daniels that sent him down an unexpected mental tailspin during his audition for ‘The Office.’
Josh McDaniels owns Super Bowl struggles ahead of Seahawks rematch
New England’s offense struggled in the Super Bowl loss.
Patriots’ Josh McDaniels Has Strong Words for Seahawks’ Defense
The last defense the New England Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, faced was the Seattle Seahawks, with head coach Mike Macdonald running the show in Super Bowl LX. Now, the first defense McDaniels will see at the start of the 2026 season is the Seahawks.In the Super Bowl LX win, the Seahawks made life challenging […] The post Patriots’ Josh McDaniels Has Strong Words for Seahawks’ Defense appeared first on HEAVY.
LSU Fans Loudly Boo Jayden Daniels in Season Opener
The LSU Tigers opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion with a 51-10 victory over Clemson. Lane Kiffin’s team decided to avoid attracting more controversy by not playing any former NFL players and still cruised to a blowout win.The game itself was an overall win in several ways for LSU. Yet one former player received […] The post LSU Fans Loudly Boo Jayden Daniels in Season Opener appeared first on HEAVY.
Jayden Daniels adjusting to fundamental change in Commanders' offense
Jayden Daniels is having to do something he's never really done before in 2026, at least in a while.
Houston Rockets jersey history No. 30
During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Daniels wore only jersey No. 30 and put up 4.0 points per game.
Insider Gets Blunt on Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Before Eagles Game
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was hit with the injury bug last season, so the team will have to do everything possible to ensure that Daniels stays healthy this campaign. Nonetheless, the entire responsibility for Daniels’ health shouldn’t solely be on the offensive line. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes that the Commanders QB also should […] The post Insider Gets Blunt on Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Before Eagles Game appeared first on HEAVY.
Washington Commanders bet on healthy Jayden Daniels to bounce back from injury-plagued 2025 season
Jayden Daniels returns healthy as the Commanders target a bounce-back season, but key roster moves and a tough NFC East raise the stakes further.
Commanders 'love' rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis
The Commanders hope they've found Jayden Daniels' future backup in rookie Athan Kaliakmanis.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels continues to be disrespected
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels continues to be disrespected by the national media.
Buccaneers’ quarterback battle ends with a major surprise
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels entered Buccaneers camp as a long shot, but his impressive preseason changed everything. Now, he’s beaten out veteran Jake Browning for the job behind Baker Mayfield.
Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Gets Blunt About Ravens’ Lamar Jackson
The Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens held a joint practice on Aug. 26 ahead of their preseason finale on Aug. 28. Moreover, it featured two teams with star QBs, as both sides hope their signal-callers can lead them to the postseason after missing the playoffs last season.After the practice session, Jayden Daniels spoke to the […] The post Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Gets Blunt About Ravens’ Lamar Jackson appeared first on HEAVY.
What next for Mark Walter, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Lakers?
This week's sports-business newsletter from The Athletic, featuring discussion of the Dodgers, Lakers, Liverpool, Jayden Daniels and more.
Buccaneers' undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels impresses in preseason debut
Buccaneers undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels is fourth on the depth chart, but he looked in his preseason debut like he might have an NFL future.
Paul Finebaum Blasts Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Over LSU Rift
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is at odds with the LSU Tigers football program after the school gave his former No. 5 jersey to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett. Daniels wore No. 5 during his time with the Tigers and became the program’s third Heisman Trophy winner in 2023.As a result, Daniels’ attorney sent a cease-and-desist […] The post Paul Finebaum Blasts Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Over LSU Rift appeared first on HEAVY.
New Science Is Forcing Us to Rethink the Moment We Die
On the latest episode of “The Astounding Pop Mech Show,” Andrew Daniels, Shawn Gorman, and John Gilpatrick discuss what it really means to die.
‘You Never Know What Happens’ – Joe Burrow Breaks Silence on Noise Around Jayden Daniels-LSU Controversy
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’ feud with the LSU Tigers has continued to escalate after he sent a letter to the SEC giants expressing his disappointment about a player using his No. 5 jersey.
Bengals news: Joe Burrow reacts to Jayden Daniels-LSU fiasco
Bengals star Joe Burrow, who also hails from LSU, was asked about his thoughts on Jayden Daniels' legal battle with their alma mater.
Jayden Daniels reportedly made odd Heisman Trophy request with LSU
Daniels continues to receive bad press heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Jayden Daniels Takes Legal Action Against Louisiana State
The Louisiana State Tigers are one of the most successful football programs in the nation.LSU is one of few other programs that have yielded multiple Heisman Trophy victors. Unfortunately, it appears as if they find themselves on less-than-ideal terms with one of the winners.ESPN obtained a copy of a letter sent by Jayden Daniels‘ legal […] The post Jayden Daniels Takes Legal Action Against Louisiana State appeared first on HEAVY.
Jayden Daniels feels ‘profoundly disrespected’ by LSU
Washington Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels emerged as a legitimate superstar with the LSU Tigers, blossoming into the eventual No. 1 overall pick and a Heisman Trophy winner. However, there now seems to be a major rift between Daniels and the program. The superstar quarterback is now reportedly refusing to allow LSU to use his…
Boilermaker Business: Realizing I Have Something To Offer At Purdue Daniels
Anisha Nanda is a senior at the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University, majoring in Marketing and Business Analytics and Information Management (BAIM)
Science with Stevie: Why do sunflowers chase the sun?
Meteorologist Stevie Daniels explains how sunflowers can actually chase the sunshine in this Science with Stevie article!
2026 Fantasy Football Fallout: Stefon Diggs changes the Commanders outlooks for McLaurin and Daniels
Stefon Diggs is joining the Commanders and here are the Fantasy Football implications
'The Brink of War' tells story of Reagan-Gorbachev nuclear discussions
Jeff Daniels stars as Ronald Reagan in "The Brink of War," a film about the Reykjavik summit that paved the way for the historic INF Treaty.
Science with Stevie: Summertime storms
Meteorologist Stevie Daniels explains why thunderstorms often develop during hot summer days in this Science with Stevie article!
C.J. Daniels not only receiver surprising at Rams camp
Could he be the next Mario Williams to make a name for himself in the NFL?
What Is “The Hum”? The Strange Sound Science Still Can’t Explain
On the latest episode of “The Astounding Pop Mech Show,” Andrew Daniels, Shawn Gorman, and John Gilpatrick discuss a shared sonic mystery.
Science with Stevie: Scud Clouds
Meteorologist Stevie Daniels breaks down the eerie fog-like clouds that formed in the wake of strong thunderstorms in this Science with Stevie article!
Science with Stevie: The Full Buck Moon
Meteorologist Stevie Daniels talks about the upcoming summer full moon that peaks in the month of July!
Science with Stevie: Rainbows
Meteorologist Stevie Daniels discusses the reason behind how rainbows form in the sky in this Science with Stevie segment!
Inspiration for film ‘Safety’ is tourney’s special guest
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA COLORADO Denver News: Ray McElrathbey, a former Clemson University football player whose story of fighting to keep his brother out of foster care inspired the Disney+ movie “Safety,” will be the special guest when Volunteers of America Colorado hosts its 23rd Legends Golf Tournament. The Sept. 9 event will be held at Sanctuary, 7549 Daniels Park Road, […]
Boilermaker Business: How Learning Becomes Leadership At Purdue Daniels
Richard (RJ) Pompa is a sophomore at the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University, majoring in Integrated Business and Engineering.
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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