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Featured Content from the VTP

The research shown here has been selected as some of the most noteworthy and interesting published by the VTP. Enjoy!

Election Day Went Smoothly But Trouble Spots Remain, Survey Shows

Submitted by gbain on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 15:57.
in

WASHINGTON, Dec 09, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Pew Center on the States and the JEHT Foundation Commit $8 Million in 2009 to Modernize Election System

Minnesota challenge variability

Submitted by gbain on Fri, 11/21/2008 - 14:15.
in

The real action in the Minnesota recount will be the ballots challenged by the two campaigns on the grounds that the voter intent was not properly ascertained. These challenged ballots are emerging even when the county recounts show no discrepancy with the count of the ballots successfully scanned by the machines. As I suggested in an earlier posting, this is an illustration of why the post-election audit is not an especially good predictor of what will happen in the recount.

Minnesota challenge variability

Submitted by gbain on Fri, 11/21/2008 - 14:12.
in

The real action in the Minnesota recount will be the ballots challenged by the two campaigns on the grounds that the voter intent was not properly ascertained. These challenged ballots are emerging even when the county recounts show no discrepancy with the count of the ballots successfully scanned by the machines. As I suggested in an earlier posting, this is an illustration of why the post-election audit is not an especially good predictor of what will happen in the recount.

Detecting Fraud in America’s Gilded Age

Submitted by gbain on Thu, 11/13/2008 - 07:52.
in
Working Paper No.: 
2
Date Published: 
07/01/2008
Author(s): 
Gail Buttorff , University of Iowa

Abstract: This paper extends recent developments in election forensics to test for electoral fraud during a period of American history widely suspected to be ripe with fraud. It uses the second-digit Benford’s Law test in an effort to identify possible instances of election fraud during the Gilded Age—an era of highly competitive party politics. The study focuses on presidential and gubernatorial elections in Southern US states during the period from 1872 to 1896. The empirical results corroborate some of the extant historical anecdotes of electoral fraud during this period.

Can We Trust The Machines?

Submitted by gbain on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 09:45.
in
Author(s): 
Walter R. Mebane Jr.
Journal: 
Science Magazine
pp: 
322
Date Published: 
10/31/2008

Since the 2000 U.S. presidential election, many have worked to increase voters’ confidence that election results are fair and correct. One theme from 2000 was that the technology used to record votes—especially punchcard ballots—was deficient and needed to be replaced. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 provided federal funds for states to acquire electronic voting machines or optically scanned paper ballots. New controversy arose when computer scientists and others complained that the recommended technologies were far from being up to the task. The

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