By October 31st, over 22 million people had cast early votes for the 2016 presidential election. In some states, like Texas and California, the number of early votes was up substantially from 2012. Despite a rise in the number of early votes cast, early returns from the November 8th election suggested turnout was actually at a low, with some outlets reporting that voter turnout was nearly the lowest it had been in a presidential election in 20 years.

On Sabato’s Crystal Ball, Professor Alan I. Abramowitz writes that it is incumbency, not gerrymandering that is the reason the Democrats are unlikely to win a U.S. House majority, even with a Clinton landslide. FairVote agrees, to a point.

In the The Atlantic, Brownstein and Askarinam examine recent voting trends showing that Democrats have gained support in urban areas, whilst Republicans have gained in rural and blue-collar areas.

FiveThirtyEight's podcast discussed Maine ballot Question 5 - it's the laboratory of democracy at work.

Every year, the treasurer’s office in Arlington County, VA holds a design contest to select the year’s official decal. Students from the county’s high schools submit original designs, one of which will be displayed on 160,000 vehicles throughout the county.

FairVote has created this spreadsheet to track the 2016 presidential candidates as they campaign across the country. The spreadsheet highlights the impact of our current Electoral College rules on presidential campaigns.

Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio marked the state’s voter registration deadline by calling for several changes to increase voter registration and turnout, including some promoted by FairVote.

Last week, students at Claremont McKenna College in California elected their 2020 Class President, Bryan Carlen. The Associated Students of Claremont Mckenna College is one of over 50 student governments that uses ranked choice voting to elect their officials. RCV on college campuses prevents the election from becoming a popularity contest, helps diversify the pool of candidates, and keeps students engaged with campus politics.

September 27 marks National Voter Registration Day. For many, this day symbolizes American democracy and an invitation to all citizens to participate in the government. What many might not know is that the United States is one of the only democracies in the world to not automatically register voters, instead shifting the responsibility to political parties, organizations, and elected officials with a history of bias.

With twenty-four candidates running, the race to replace outgoing Louisiana U.S Senator David Vitter is one of the most hotly contested elections this year. While competition is emblematic of a healthy democracy, Louisiana’s current electoral system has a defect that is partly addressed by having a majority runoff but still leaves voters in a tough situation during highly competitive races like this one.