Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Which states run the best elections? MIT researchers have an answer.

Best states for elections

A certain New England state achieved the highest score on MIT's elections index.

wellesenterprises/Getty Images

Despite the disinformation, legal actions and 2021 insurrection, election administration improved in 2020, according to MIT’s Election Performance Index.

And while nearly every state saw improvements from 2018, even during Covid-19 pandemic, not all states performed equally well.


The index examines voter turnout and registration, ballot problems, online tools, audits and other aspects of election administration.

The top-performing states in 2020 were:

  1. Vermont
  2. Minnesota
  3. Iowa
  4. Wisconsin
  5. North Dakota

The lowest-scoring states were:

  1. New York
  2. South Dakota
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Arkansas
  5. Mississippi

See the full rankings and read more about the methodology.

Read More

Forks in the Road: GOP Leadership Fails Tests of Democracy

An illustration of someone erasing the word "democracy".

Getty Images, Westend61

Forks in the Road: GOP Leadership Fails Tests of Democracy

“In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow,” Judge John Coughenour commented on Trump’s efforts to undo birthright citizenship.

When Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) offered federal employees the ability to retire early in exchange for continued pay until September, it referred to the offer as a “fork in the road.” Employees could either take the deal or face "significant" reforms, layoffs, and an expectation that they be "loyal." Putting aside the offer’s legality, the message was clear: either take the deal or face uncertainty and possible termination.

Keep ReadingShow less
Beyond Awareness: Addressing Domestic Violence for Perpetrators and Survivors

Two people holding hands, comforting each other.

Getty Images, Tempura

Beyond Awareness: Addressing Domestic Violence for Perpetrators and Survivors

It is time to teach the children well.

As February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, it is urgent to know dating violence is very common in this country, especially among teens and young adults. Research shows about one in 12 teens experienced physical dating violence and about one in 10 experienced sexual dating violence.

Keep ReadingShow less
IRA funding for Catholic organizations’ green energy uncertain under Trump administration

solar panels

Andres Siimon/Unsplash

IRA funding for Catholic organizations’ green energy uncertain under Trump administration

Tucked away behind a Catholic organization building in northeast Washington, D.C., lies a vast solar farm soaking up the sun’s rays as energy for Catholic buildings.

Dan Last, the co-executive officer of Mission Energy, which is partnered with the Catholic Energies Program, helped build this solar farm for Catholic Charities along with 18 other solar farms for Catholic organizations in the Washington metropolitan area. But most recently, Last said he has been taking screenshots of the United States Department of Energy websites because of the “uncertainty” President Donald Trump’s administration has introduced into the industry.

Keep ReadingShow less