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Many Parkland survivors’ ballots went uncounted in 2018

Students who survived the mass shooting last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have become some of the most prominent and politically active gun control advocates in the country. But they seem to have had a tough time getting their votes counted.

Fully 15 percent of mail-in ballots cast by Parkland's college-age voters in last year's midterm election were rejected or failed to arrive in time to be counted, according to an analysis of state voting records by Daniel Smith, chairman of the political science department at the University of Florida. The statewide figure for voters 18 to 21 was 5.4 percent of mail-in ballots rejected or uncounted and the overall statewide share was 1.2 percent, Smith noted.


The numbers were reported by the Washington Post, which said the situation in Broward County highlighted questions about the fairness of the Florida electoral system, which includes a very struct signature match standard that some college-age voters clearly failed to meet. "If you are voting in Florida, and you are young in Florida, you have a good chance of your ballot not being accepted," the professor said. "Imagine going to the ATM, and every 10 times you go, instead of spitting out your money, they take it or they lose it."

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Ed Martin’s Plan to Shame Trump's Enemies Threatens the Rule of Law

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Getty Images, Andrew Harnik

Ed Martin’s Plan to Shame Trump's Enemies Threatens the Rule of Law

For a long time, scholars, commentators, and officials have debated the efficacy of shame as a form of punishment. Opinion has been divided over the efficacy and appropriateness of using it as a response to a criminal conviction.

But nowhere did anyone ever suggest that shaming someone would be an acceptable reason to prosecute them. Until now.

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Congress Bill Spotlight: Preventing Presidential Inaugurations on MLK Day, Like Trump’s

Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States.

Getty Images, Pool

Congress Bill Spotlight: Preventing Presidential Inaugurations on MLK Day, Like Trump’s

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a weekly report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about, but that often don't get the right news coverage.

President Donald Trump falsely claimed his January 6, 2021 speech preceding the Capitol Building riot “had more people” in attendance than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

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RCV Momentum, Young Voters, and Faster Runoffs

RCV Momentum, Young Voters, and Faster Runoffs

RCV Momentum, Young Voters, and Faster Runoffs - This Week’s Expand Democracy 5

Welcome to the latest edition of The Expand Democracy 5. From Rob Ritchie, with Eveline Dowling’s help, we explore five ways democracy is evolving—locally, nationally, and globally. Today's stories include:

🌟 Future of RCV is Bright - Energy & trends favor voter choice

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Just the Facts: Trump Administration Pauses International Student Visas
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Just the Facts: Trump Administration Pauses International Student Visas

The Fulcrum strives to approach news stories with an open mind and skepticism, striving to present our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, we remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.

Has the Trump administration put a hold on issuing student visas for this coming fall?

The Trump administration has paused new student visa interviews as part of an effort to expand social media screening for applicants. The State Department has instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to stop scheduling new student and exchange visitor visa appointments until further guidance is issued. However, previously scheduled interviews will still proceed.

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