Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Voter FAQs

1. How do I figure out if I'm registered to vote? Is my information up to date?


Vote.org has a tool that allows you to check your registration. If you're not registered, the site can also help you get that done. But hurry — deadlines are coming up.

2. Speaking of registration deadlines, when is mine?

Graphics for the win! Here you go.

Voter Registration Deadlines 2020 elections


3. I don't need an ID, do I?

Voter ID laws vary by state. Some don't require any ID, others have really strict rules. The National Conference of State Legislatures has pulled together a map of the most recent laws to help you figure out what your state requires and what you'll need to bring to the polls (or send in with your absentee ballot).

4. I want to vote by mail, but I don't know where to start. Help!

Unless you live in a vote-by-mail state, the first place to start is likely by requesting your absentee ballot. Vote411 has broken down each state's vote-by-mail process, including deadlines for requesting your ballot and when it needs to be returned.

5. I'm going to the polls. How do I find my voting location?

Polling places are changing all the time, especially with the coronavirus pandemic. For example, some jurisdictions are switching from polling places to voting centers to make up for shortages in poll workers. Keep up with where to go on Election Day.

6. What are my rights at the polls?

Voters have a number of federally protected rights at the polls. Familiarize yourself with them before you go. Also, write down numbers for election hotlines that can help you if you run into trouble. As a starting place, here are a few things the American Civil Liberties Union lists on their website.


delete

delete

Read More

Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?
Image generated by IVN staff.

Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?

Politico published a story last week under the headline “Poll: Americans don’t just tolerate gerrymandering — they back it.”

Still, a close review of the data shows the poll does not support that conclusion. The poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly prefer either an independent redistricting process or a voter-approved process — not partisan map-drawing without voter approval. This is the exact opposite of the narrative Politico’s headline and article promoted. The numbers Politico relied on to justify its headline came only from a subset of partisans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?
Image generated by IVN staff.

Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?

Politico published a story last week under the headline “Poll: Americans don’t just tolerate gerrymandering — they back it.”

Still, a close review of the data shows the poll does not support that conclusion. The poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly prefer either an independent redistricting process or a voter-approved process — not partisan map-drawing without voter approval. This is the exact opposite of the narrative Politico’s headline and article promoted. The numbers Politico relied on to justify its headline came only from a subset of partisans.

Keep ReadingShow less
For the Sake of Democracy, We Need to Rethink How We Assess History in Schools

classroom

Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

For the Sake of Democracy, We Need to Rethink How We Assess History in Schools

“Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution?"

  1. Right to public education
  2. Right to health care
  3. Right to trial by a jury
  4. Right to vote

The above question was labeled “medium” by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the 2022 8th-grade U.S. history assessment.

Keep ReadingShow less
People holding microphones and recorders to someone who is speaking.

As the U.S. retires the penny, this essay reflects on lost value—in currency, communication, and truth—highlighting the rising threat of misinformation and the need for real journalism.

Getty Images, Mihajlo Maricic

The End of the Penny — and the Price of Truth in Journalism

232 years ago, the first penny was minted in the United States. And this November, the last pennies rolled off the line, the coin now out of production.

“A penny for your thoughts.” This common idiom, an invitation for another to share what’s on their mind, may go the way of the penny itself, into eventual obsolescence. There are increasingly few who really want to know what’s on anyone else’s mind, unless that mind is in sync with their own.

Keep ReadingShow less