Politics

The State Board of Elections approved a series of policy changes Friday aimed at making ballots easier to understand and setting up a clear process for handling complaints about potentially illegal political ads.After a chaotic 2017 election cycle and a rocky period for the Department of Elections, the three-member board was in cleanup mode at its first meeting with Chris Piper, Gov. Ralph Northam’s newly appointed elections commissioner.The board unanimously adopted new ballot standards that include crystal-clear instructions on how to vote and other tweaks to make ballots more user-friendly.“Basically, it’s just prettier,” Piper told reporters after the meeting, adding that the new design wasn’t a direct response to issues that arose in the most recent election. The new ballot layout will be implemented for the general election in November.Control of the House of Delegates this year was decided by pure luck after one mystifying ballot — which had … [Read more...] about Virginia elections board tweaks ballot design, creates new complaint process for political ads

Democracy Dies in Darkness Sections Home Subscribe Try 1 month for $1 Username Sign In Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Subscribe Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Accessibility for screenreader Politics Analysis Analysis Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events by Philip Bump by Philip Bump Email the author April 5 at 2:08 PM Email the author Billionaire Robert Mercer speaks on the phone during the 12th International Conference on Climate Change hosted by the Heartland Institute on March 23, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Oliver Contreras/The Washington Post) We may never know how much money billionaire Robert Mercer put into political activity during the 2016 election cycle. For one thing, the definition of … [Read more...] about The amount Robert Mercer spent on politics in 2016 probably topped $30 million

Several groups, including the NAACP, Urban League Young Professionals, Civic Nebraska and the Nebraska Black Caucus, are planning a North Omaha Political Convention for April 14. "This event is the kick-off of our activism to get our community informed and ready to act and vote like crazy this 2018 election season," Preston Love Jr. said in a statement.The event will be 2 to 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha campus in the culinary arts building. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-omaha-political-convention-tickets-44661553910. … [Read more...] about North Omaha groups plan a political convention

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh pledged his support of embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt Thursday, saying he hopes Pruitt stays on the job despite pressure to resign over a series of allegations regarding ethics violations. Limbaugh argued that Pruitt "has become, outside of [President Donald] Trump, the single biggest target of the American left" on his show. Pruitt drew criticism after he rented a room from a woman whose husband is a Washington, D.C. lobbyist and over claims he broke ethics guidelines regarding airline travel. Two EPA officials received significant raises as well, although Pruitt said he stopped the raises from taking place once he heard about them. Pruitt has denied doing anything wrong. Limbaugh said the criticisms of Pruitt are politically driven, using the example of former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. The pair is alleged to have tried to help Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and, later, attempt … [Read more...] about Rush Defends Pruitt, Says Criticisms Are Politically Motivated

Activism at protests, marches, and political rallies has increased, a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll reported Friday. One out of every five Americans has protested in the streets or participated in a political rally since 2016 started, the poll results showed. In other results, 19 percent of those who said they have protested said they had never done it before. "I never thought I was an activist — until now," said Anna Bralove, age 69. Those who go to rallies are more likely to vote Democratic and disapprove of President Donald Trump, the report said. Here are the results: 30 percent of rallygoers approve of Trump, while 70 percent disapprove. 40 percent of rallygoers are Democrats, 36 percent are independents, and 20 percent are Republicans. 29 percent of rallygoers had been to some college, and 27 percent graduated college. 23 percent had done post-grad work, while 21 percent had an education level of high school or less. 52 percent supported solely liberal … [Read more...] about Poll: 1 in 5 Americans Have Participated in Political Rallies