Tag: elections

Boosting A Nationwide Trend In 2020 Elections Progressive Prosecutors Scored Big Wins
Journalism

Boosting A Nationwide Trend In 2020 Elections Progressive Prosecutors Scored Big Wins

Despite the broad political polarization in the United States, the 2020 election confirmed a clear movement across both red and blue America: the gains made by reform-minded prosecutors. Running on progressive platforms that include ending mass incarceration and addressing police misconduct, candidates defeated traditional “law-and-order” prosecutors across the country. Elected prosecutors – often called state’s attorneys or district attorneys – represent the people of a particular county in their criminal cases. Their offices work with law enforcement to investigate and try cases, determine which crimes should be prioritized and decide how punitive to be. After decades of incumbent prosecutors winning reelection based on their high conviction rates or the long sentences they achieved, ...
Climate Issues At The Forefront Of The 2020 Elections
Journalism, POLITICS

Climate Issues At The Forefront Of The 2020 Elections

After decades on the political periphery, the climate movement is entering the mainstream in 2020, with young leaders at the fore. The Sunrise Movement now includes more than 400 local groups educating and advocating for political action on climate change. Countless students around the world have clearly communicated what’s at stake for their futures, notably Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who just finished her yearlong school strike for climate. Youth activists have been praised for their flexible, big-picture thinking and ability to harness social media to deliver political wins, as Sunrise recently did for U.S. Sen. Ed Markey’s primary campaign. They necessarily challenge the status quo. “Every social movement in the U.S. that has been successful has always had strong youth and stude...
How to protect elections amid the coronavirus pandemic
COVID-19

How to protect elections amid the coronavirus pandemic

At least seven states have postponed their presidential primaries in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. That has raised concerns about the other states that have state elections and federal primary elections planned for later this summer – and of course the general election in November. The main concern, in terms of the pandemic, is that elections cause people to congregate at the polling places on Election Day. If it’s not safe to be within six feet of someone outside your immediate family, it’s seems ill-advised to line up with all your neighbors to check in, or to visit a small voting booth someone else was just in, or to pick up the same pen or touch the same touchscreen they used just moments ago. The solution so far has been to postpone elections until some future time when it’...