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Can this Texas county fix America's electronic voting problem?

Sarah Lai Stirland

September 16, 2016 |

Splinter |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Travis County, Texas

Making sure that voting systems are fair and accurate has become a major concern in the wake of rigging allegations in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Homomorphic encryption, now beginning to be used in the financial and healthcare industries, can anonymize voter data while creating a publicly available record that anyone can use to verify election results. The idea is being piloted in Travis County, Texas, the latest move in a push for more trustworthy voting systems.

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The people trying to save democracy from itself

Patrick Chalmers

July 02, 2016 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Low voter turnouts, populists offering half-truths, corporate interests, and the blurring of facts in the media are signs that democracy around the world is in turmoil. Internationally, citizens have assembled different programs and initiatives that arm ordinary people with information about policy and their elected officials, as well as distinctive ways to reform the electoral system.

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Come for the pizza, stay for the power: why Boston let teenagers set its budget

Sandra Larson

March 31, 2016 |

The Guardian |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Boston’s Youth Lead the Change engages young people in municipal decision-making by putting them in charge of determining how one million dollars is spent every year. Participants learn how city government works, submit project ideas, and vote on which proposals to fund. It’s not a simulation. The money is real.

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Votería: How One Latino Organization Uses Culture to Engage Voters

Maria Esquinca

March 30, 2016 |

Latino Rebels |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, El Paso, Texas

Equal Voice Network looked at low voter turnout rates in El Paso and decided that just registering voters wasn’t enough. The coalition developed a creative way to increase education and engagement in local issues: a game. Votería is a play off of Lotería, a traditional Mexican pastime similar to bingo, with updated images and text explaining key current issues and political figures.

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Why Philadelphia Should Lower the Voting Age to 16

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

March 22, 2016 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Takoma Park, Maryland

In Takoma Park, Maryland, the voting age for local elections is 16. Lowering the age has increased turnout among youth—and studies show that the sooner people start to vote, the more likely they are to be lifetime voters.

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Smart African Politics: Candidates Debating Under a Tree

Tina Rosenberg

November 10, 2015 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Sierra Leone

Voters tend to know a lot about presidential and local candidates but little about those in between. In Sierra Leone, an organization hosted, filmed, and then projected the debates in villages, increasing voters’ knowledge of the candidates and issues, and changing the way people voted.

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Students get piece of the action after seeking a say in budget

John Fensterwald

May 05, 2015 |

EdSource |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Jose, California

In response to youth calling for greater say in how California schools spend money, Overfelt High School allowed students to decide how to spend $50,000 of the school’s discretionary funding. Principal Vito Chiala reflected that the step was both nerve-racking and rewarding. “You have to trust the community to set priorities,” Chiala said. “The projects showed wisdom.”

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How Would Students Spend the Principal's Money?

Matt Cohen Daniel Schugurensky

March 11, 2015 |

Zócalo Public Square |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

When Bioscience High School put students in charge of a portion of its discretionary budget, nearly the entire student body participated in deciding how to spend the money. The experiment in participatory democracy unfolded so well that the school principal agreed to fund all three of the most popular project proposals, even though the sum slightly exceeded the originally allotted budget.

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How to Topple a Dictator (Peacefully)

Tina Rosenberg

February 13, 2015 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Serbia, Belgrade

The Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies provides a "blueprint" for peaceful and democratic revolution, busting myths about the process of nonviolent revolt and helping dissidents in countries around the world to accomplish political goals, such as fighting corruption or protecting the environment.

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It Takes a Village

Kirsi Jansa

February 11, 2015 |

Sustainability Pioneers |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, Balcombe

Two towns are fighting back against fossil fuel companies. From fossil free energy fairs in Pennsylvania to a solar energy co-op in the UK, citizens are relying on the idea of community power to unite in favor of renewable energy. In the UK, the creative financing structure of the co-operative REPOWERBalcombe will generate both financial and environmental returns.

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