Debating Voting Issues and Reform

After the 2000 presidential election, many have questioned whether problems with voter registration and voting technology may effectively deny citizens the right to have their voices heard. Check out your knowledge of the election system, and then explore the issues that have been raised in the wake of the 2000 elections.

Take Action! Introduction.
Take a few minutes to think about how much you know about the election system in the United States. When is Election Day? How many Electoral College votes are needed to win the presidency? Where is the first presidential primary traditionally held? Take the State of the Vote Trivia Challenge to test your knowledge.

Article and Activities
How Should U.S. Elections Be Managed? explores how the last presidential election has led to the re-examination of the country's voting processes. You'll learn about the problems with voter registration, which is the single largest contributing factor to low voter turnout. Also examined are the five types of voting technologies used throughout the country, including those that are most—and least—reliable. A sidebar explains why our country's founders adopted the Electoral College and some of the controversy surrounding its existence. (Activities related to this article.)