Presidential Election News
Coverage of the presidential race, debates, and political strategies. The Daily Signal combines news reporting with conservative commentary.
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- News
California Supreme Court Smacks Down Ballot Initiative to Split State Into 3
The Supreme Court of California struck down a ballot initiative Wednesday to divide the state into three states—California, Northern California, and Southern California. Proposition 9, which qualified for the November ballot with 402,468 signatures on June 12, would have appeared on the ballot in the general election, but will no longer be an issue residents…Jessica Kramer -
- Opinion
Here’s What Wave Elections Have Looked Like Over the Last 100 Years
Will the 2018 elections be a wave against Donald Trump and the Republican Party? It depends upon how you define the word “wave.” In a recent report I co-authored with political scientist Jacob Smith, Ballotpedia found that since 1918, wave elections occurred when the president’s party lost at least 48 House seats, seven Senate seats,…Rob Oldham -
- Opinion
Podcast: The Week in Review, Plus an Introduction to Independent Voter Network
On today’s edition of The Daily Signal podcast, Rob Bluey and Ginny Montalbano interview Lindsay France, business and politics editor at Independent Voter Network. IVN is a nonprofit that delivers news from across the political spectrum, allowing all sides to be heard. We also discuss some top news stories from the week, including President Donald…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Gives States the Green Light to Clean Up Voter Rolls
Can a state take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of its voter rolls by removing people who have left the jurisdiction? On Monday, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court answered “yes,” affirming an Ohio law allowing for the removal of voters who have left the state. The opinion in Husted v. A. Philip…Jason Snead -
- News
Supreme Court Upholds Ohio Voter Purge Law
A five-justice majority of the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Ohio’s voter purge system, finding the process by which the state removes inactive voters from the rolls does not violate federal law. Although critics of Ohio’s practice charge the state’s true purpose is the removal of left-leaning voters from the registry, the high court found the…Kevin Daley -
- Opinion
When It Comes to Protecting Our Elections, States Know What They’re Doing
One of the mainstream media’s favorite tropes for the last 18 months has been Russian hacking of the 2016 election. Ever eager to respond to manufactured crises, Congress is considering several bills that would give the federal government more control over election procedures and place onerous burdens on state and local election officials who have…Tom Spencer -
- Opinion
Voters in Anchorage Can Protect Women’s Privacy in Ballot Initiative
Voters in Anchorage, Alaska, will soon have the opportunity to protect the safety of women and girls in private facilities when they consider the Proposition 1 ballot initiative. The proposition—due by mail on April 3—asks whether residents wish to roll back the city’s “equal access to bathrooms and locker rooms” policy, which allows biological males…Monica Burke -
- Opinion
This Supreme Court Case Could Safeguard the Integrity of Our Elections
During the recent government funding debate, Democrats insisted on a “clean” Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals bill. Clean voter rolls? Not so much. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, a case out of Ohio involving the integrity of elections. More specifically, at issue is Ohio’s practice…Peter Parisi -
- Opinion
Nicaragua’s Sham Elections Highlight the Continued Erosion of Democratic Freedoms
Earlier this month, Nicaragua held local elections for the country’s 153 mayoral seats. The ruling leftist National Liberation Sandinista Front won 135 of the seats, leaving only 18 seats under opposition control. This puts the leftists in control of the presidency, the national assembly, the judiciary, and local-level government offices. While international electoral observers have…Lauren Hand -
- News
The Left Didn’t Always Oppose Election Commissions
The presidentially appointed commission raised serious questions about voter registration issues, such as duplicative names. The panel called on sometimes reluctant states to make reforms to ensure the integrity of elections, including sharing registration information with other states. Those recommendations came in 2014 from the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, whose members were named by…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Hundreds of Illegal Voters Revealed in Philadelphia
According to a Philadelphia elections official, hundreds of individuals who are not U.S. citizens have registered to vote in Philadelphia and nearly half of them voted in past elections. Since 2006, 317 registered voters have contacted the City Commissioners, which oversees Philadelphia elections, asking that their registrations be canceled because they are not citizens. Philly.com…Meagan Devlin -
- Opinion
What to Look for in Germany’s Upcoming Election
On Sunday, one of the most important elections in Europe will take place. The German people go to the polls to elect a new Parliament, and with it, decide whether Angela Merkel will remain chancellor. Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe. It is both the most populous European country and has its…Daniel Kochis -
- Opinion
Ohio Wants to Clean Up Its Voter Rolls. Why Are Democrats So Up in Arms?
When Republicans went to the White House early in Barack Obama’s presidency to negotiate specifics of an economic stimulus bill, Obama reminded them that his policy preferences must prevail because “elections have consequences.” “At the end of the day, I won,” he told them. “So, I think on that one, I trump you.” Of course,…Peter Parisi -
- News
Poll: Most Voters Want Confederate Statues to Remain
A new poll released Thursday shows a majority of U.S. voters want Confederate statues to remain where they are. The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll asked voters if Confederate statues should remain or be removed. Sixty-two percent of the poll’s participants said the statues should remain. Only 27 percent of the participants said the statues should be removed. This…Henry Rodgers -
- Opinion
New Report Exposes Thousands of Illegal Votes in 2016 Election
A new bombshell study released by the Government Accountability Institute shows why President Donald Trump’s Advisory Commission on Election Integrity has such an important job ahead of it. The institute concluded in its report that thousands of votes in the 2016 election were illegal duplicate votes from people who registered and voted in more than…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Recent Elections Speak Loud and Clear: Americans Want Regulatory Relief and Pro-Growth Tax Reform
Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., often decry Republican policy proposals as "unfair" or as catering exclusively to the rich. But this couldn't be further from the truth—and Americans know it. Since President Donald Trump took office, Democrats are 0-for-4 against Republicans in special elections. The American people aren’t…Rep. Ron Estes -
- News
Up to 5.7 Million Noncitizens Voted in Past Presidential Elections, Study Finds
As many as 5.7 million noncitizens voted in the 2008 election and potentially more voted in 2016, according to a new study by Just Facts, a New Jersey-based research group, drawing on information from other studies. The study—based on data compiled from Harvard University’s Cooperative Congressional Election Study, an analysis published in the journal Electoral…Fred Lucas -
- News
For Scotland, Independence, Not Terrorism, Is the Closing Argument to Thursday’s British Election
EDINBURGH, Scotland—The police armed response vehicles patrolling here in Scotland's capital city are practically invisible unless you know what to look for. As part of a nationally heightened terrorism threat level in the wake of three deadly terrorist attacks by Islamist militants in the United Kingdom in as many months, specially trained, armed police personnel…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
We Hear You: ‘Illuminating,’ ‘Thoughtful’ Reporting on France’s Presidential Election
Editor's note: We get a fair amount of passionate comment addressed to or about Nolan Peterson, The Daily Signal's Ukraine-based foreign correspondent. When Peterson traveled to France to cover the final days of the French presidential election campaign, his reporting attracted your attention. Here's a sample at the top of the mailbag.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily…Ken McIntyre -
- News
Uninspired French Voters Choose a ‘Centrist’ President Rather Than a Far-Right One
PARIS—As is the case most Sundays, Rue de Bac in central Paris was quiet this morning. The shops were closed, as were most cafes on this day when self-styled centrist Emmanuel Macron would defeat the far-right candidate, Marine Le Pen, to become France's next president. Except for Le Saint Germain cafe, at the corner of…Nolan Peterson