Most voters across the country have the opportunity to go to the polls twice a year: for a primary and for a general election. Thanks to front-loaded presidential primaries and special contests, however, some jurisdictions are being faced with the challenge of mounting more elections this year. In San Francisco, for example, there will have been five elections between November 2007 and November 2008; a new report highlights various issues that this frequency of contests has raised and makes recommendations for improvement going forward.
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Local jurisdictions nationwide devote significant resources to planning for run-of-the-mill Election Day mishaps, like ballot shortages and machine breakdowns. In the aftermath of events like Hurricane Katrina, however, many administrators have come to realize that contingency plans in the event of natural or manmade disasters are also needed. In May, the House Committee on House Administration conducted a hearing to examine what lessons have been learned at all levels of government in this area, and to discuss what steps should be taken next.
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