In 2012, I became a poll worker in New York City. “This is a shitshow,” I thought.

The day started before 5am and ended at 10pm, and we were always one jammed ballot scanner away from a total meltdown. But somehow it worked, and I loved it.

Since then, I’ve worked two more presidential elections, a handful of primaries, and the first day of early voting in the city, which really almost flew off the rails.

Through the process, I’ve realized two things:

One, not every problem is because of fraud or voter suppression. Election admins are almost always doing their best with no resources. Two, there’s almost never good news when it comes to voting.

So, I created Spenser’s Super Tuesday, a weekly newsletter from the POV of what’s going wrong and what’s going right. No jargon, no ads, and never more than a six-minute read.

 
Ready to serve the voters. (Ignore the wrinkled shirt. It was 4:45am).

Ready to serve the voters. (Ignore the wrinkled shirt. It was 4:45am).

Featured Articles

Writing Archive
Experts agree that internet voting is dangerous. An ex-Uber millionaire is pushing it anyway.
The Intercept
Experts agree that internet voting is dangerous. An ex-Uber millionaire is pushing it anyway.
The Intercept

Bradley Tusk’s Mobile Voting has already conducted 21 online voting pilots in seven states, but the technology for doing it securely doesn’t exist. Read more at the Intercept.

The Intercept
A Scientist’s Quest for an Accessible, Unhackable Voting Machine
Undark
A Scientist’s Quest for an Accessible, Unhackable Voting Machine
Undark

After 19 years of work, Juan Gilbert says he has invented the most secure voting machine. Will anyone prove him wrong? Read more at Undark.

Undark
American Democracy Isn’t Ready for This
The Atlantic
American Democracy Isn’t Ready for This
The Atlantic

In Australia, the scandal has more or less blown over. Should something similar happen here, it would most likely ignite an endless legal battle and erode what little confidence is left in our democracy. Read more at The Atlantic.

The Atlantic
How an ‘Ethical’ Hacker Convention Is Fueling Trump’s Big Lie
Vice
How an ‘Ethical’ Hacker Convention Is Fueling Trump’s Big Lie
Vice

A few days a year, hacking enthusiasts at DEFCON race to see if they can prove voting machines are not secure. The event inadvertently provides fodder for disinformation. Read more at VICE.

Vice
In California Cities, a New Frontier for Public Financing of Elections
Bolts
In California Cities, a New Frontier for Public Financing of Elections
Bolts

Oakland voters will decide whether to start a “democracy voucher” program for residents to donate to candidates of their choosing, following in Seattle’s footsteps. Read more at Bolts.

Bolts
The Three Men Enabling Trump's Voter Fraud Lies
The Guardian
The Three Men Enabling Trump's Voter Fraud Lies
The Guardian

The hysteria over voter fraud has reached an alarming pitch – and this dangerous moment in US democracy wouldn’t be possible without the work of these men. Read more at The Guardian.

The Guardian
The Way to Prevent a Recount Disaster Is Sitting Right in Front of Us
Vice
The Way to Prevent a Recount Disaster Is Sitting Right in Front of Us
Vice

November 3, 2020 is almost guaranteed to result in election recounts. Meet our possible savior: the risk-limiting audit. Read more at VICE.

Vice
The Underpaid, Underappreciated, Absolutely Necessary Poll Worker
Voting Rights, The New York Times
The Underpaid, Underappreciated, Absolutely Necessary Poll Worker
Voting Rights, The New York Times

As the midterms approach amid reports of voter suppression and foreign interference, it’s easy to lose sight of the humble poll worker who is at the mechanical level of the city’s electoral process. Read more at The New York Times.

Voting Rights, The New York Times

 Other Work

Writing Archive
It's Time to Buckle Up for a Bumpy Election
It's Time to Buckle Up for a Bumpy Election

There's a lot more that could go wrong than just whether your candidate wins or loses. Read more at Esquire.

The US state that fought back after Republicans tried to rig its elections
The US state that fought back after Republicans tried to rig its elections

Despite a flurry of legal action and very public disputes between members, Michigan has produced some of the fairest voting maps in the US. Read more at The Guardian.

New Right-Wing Conspiracies Threaten to Further Starve Local Election Systems
New Right-Wing Conspiracies Threaten to Further Starve Local Election Systems

Conservatives are sowing fears about outside funding of elections, cutting out nonprofits that help prop up poorly-funded voting systems and limiting voter outreach. Read more at Bolts.

Conspiracies Swirl in Idaho Primary for Chief Election Official
Conspiracies Swirl in Idaho Primary for Chief Election Official

Tuesday’s election to become Idaho’s secretary of state is the nation’s latest test of the sway of the Big Lie in a Republican primary. Read more at Bolts.

Voter Information on Judges Is Impossible to Find. Here’s How We Change That
Voter Information on Judges Is Impossible to Find. Here’s How We Change That

It can be nearly impossible for voters to make informed decisions on increasingly important judicial races. But that’s (slowly) starting to shift. Read more at VICE.

US spends millions of taxpayer dollars on ineffective voting restrictions
US spends millions of taxpayer dollars on ineffective voting restrictions

The Guardian has found that millions have been spent to implement and defend laws widely regarded to be discriminatory. Read more at The Guardian.

It's Already Hard to Vote in Georgia — And Even Harder If You Speak Only Spanish
It's Already Hard to Vote in Georgia — And Even Harder If You Speak Only Spanish

It’s against the law to assist a voter outside of the booth, the officer reminded them, so Velazquez stopped translating. “I didn’t want to do anything to risk this man’s opportunity to vote,” he said. “If I kept talking, I was thinking that maybe they’ll kick us out of line.” Read more at The Intercept.

How Claims of Voter Fraud Were Supercharged by Bad Science
How Claims of Voter Fraud Were Supercharged by Bad Science

Messy data and misrepresentations are rife in voting studies. Here’s how those mistakes have helped drive one of the most damaging conspiracy theories in politics. Read more at MIT Tech Review.

Abolishing the Electoral College May Not Save Us
Abolishing the Electoral College May Not Save Us

Progressives want the popular vote to be the only vote that matters. But if their dream comes true, will they get what they hope for? Read more at VICE.

Is Britney Spears Allowed to Vote?
Is Britney Spears Allowed to Vote?

It’s possible the pop star has joined the thousands of Americans who are disenfranchised each year due to ‘incompetence’ laws. Read more at The Guardian.