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Paxton makes his final pitch in the Texas Senate race against Cornyn, buoyed by Trump's endorsement
Republican Ken Paxton is riding high as the Texas attorney general heads into the final days of the U.S. Senate primary runoff against incumbent John Cornyn, now with the weight of President Donald Trump's backing.
In Democratic runoff, Reps. Al Green and Christian Menefee clash over influence of big money in politics
The clash embodies the tension for Democrats who rely on large fundraising hauls to remain competitive, even as they denounce the outsized political influence of corporate cash.
Call to imprison ‘American Zionists’ and shadowy spending roil Texas runoff
Incendiary comments by Maureen Galindo, a Democratic House candidate in Texas, prompted condemnation from Democrats, who accused the GOP of propping her up.
Home discomforts - will being hosts on Sunday hinder Spurs?
Roberto de Zerbi's Tottenham need to get at least a point against Everton if they are to see off West Ham - assuming Nuno Espirito Santo's side do their job and beat Leeds at London Stadium. The 12 points Tottenham have picked up at home is the joint-fewest in the division, alongside already-relegated Burnley.
Wake County Public Health urges safe food practices ahead of summer cookouts and gatherings
As Memorial Day Weekend approaches and families across Wake County fire up the grill for the unofficial start of summer, Wake County Public Health is reminding residents to take steps to prevent foodborne illnesses, especially cyclosporiasis which tends to rise during the warmest months of the year.
Congressman Chip Roy on his run to Texas AG
Watch Chip Roy explain his Texas attorney general runoff campaign against Mayes Middleton and what the winner could face in November.
Scientists discover hidden weakness shared by hundreds of cancer mutations
Scientists have unveiled a powerful new tool called PerturbFate that could change how researchers tackle diseases driven by huge numbers of genetic mutations, including cancer and Alzheimer’s. Instead of trying to target every faulty gene individually, the system tracks how different mutations reshape cells over time and identifies the hidden “control hubs” where those pathways converge.
BBC Sport weekly quiz: Who scored for Bruno Fernandes' record-equalling assist?
How much attention have you paid to what's happened in the world of sport over the past seven days?
Runoff surprises and shockwaves: What Tuesday’s results may reveal about Georgia’s political mood
According to the Georgia Secretary of State's website, with a nearly 28% turnout of active voters, more than two million people cast a ballot in the May 19 Georgia primary election. A panel of political analysts discussed what the results and voter turnout will mean for the November midterm election.
Alabama Rep. Barry Moore, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson advance to GOP runoff in Senate race
Moore, boosted by the Trump endorsement, led the GOP primary voting Tuesday night for the seat being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
Common asthma drug helps fight hard-to-treat cancers, including aggressive breast cancers, early study finds
Scientists found that blocking a protein best known for its role in asthma enhances cancer immunotherapy in preclinical models.
Cornyn-Paxton Runoff Lures Lobbyist Money, Business Endorsements
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is missing support from President Donald Trump, but he has the backing of some of the nation’s biggest lobbying groups in his runoff against Ken Paxton.
Republicans Collins, Dooley Advance to Primary Runoff in Hopes of Facing US Senator Ossoff in November
By David Morgan May 19 (Reuters) - A hardline Republican congressman and a former college football coach who has never held elective office advanced to a runoff on Tuesday in Georgia's U.S. Senate Republican primary election, extending a messy intra-party battle to determine who will face ...
Republican Primary for Georgia Governor Will Go to a Runoff
The state’s lieutenant governor, Burt Jones, will face a billionaire health care executive, Rick Jackson, on June 16 to decide the party’s standard-bearer to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp.
What to watch for tonight in Thomas Massie’s unique district: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Trump wades into the Texas Senate runoff with a last-minute endorsement.
Trump endorses attorney general Ken Paxton in Texas Senate primary
US president calls Paxton an ‘America First Patriot’ and ‘MAGA Warrior’ ahead of runoff against John Cornyn
Trump picks Paxton over Cornyn in Texas’ GOP Senate primary runoff as early voting is underway
The Republican president had repeatedly teased his intention to endorse a candidate in the race, starting soon after Ken Paxton and John Cornyn emerged as the remaining contenders from the first round of primary voting in March.
Trump endorses Ken Paxton in race for Texas U.S. Senate seat
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had both been vying for Trump's endorsement ahead of their runoff May 26.
Georgia primary could be the starting gun for Democratic and Republican runoffs
Georgia voters are set to settle nominees for three high profile races
Why CMOs must become enterprise growth leaders
CMOs must reclaim their role as enterprise growth leaders by connecting marketing to business outcomes, proving impact, and embracing AI and analytics.
Georgia GOP scrambles to pick candidate to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff
Trump has not endorsed a candidate, which could lead to a runoff on June 16.
5 runoff races to watch as early voting kicks off
Early voting for the primary runoff elections is here.
Texas politics has a bigger antisemitism problem than District C
Joe Panzarella’s runoff win came despite a late attack over a CAIR endorsement, but other Texas candidates deserve far more serious scrutiny over antisemitism, writes Opinion Editor Evan Mintz.
Incumbent, predecessor clash in Texas’ 33rd District Democratic runoff
U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Dallas, and former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred are now exchanging critiques as they vie for voter attention.
NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy to Combine, Creating the World’s Largest Regulated Electric Utility Business and North America’s Premier Energy Infrastructure Platform Benefiting Customers
JUNO BEACH, Fla. & RICHMOND, Va., May 18, 2026--NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE: D) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction.
Bruno Mars show selling fast, but there's still time to buy tickets
Bruno Mars, a 16-time Grammy winner, will play at Ohio Stadium on May 20. A venue rep says tickets are selling "exceptionally well."
Illinois infrastructure investment strengthens economy and workforce
U of I professor Rober Bruno on how public infrastructure spending fuels job creation and long-term growth in Illinois.
Fernandes' pride at PL assist record
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes says he did not think about the Premier League assist record until he reached number 19 against Brentford last month. Fernandes has been on an amazing run of form since Michael Carrick took charge at United in January. The Brentford game, when he set up Benjamin Sesko, was his seventh assist in as many matches and left him one short of the season record, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
What to Know About Letlow And Fleming in the Louisiana Senate Race
He was defeated in the Republican primary in Louisiana on Saturday. Representative Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming are now in a runoff for the party’s nomination.
Man Utd 3-2 Nottingham Forest: What Fernandes said
On votes for player of the season: "It's a privilege and a pleasure for me, knowing that your job is being recognised by many people, that I was player of the season I am very grateful." Bruno Fernandes has now equalled the record for most assists in a Premier League season (20), levelling Thierry Henry in 2002-03 and Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20.
Trump-backed Letlow advances to Louisiana Senate runoff as Cassidy faces political reckoning
BATON ROUGE, La. — U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow advanced to a runoff in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary Saturday, capitalizing on the power...
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy loses in Republican primary, does not advance to runoff
Sen. Bill Cassidy is one of few remaining Republican senators who voted for President Trump's impeachment after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump endorsed his opponent, Rep. Julia Letlow.
Letlow, Fleming advance to runoff in Louisiana GOP Senate primary, CBS News projects
Incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who had occasionally broken with the Trump administration, did not advance to the runoff, CBS News projected.
Julia Letlow advances to Louisiana Senate GOP runoff, as Sen. Bill Cassidy trails
Cassidy and state Treasurer John Fleming are battling for second place and a spot in the June 27 runoff.
Entertainment: Bruno Mars' hits a historic milestone
I Just Might is now in its 12th consecutive week atop the Billboard Radio Songs Chart.
"Card Party" Pokemon TCG Fan Conventions Announced for 2026...
Since 2021, unofficial Pokemon TCG conventions have been popping up across the U.S. in an effort to capitalize on the hobby's latest boom. Before the
Trump criticizes Sen. Cassidy while pushing challenger in Louisiana GOP primary
If no candidate gets 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff June 27
Trump criticizes Sen. Cassidy while pushing challenger in Louisiana GOP primary
If no candidate gets 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff June 27
Trump criticizes Sen. Cassidy while pushing challenger in Louisiana GOP primary
If no candidate gets 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff June 27
Updates to UNO Nebraska Medicine Health Center Office Visit Coverage
Starting July 1, 2026, the student health fee will include five covered office visits at the Nebraska Medicine UNO Health Center per academic year. After five visits, standard office visit charges will apply.
Race list for May 26 Texas primary runoff
Early voting for the Texas primary runoff runs May 18-22. See the federal, state and county runoffs on ballots in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant.
A political dynasty heiress and a former trade minister advance to Peru’s presidential runoff
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peruvian voters will choose their next president between a political dynasty heiress and a former trade minister who has promised to reform Peru’s mining sector, after advancing on Friday to Peru’s June presidential runoff election.
Colorado legislators pass bill to strengthen sex crime victim protections
A Colorado bill that supporters say would strengthen victim protections and mandate law enforcement training on how trauma can affect survivors of sex crimes and domestic violence is on its way to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for signing. Senate Bill 26-095 recently passed unanimously in the Senate and was mostly unopposed in the House, where […]
Maria Menounos opens up about health issues and "Heal Squad" podcast
The Medford native is holding a sold-out “health reset” event on Cape Cod this weekend.
How Education Leaders Can Overcome Political Divisions (Opinion)
"Bipartisan education policy is not only possible; it is already happening," say several leaders.
2026 KPAX-Scheels Sports Awards: Loyola's Sammy McHugh and Joe Grunow
We roll on introducing you to our finalists for this year's KPAX-Scheels Sports Awards, and next, we meet the finalists from Loyola Sacred Heart High School in Sammy McHugh and Joe Grunow.
Big concerts, fun festivals: 18 Wilmington events for this weekend
It's the last weekend before Memorial Day tourists descend on the Wilmington area and summer (unofficially) begins.
Decades after voter approval, Miami mental health center still not open
It has been more than 20 years since Miami-Dade County voters approved funding for a facility intended to help people living with mental illness. Yet today, the $51 million Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery remains unopened despite being fully constructed and ready for use.
Here are primary runoffs to watch as Texas voters pick congressional nominees for November
Since many of the state’s congressional districts are drawn to favor one political party, Democratic and Republican voters this month can go a long way toward picking their next representatives in the U.S. House.
Business Confidence Sinks in Peru as Radical Candidate Nears Runoff
Peru’s chaotic presidential election is taking a toll on business sentiment as a radical candidate edges closer to a runoff following a prolonged vote count.
Texas GOP primaries show President Donald Trump’s endorsement power
President Donald Trump flexed his endorsement power during the Texas primaries. More tests are ahead for the May runoffs and beyond.
Zelda: Twilight Princess unofficially ported to PC with lots of extra features & quality of life
The long-awaited Dusk, which is an unofficial enhanced port of the acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, has just been released on PC with iOS and Android coming too.
Knicks' OG Anunoby out with hamstring strain for Game 3 vs. 76ers, still considered 'day-to-day'
Knicks' OG Anunoby out with hamstring strain for Game 3 vs. 76ers, still considered 'day-to-day'
OG Anunoby injury: Knicks forward diagnosed with hamstring strain, considered questionable for Game 3, day-to-day
Marco Rubio’s campaign-style video sparks presidential run speculation
Comments with optimistic tone went viral on social media with some framing it as unofficial start of Rubio’s campaign
Knicks win back-and-forth battle with Joel Embiid-less 76ers for 2-0 series lead, lose OG Anunoby late
Betting on Trump's influence? How GA-14 runoff became a testing ground as prediction markets reshape 2026 elections
Prediction markets and political betting platforms are raising new questions about democracy, regulation, and voter behavior ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Ohio Senate race set between Jon Husted, Sherrod Brown after projected primary wins
CBS News projected that former Sen. Sherrod Brown won the Democratic primary, while incumbent Sen. Jon Husted ran unopposed.
Unofficial vibe-coded "Notepad++ for Mac" draws objections from original author
To be clear: Notepad++ has never released a macOS version."
Notepad++ Creator Calls Out 'Fake' Mac App Over Trademark Violation
Notepad++ creator Don Ho said the macOS version of the popular Windows code editor is fake and using the Notepad++ trademark without permission. The unofficial Notepad++ app for macOS In a blog post, Ho said the macOS app is "not authorized, not endorsed, and not affiliated with" the official version of Notepad++ in any way, adding that it is "misleading, inappropriate, and frankly disrespectful to both the project and its users".
St. Jude researcher Hongbo Chi, PhD, elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Learn why the National Academy of Sciences elected St. Jude immunologist Hongbo Chi, PhD, a leader in immunology and immunometabolism, to their membership.
Christian Menefee and Al Green, rivals in TX-18, align on aim of strengthening voting rights
The two congressmen, in a Democratic primary runoff election for the same Houston-based seat, both came out strongly for the need to pass new legislation to counteract the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that crippled enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.
ActBlue sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, alleging political retaliation over Democrats' fundraising
ActBlue sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, alleging he used his office to retaliate against the Democratic fundraising platform ahead of his Senate runoff.
Brentford 3-0 West Ham: What Nuno said
Brentford is a very good team but the way we react and play the first half, hitting the post, having a goal disallowed for a tight margin, it gives us hope at half-time. West Ham have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League away games for the first time since April 2019 under Manuel Pellegrini (3).
The long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic creeps into the race for Ohio governor
Democrat Amy Acton is running unopposed in her party’s primary for Ohio governor, but she’ll face some steep challenges in the November general election
The long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic creeps into the race for Ohio governor
Democrat Amy Acton is running unopposed in her party’s primary for Ohio governor, but she'll face some steep challenges in the November general election.
The long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic creeps into the race for Ohio governor
Democrat Amy Acton is running unopposed in her party’s primary for Ohio governor, but she'll face some steep challenges in the November general election.
‘It’s a mess.’ Pricey Texas GOP Senate Runoff between Paxton, Cornyn drags on GOP
Knicks eliminate Hawks with a 140-89 Game 6 blowout
OG Anunoby scored 29 points in 27 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns had his second triple-double of the series and the New York Knicks had their biggest playoff victory in franchise history, overwhelming and eliminating the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 on Thursday night. The Knicks broke several NBA records by halftime. Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson were ejected after fighting following a pair of free throws from Anunoby that gave the Knicks a 50-point lead in the second quarter.
'Democrats should not be discounted': Texas attorney general race could signal shift in state politics
The May 26 runoff will decide which Democrat advances in the Texas attorney general race, one drawing attention across the state.
AbbVie raises outlook even as its blockbuster Skyrizi faces new rivals
Much of the company’s out performance stemmed from the immunology business.
Trusted Science Communicators Share their Expertise at IMMUNOLOGY2026™
Attendees of IMMUNOLOGY2026™ learned how to make their science communication more effective, empathetic, and have a greater impact.
UNO OS Launches AI-Driven Operating System to Help Businesses Scale Efficiently, Founded by Siloh Moses
UNO OS founder Siloh Moses introduces a new AI-driven operating system for business efficiency.LAS VEGAS, April 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNO...
Nuno Mendes, Dominik Szoboszlai, Harry Kane and Nico O'Reilly among players showing versatility is football's new superpower as game evolves
Democratic candidates for Texas lieutenant governor talk about their campaigns before the runoff, top issues
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin and labor leader Marcos Velez both spoke recently with Jack Fink.
I asked ChatGPT for unconventional productivity hacks — these are the 3 that actually worked
Adopting unorthodox methods to boost my productivity
Marshall Health Network enrolling patients in lung cancer clinical trial evaluating personalized immunotherapy approach
lungllulungHUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Edwards Cancer Institute at Marshall Health Network (MHN) is enrolling eligible patients in a clinical trial evaluating whether a personalized immunotherapy approach can enhance the effectiveness of treatment following lung cancer surgery. The study is investigating the use of an individualized therapy designed with a tumor’s unique biology from a surgical sample to help the immune system better […]
No. 8 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Ken Hagan
He's the unofficial, and sometimes official, Rays whisperer.
Texas Railroad Commission candidates campaign on contrasting issues
Incumbent Jim Wright has a tough primary runoff battle against former Tarrant County Republican Party Chair Bo French.
Mariners P Logan Gilbert accidentally catches line drive in his jersey but doesn't get the out
The MLB rulebook addresses this exact situation.
Sam Altman’s Orb Company Promoted a Bruno Mars Partnership That Doesn't Exist
“To be clear, we were never approached … nor were we in any discussions regarding a partnership or tour access,” a spokesperson for the artist tells WIRED.
Medical school launches first data science-focused center on immunology
The new center is the first in the Jeffrey Modell Foundation's international network focused specifically on informatics and data science. Its designation signals a shift in how researchers approach immunology, using large-scale data to better understand immune disorders and improve patient care.
Gran Turismo 7 April 2026 Update: Renault Twingo, Porsche 964 Turbo S, Yangwang U9
Kazunori Yamauchi has pulled the covers off the three cars coming to Gran Turismo 7 in next week's update, and two of them are not quite what we were expecting. The series creator took to social media to reveal the Renault Twingo, Porsche 964 Turbo S, and Yangwang U9 (yes, U9, not the Xtreme) as the
Victor Wembanyama enters concussion protocol after scary Spurs moment
Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the rest of Game 2 of the Spurs’ opening round series with the Trail Blazers.
Dallas County Republican Party sues over precinct-based voting
The lawsuit is asking that a judge force the county to conduct the May 26 runoff election using precinct-based voting.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
Reported unofficial stats for MSU quarterbacks at 'Spring Showcase'
See the unofficial final stats for the Spartans quarterbacks during Saturday's "Spring Showcase" event
New Debian Project Leader Elected For 2026
Sruthi Chandran has been elected the new Debian Project Leader 'DPL' after running unopposed in this year's elections.
Nebraska Science Festival Expo takes over Durham Museum
The 13th annual expo at the Durham Museum includes appearances from UNO, Creighton, UNMC and more.
Personnel note: EDGE Communications adds comms, field talent
'Robert and Diego each bring a strong skillset and clear commitment to the work.'
Texas hosting two top-10 prospects on Thursday
Monshun Sales and John Meredith are both in Austin for unofficial visits.
Dallas County GOP Chair Allen West resigns amid push for his removal
His resignation comes after he made a controversial decision among his party to return to countywide voting for the May 26 runoff.
Iran war has some Republicans worried their chances of keeping the House are slipping away
The White House had long circled Tax Day as the unofficial start to a critical midterm campaign meant to highlight how much money the administration was putting back in voters’ pockets.
UConn loses Paunovic and Furphy to transfer portal
UConn men’s basketball now has four players in the portal from the end of their bench.