As reported previously in the Watcher, Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) has introduced a bill (H.R. 2357) that would allow religious congregations to support or oppose candidates for office without losing their tax exemption or ability to receive deductible contributions, as long as election related efforts do not amount to a substantial portion of their overall activities. Currently, 501(c)(3) charities are banned from participating in partisan electioneering. This would act as a huge loophole to recent campaign finance reforms as well as allow for tax-deductible political contributions.

In the US and elsewhere, an effort is being made to capitalize on improvements in online security and assistive technologies to use online voting to make voting more accessible, increase overall voter participation, and specifically, turnout among younger voters. The question is whether public confidence will support any changes in voting procedures before technology can be seen as a means to improving voter turnout.

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