Author
Matt Vasilogambros
Matt Vasilogambros covers voting rights, gun laws and Western climate policy for Stateline. He lives in San Diego, California.
Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal
By: Matt Vasilogambros - May 8, 2024
Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard “election integrity,” even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud. Ahead of November’s presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. […]
Deep red Utah wants to keep voting by mail
By: Matt Vasilogambros - March 17, 2024
When it comes to voting by mail, Utah is not your typical deep red state. In 2020, when many states scrambled to implement mail-in voting so voters had a safe way to cast a ballot during the pandemic, Utah already had a system. Republican conspiracy theories questioning the integrity of voting by mail in the tumultuous aftermath of the […]
Feds’ cash stream supports Colorado River conservation — but the money will dry up
By: Matt Vasilogambros - September 22, 2023
Despite a megadrought, states in the West have been able to avoid drastic cuts to their allocations of Colorado River water this year not only because of surprising storms but also thanks to generous financial incentives from all levels of government that have encouraged people to conserve. The temporary Colorado River water-sharing agreement that Arizona, […]
As ranked choice voting gains momentum, parties in power push back
By: Matt Vasilogambros - August 22, 2023
Over the past decade, ranked choice voting has become increasingly popular. From conservative Utah to liberal New York City, 13 million American voters in 51 jurisdictions — including all of Alaska and Maine — now use the system, under which voters rank candidates based on preference, leading to an instant runoff in a crowded race. This year, […]