Why half a percentage point might as well be Lake Michigan: Wisconsin recount
Posted on Quick News David O'brien on April 05, 2019
Why a recount of the seemingly razor-thin margin in Wisconsin state supreme court race is still unlikely to change results
Read moreMaine recount: beware the algorithm
Posted on What's New David O'brien on November 28, 2018
It would take a serious glitch in the Matrix for a recount to change results in Maine's 2nd Congressional District race.
Read moreHistory repeats itself in Florida recounts
Posted on Quick News David O'brien on November 20, 2018
History was right on recounts, which didn't change outcomes in three major Florida races
Read moreThe Florida problem: recounts matter, but usually don’t change results
Posted on What's New David O'brien on November 13, 2018
Three major races in Florida are undergoing recounts, But the winners will likely remain the same, our analysis shows.
Read moreStaff Attorney
Posted on Law and Policy Department David O'brien on September 02, 2018
David O'Brien is a staff attorney at FairVote, where he works on an array of issues including legislation, recounts, legal compliance matters, and contributing to amicus curiae briefs. Before coming to FairVote, he was the senior legal counsel for the Senate of the Republic of Palau. He previously worked as a researcher on The Constitution Project's Task Force on Detainee Treatment and in private practice. O'Brien has a J.D. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a B.A. in Classical and Near Eastern Studies from Creighton University. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland.
For the first time, a court adopts fair representation to remedy a Calif. Voting Rights Act lawsuit
Posted on What's New David O'brien on August 27, 2018
The case could have important implications for the CVRA and its ability to protect voting rights generally.
Read moreReconsidering the presidential recount system
Posted on What's New David O'brien on August 22, 2018
Presidential elections in 2000 and 2016 have exposed the country's recount system as at best, deficient.
Read morePennsylvania and new report show an alternative path to end gerrymandering
Posted on What's New David O'brien on February 21, 2018
As Pennsylvania shows, state-focused reform is possible but it won’t be easy
Read moreRecounts, reversals, and ties in Virginia’s 94th District
Posted on What's New David O'brien on December 21, 2017
A tied election for a seat in Virginia's state House of Delegates will come down to winner's name being pulled from a hat... and it could tip the balance of power in the Commonwealth.
Read moreAtlanta’s recount turned out about how you would expect (given the data)
Posted on Quick News David O'brien on December 18, 2017
After the recount, Mary Norwood had cut Keisha Lance Bottoms’ lead by only 11 votes.
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