Participation in the electoral process is the cornerstone of democracy, and according to a recent study led by the University of California, San Diego, increased voter participation could be more accessible than we recently thought. Voter education and "get out the vote" campaigns have struggled to appeal to voters nationwide, and while efforts result in an increase in voter participation, costs of traditional campaigning limit the reach of such campaigns.

Participation in the electoral process is the cornerstone of democracy, and according to a recent study led by the University of California, San Diego, increased voter participation could be more accessible than we recently thought. Voter education and "get out the vote" campaigns have struggled to appeal to voters nationwide, and while efforts result in an increase in voter participation, costs of traditional campaigning limit the reach of such campaigns.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits soared last week in the wake of disappointing job gains in August. The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Agency reported an increase of 15,000 applications to a seasonably adjusted figure of 382,000 for the week ending September 8.

Countries all over the world are releasing official reactions to the U.S. Embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya, which took the lives of four American diplomats, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

On the 11th of September, while we here in the United States were remembering the attacks from 11-years ago, another situation erupted in two different nations half a world away.  Protests began in Egypt and in Libya.  Both had to do with the same thing... a movie made by someone here in the United States, whom we don't know the identity as of yet, depicting the prophet Mohammad which is sacrilegious in the Muslim world.  In Cairo, Egypt, they stormed the US Embassy and took down the American flag.

Australia has recently used an Internet voting system as a means to allow interstate, disabled, and overseas voters to participate in elections. The program is similar to that we are familiar with in absentee voting programs that large percentages of Americans already take advantage of.

In the wake of tragic events overseas that resulted in the deaths of four American diplomats, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, some have used the deplorable acts of violence against American consulates in North Africa as an opportunity to score political points. These partisan swipes have distracted from where the focus should be.