Computers are emerging as a new-age voting machine, and elections may never be the same.
This issue of Uplink profiles computer-assisted efforts, and offers tips for reporters to better cover campaigns. That includes using the Internet as well as using campaign contribution data.
For instance, in Oregon, reporters cajoled U.S. Senate candidates to release computerized contribution data before the Federal Election Commission's deadline. That meant voters knew days before they went into the booth who was paying for each candidate's campaign.
At the Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard, the newspaper used the Internet on election night to give up-to-the-minute tallies for every local race.
We also offer a smorgasbord of web sites for campaign reporting everything from voting records to speeches.