From Mother Jones

By Andy Kroll

Jeremy Bird guided Barack Obama to victory in Ohio in 2008, a year, Bird recalls, when "we didn't see lines and barriers and obstacles" to the ballot box that had so badly marred Ohio's previous presidential election. But as Obama's national field director in 2012, Bird watched Ohio with dismay. 

From The New York Times

By Trip Gabriel

TOPEKA, Kan. — In almost any other year, it would be hard to get much attention inside Kansas, let along nationwide, in the race for Kansas secretary of state, by tradition a no-drama job that administers elections, handles business paperwork and publishes directories on government services.

From Radio Iowa

By O. Kay Henderson

A group supporting Democrats running for secretary of state in Iowa and three other battleground states staged a “town hall meeting” in Des Moines today featuring the Democratic Secretaries of State from Missouri and Minnesota as well as the Democrat seeking the same office in Iowa.

From The Des Moines Register

By Jason Noble

Democrat Brad Anderson on Tuesday pledged to administer Iowa's elections as a nonpartisan if he's elected next month as Secretary of State.

From Ralston Reports

By Jon Ralston

Veteran Nevada reporter Jon Ralston blogs about iVote's work in that state and their work with Democratic Secretary of State candidate Kate Marshall. 

Part of the "Power Brokers" series, Bloomberg's Phil Mattingly takes looks at how Democrats have quietly started pouring cash into secretary of state races in swing states -- all to get ready for 2016. 

From Bloomberg

By Phil Mattingly

The refrain from Ohio State Senator Nina Turner’s campaign manager was familiar — one that all candidates embrace, if warily, over the course of a race.

From The Washington Post

By Jamie Fuller

Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the main muse of the Civil Rights Summit taking place at the LBJ Presidential Library this week, legislation passed the following year, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, has brought forth many words from the Obama administration this week, many of which can be linked neatly to the 2014 midterms and where the Democratic Party sees itself in the future.

From MSNBC

By Zachary Roth

In a new online video, Vice President Joe Biden blasts ongoing Republican efforts to make voting more difficult, and urges supporters to join the growing effort to push back. It’s the latest sign that Democrats aim to use the issue to energize their core voters this fall.

From the New York Times

By Steven Yaccino and Lizette Alvarez

CINCINNATI — Pivotal swing states under Republican control are embracing significant new electoral restrictions on registering and voting that go beyond the voter identification requirements that have caused fierce partisan brawls.