A proposal for D.C. bars to stay open for an extra hour on weekdays and weekends was voted down by a D.C. Council committee this afternoon, though extended hours for liquor stores were approved. more ›

If all goes to plan, Maryland residents could well have quite the November ballot in front of them. A number of controversial measures in the Old Line State are either on the ballot or making their way there, including illegal immigration, same-sex marriage and gambling. more ›

With the At-Large race for the D.C. Council still unsettled, how will the counting of thousands of absentee, provisional, special, and curbside ballots go? more ›

Was Peter Shapiro a spoiler for a possible Sekou Biddle defeat of Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) in yesterday's D.C. primary? Biddle supporters say yes, while Shapiro adamantly says no. more ›

There's four more hours of voting to go in the D.C. primary, and turnout has been low so far. You've still got time to make your voice heard! more ›

Today is the long-awaited D.C. primary, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you have any stories to share from your voting experience—good or bad—we'd love to hear them! more ›

There's a good chance you had no idea that there was a primary in D.C. tomorrow. Well, there is. Here's some of the information you need to successfully cast a ballot. more ›

A day after Gov. Bob McDonnell and Virginia Republicans amended a controversial ultrasound bill by removing a requirement for an invasive probe for women seeking an abortion, the Virginia Senate prepares to vote on legislation that would define life as starting at conception. more ›

The nation's voter rolls are a total mess. That's why you should check to see if your D.C. voter registration is right and valid. more ›

Legislators in Virginia moved forward yesterday on two bills placing additional restrictions on abortions in the commonwealth, including one that would define life as beginning at conception. more ›

The District is a step closer to being able to more flexibly schedule it's own elections, but it's still a mighty big step. more ›

If you missed it yesterday, we opened up voting in a little contest to help design a DCist t-shirt and choose a charity that will benefit from the sales. more ›

DCist t-shirts at last, with profits going to charity! The logo appears on the front, with optional slogan or graphic on the back. Vote for your favorite slogans and charity now. more ›

It's about that time again -- starting today, candidates for the April 3, 2012 D.C. primary election will be out gathering signatures to get themselves on the ballot. more ›

As we noted on Tuesday, regardless of whether the government shuts down, the District will continue its preparations for its April 26 city-wide special election. As part of those preparations, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced today that it will be extend hours for in-person absentee voting until 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturday, beginning on Monday, April 11. more ›

If you're registered to vote in the District, but you've moved or changed political affiliations since the last time you went to the polls and are planning on voting in the April 26 special election, you'll want to check out the Board of Election and Ethics website today -- it's the last day for D.C. voters to update their records via mail before the citywide election. more ›

When Mayor-elect Vince Gray sits down with President Barack Obama for lunch this Wednesday, D.C. voting rights will surely be on the agenda. But even if Gray complains about Obama's inattentiveness to the issue, there's not really much that the President can do at this point to help the city in its quest to be something other than a modern-day federal colony. more ›

During the debate that preceded yesterday's same-sex marriage vote, few D.C. Council members had to worry about the political implications of their decision. But one undeniably did, and voted for the legislation anyway -- Ward 5's Harry "Tommy" Thomas, Jr. (D). more ›

No big surprises in the first D.C. Council vote on legalizing same-sex marriage: the Council today voted 11-2 to approve the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009," with Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) the only dissenters. more ›

Yesterday we reported that after an acrimonious debate, on Monday the Ward 5 Democrats voted 87-51 against endorsing any plans to legalize same-sex marriage in the District. The vote followed in the wake of the Ward 8 Democrats weekend vote in favor same-sex marriage. Yesterday, the Ward 6 Democrats chimed in, overwhelmingly siding with marriage equality in a 73-3 vote. Charles Allen, president of the Ward 6 Democrats and Chief of Staff to Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), said in a press release, “Equal and full civil rights are core principles of the Democratic Party and that was affirmed again tonight by the Ward 6 Democrats." The Democratic committees of Ward 2 and Ward 4 have also voted to support marriage equality. more ›

The U.S. Senate is set to debate legislation granting the District of Columbia a voting seat in the House of Representatives on Monday, with a vote predicted for Tuesday. That would pave the way for an expected vote to endorse the legislation in the House and, at long last, something approaching voting rights for District residents. Of course, opponents of the legislation have threatened a quick legal challenge, but interestingly, The Hill reported yesterday that it doesn't seem like anyone is stepping up to the plate. Lawsuits don't file themselves, and though there are many an opponent to the measure, neither think tanks nor advocacy groups seem to be too excited to pony up the expected $750,000 to $1 million for the legal bills. Even some of the legislation's most ardent foes on the Hill seem to want to find someone else to do the heavy lifting on this one. Supporters of the legislation, on the other hand, have already started crafting a defense. Recession -- the best thing to happen to D.C. voting rights in a generation? Maybe. more ›

No doubt most of you recently got your polling information in the mail along with your voter guide. Just in case, here is your one-stop linkage to everything you need to know about where and when to be on election day tomorrow. more ›

Dr. No has struck again. more ›