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    <title>Political Digest — Analysis</title>
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    <description>Longer arguments about why a political outcome occurred, from coalition arithmetic to incumbency effects, grounded in results data rather than commentary.</description>
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      <title>How a Bill Actually Dies in Committee</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Over 18,000 bills were introduced in the 118th Congress; about 3% became law. The committee calendar is where the rest expired.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:56:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
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      <title>How Ballot Curing Saves a Rejected Mail Ballot</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[A missing or mismatched signature does not automatically disqualify a mail ballot. Curing is the fix — and the deadline to use it is measured in hours, not weeks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:48:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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      <title>How Automatic Recount Thresholds Vary From State to State</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Twenty-six states and Washington, D.C. require a recount without a candidate asking for one, but the margin that triggers it, and who pays when it doesn't, differs by statute in every state that has one.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:48:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
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      <title>Why Primaries Keep Moving Earlier: The Frontloading Ratchet</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Why primaries keep moving earlier: frontloading's ratchet, party delegate penalties, the 2024 calendar fight and what it means for 2028.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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      <title>Certification Litigation Has Moved From the Courtroom to the Board Room</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Certification litigation analysis: ministerial-duty rulings, board-room pressure, ECRA's federal lane and what the 2026 certification cycle tests.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Asha Venkataswamy</dc:creator>
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      <title>Midterm History: The President&apos;s Party and the Seats Math</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Midterm elections history analyzed: 18 of 23 seat losses for the president's party, the three exceptions, and why seat sorting changed the math for 2026.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
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      <title>What Small-Dollar Donations Actually Reveal in FEC Data</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[What small-dollar donations show in FEC data — itemization at $200, unitemized receipts, platform bundling — and what they can't prove.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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      <title>Ballot Initiative Signature Thresholds Decide Direct Democracy&apos;s Menu</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Ballot initiative signature requirements analyzed: thresholds, invalidation rates, single-subject fights and why 2026's measures cost millions to qualify.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
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      <title>How to Read a Poll: Margin of Error Is the Smallest Thing That Can Mislead You</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[How to read election polls: margin of error on leads, subgroup traps, likely-voter screens and weighting — a reader's checklist for 2026.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Asha Venkataswamy</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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      <title>What Early Voting Data Can — and Cannot — Tell You</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Early voting data explained: what daily ballot returns actually measure, the three recurring reading errors, and how professionals benchmark it.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
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      <title>The Filibuster Endures Because Both Parties Fear the Alternating Majority</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Senate filibuster analysis: why the 60-vote cloture threshold survives every reform push — carve-outs, the nuclear option and the alternating majority.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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      <title>Independent Redistricting Commissions: What the Maps They Drew Show</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Independent redistricting commissions drew tighter maps after 2020 — analysis of what worked, what got sued, and what 2026 litigation tests.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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      <title>Swing-State Ballot Access Laws Set the Field Before Anyone Votes</title>
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      <description><![CDATA[Ballot access laws in swing states — signature thresholds, filing fees and deadlines — decide which candidates reach the November 2026 ballot.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <dc:creator>Christopher Lee</dc:creator>
      <category>Analysis</category>
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