Princeton University, Columbia University, Georgetown University, Duke University

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s website is a far worse election night companion than John King. Instead of watching the master work his touchboard, I sat in my bedroom on a Tuesday in late March, frantically refreshing the St. Tammany Parish Council election results as Cheryl Tanner scraped together a razor-thin victory. This isn’t a normal response to a parish – or county in other states – election, even for me. My newly-created state PAC (Political Action Committee) operated as Tanner’s largest donor and outside organizer, playing a pivotal role in her victory. Tanner, a local nonprofit…