2012 elections

July 5, 2012 - A year ago, it looked like the war over voting was a once-sided rout for lawmakers pushing photo ID and other new voting restrictions. But through organizing and litigation, voting rights advocates have forced a draw in key Southern states -- and in some cases, scored big victories.

June 22, 2012 - Real Jobs NC, a political group backed by Republican donor Art Pope that played a key role in North Carolina's 2010 elections, is preparing for 2012.

June 21, 2012 - Five months from Election Day, North Carolina Republican leaders have slashed the battleground state's election budget and forfeited $4 million in funds to improve voting. What havoc will this cause at the ballot box?

June 19, 2012 - Southern states have seen the fastest increase in Latino immigration anywhere in the country. Will Obama's recent immigration decision activate Latino voters in battleground Southern states?

June 12, 2012 - Despite a record of environmental pragmatism as Charlotte mayor, the North Carolina Republican gubernatorial hopeful has embraced a paranoid conspiracy theory that sees sustainable development as an evil United Nations plot to take over the world. Where did this idea come from, and what does it mean for McCrory's political future?

June 7, 2012 - After a federal judge rules Florida's laws on voter registration are too restrictive, groups like the League of Women Voters are back in action. But the state is digging in on a plan to flag and possibly purge thousands of voters, even though the data questioning their citizenship is riddled with errors.

May 31, 2012 - Democrats and election watchdogs say that Florida's aggressive purging of supposed non-citizens from its voter rolls is a nakedly partisan attempt to help Mitt Romney win the presidency. But the bigger problem for Gov. Rick Scott is that it likely violates federal laws.