AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project

Thank you for following the work of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project. We’ll continue looking at the issues of election reform at AEI and Brookings. For new work on congressional redistricting, please visit www.redistrictingproject.org.

2008 Election Surveys

The legal battle over the Coleman/Franken Senate race in Minnesota has brought a range of issues about post-election canvass procedures—including what constitutes a vote, what rules govern the counting of absentee ballots, and who is responsible for conducting a recount—into the national spotlight. Laws governing these processes vary from state-to-state, but new comprehensive databases from the National Association of Secretaries of State can aid voters and election officials alike in determining what rules apply in their jurisdiction.

Explore the databases here.

Uncounted Ballots: A Measure of Vulnerability | NOVEMBER 2009

Edward B. Foley, Election Law @ Moritz

Ned Foley’s post on Election Law @ Moritz delves into the issue of uncounted ballots. This category includes absentee ballots either wrongly rejected or arriving late (usually from overseas) and provisional ballots that haven’t yet been evaluated.

Improving State Voter Registration Databases (PDF) | OCTOBER 2009

Committee on State Voter Registration Databases, National Research Council

Maintaining accurate registered voter rolls requires coordination and energy both to add first-time registrants to the database and maintain accurate registration information for existing voters. This report provides recommendations to improve the accuracy of voter registration databases.

2008 Election Data Collection Grant Program Evaluation Report (PDF) | JUNE 2009

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

This report provides the results from an evaluation of five projects to improve election data collection in 2008. Overall, the grantees increased their level of core data collection, improving to 80 percent of the core data from less than half in 2006.

KSTP-TV, KSTC-TV, WDIO-TV, KAAL-TV & KSAX-TV v. Ramsey County (PDF) | DECEMBER 2009

State of Minnesota District Court, County of Ramsey

Although the Senate recount in Minnesota resulted in a winner, questions still remained regarding the classification of unopened, rejected absentee ballots. A district court concluded that these ballots are public data and that the plaintiffs, state television news organizations, may view them.

The Effects of Election Day Vote Centers on Voter Experiences (PDF) | APRIL 2009

Robert Stein (Rice University) and Greg Vonnahme (University of Alabama)

This study explores voters’ opinions of vote centers, finding that voters rate them better than traditional polling places and that poll workers are especially important under this alternative model.

More Resources »

Project Vote

Project Vote is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) that works to empower, educate, and mobilize low-income, minority, youth, and other marginalized and under-represented voters.

FairVote

FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.

Dēmos

Dēmos is a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization founded in 2000. A multi-issue national organization, Dēmoscombines research, policy development, and advocacy to influence public debates and catalyze change.

Center for American Politics and Citizenship

University of Maryland

As part of its broader research focus on elections, campaign ethics, campaign finance, and the legislative process, the Center for American Politics and Citizenship at the University of Maryland is engaged in research projects on voting technology and ballot design specifically.

Center for Democracy & Election Management

Center for Democracy & Election Management was established at the School of Public Affairs at American University in 2002. Their broader goal is to pave the way for and strengthen democracy through improved electoral performance.

More Research Projects »

»	Election Administration

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
www.aei.org

The Brookings Institution
www.brookings.edu