Case Study: Election Observation Dispatches from the Polls (PDF)
Though researchers have long been interested in the execution of policies and procedures on Election Day, only more recently have they stepped up their efforts to catalogue what actually happens in individual polling places through direct election observation. A new report from electionline.org examines the observation activities of these researchers, as well as journalists, bloggers, advocates, and partisans.
To read the report, go here (PDF).
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Douglas Spencer (University of California, Berkeley) and Zachary S. Markovits (Pew Center on the States)
Through an Election Day field study, the authors examine the commonality of lines at polling stations. They find inefficiencies in all three steps of casting a ballot, which they define as voter arrivals, voter is served by poll workers, and voter interaction with voting machine.
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Jessica Leval, AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project
In this piece, the Election Reform Project's Jessica Leval reviews Heather Gerken's book, The Democracy Index, which details a proposal for creating a ranking system for state and local governments based on the performance of their elections.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
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NYU School of Law
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice.
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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.
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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.
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The Pew Center on the States
electionline.org provides daily news updates on election reform issues, as well as deeper analysis of selected topics, including recent reports on voter registration, recount procedures, and the progress in implementing the Help America Vote Act since 2002.
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