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Is There Racial Discrimination at the Polls? Voters' Experiences in the 2008 Election (PDF)
The Texas legislature was thrown into chaos recently over a proposal to require individuals to show identification when they vote. Though the measure failed, and few states have implemented such laws, a new study finds that many voters—especially African-Americans and Hispanics—are asked to show ID at the polls, have to wait in longer lines, and are more likely to have problems with registration.

Read the report here (PDF).
Featured Resources
Long Lines at Polling Stations? Observations from an Election Day Field Survey (PDF) | APRIL 2009
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.
Interstate Voter Registration Database Matching: The Oregon-Washington 2008 Pilot Project | SEPTEMBER 2009
R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech), Jeff Jonas (IBM), William E. Winkler (Census Bureau) & Rebecca Wright (Rutgers), Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project
Exploring the ways in which technology can be better utilized to improve the accuracy of voter registration databases can provide valuable guidance. Researchers undertook a pilot project to determine the feasibility of using database matching to identify voters in Oregon and Washington.
Eyes on the Vote Count: Non-Partisan Observer Reports of Minnesota's Post-Election Audit and Recount (PDF) | MAY 2009
Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota
This report explores how Minnesota's recount processes were employed in Franken/Coleman election contest, arguing that while the system functioned quite well, reforms can be made.
“Making Voting Work” for Eighteen Year-Olds (PDF) | OCTOBER 2009
David J. Motz (Washington State Elections Division), The Pew Center on the States
A mailing campaign undertaken by the Washington Secretary of State focused on registering eighteen year-olds around the state to vote early. This report discusses the results of that campaign.
Partisan Rivals Unite to Modernize Voter Registration System | AUGUST 2009
Committee to Modernize Voter Registration
The Committee to Modernize Voter Registration, composed of former state and federal lawmakers, state election administrators, election law experts, and academics was recently formed to advocate for an automated, transferable system to replace today's out-of-date and patchwork system.
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Research Projects
Election Law @ Moritz
Election Law @ Moritz, run through Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University, contains both explanation and commentary on a wealth of election reform issues from a legal perspective.
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.
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.
electionline.org
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.
FairVote
FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
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