Election Reform Newsletter, Issue #55
Election Reform Newsletter
AEI | The Brookings Institution.
July 2, 2008
Election Reform Newsletter.
On Topic.New Resources.Events. Forward to a Colleague.
On Topic: Election Administration
When Americans go to the polls on Election Day, nearly two million poll workers greet them, representing one of the most important components for making sure an election runs smoothly. A report from the University of Utah explores how the quality of these poll workers can affect voter satisfaction, while a new analysis from the Election Reform Project looks at young people as a potential source of new volunteers on Election Day.
Read more »
»  REPORT: "The Human Dimension of Elections: How Poll Workers Shape Public Confidence in Elections" (PDF),Thad Hall (Utah), J. Quin Monson (BYU), and Kelly Patterson (BYU), Institute of Public and International Affairs, University of Utah (April 2008)
»  OPINION/ANALYSIS: "Viewpoint: Redefining What It Means to Be a Poll Worker," Matthew Corritore, AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project (July 2008)
 
 
 
 
Quips about voting machine accuracy and security frequently appear in the headlines, but the criticism usually comes from election officials, advocates, or members of the public. In a new report, the Election Technology Council presents a different perspective—that of the voting system industry—and makes recommendations for incorporating industry representatives into the regulatory process.
Read more »
 
 
 
Across the Midwest, local officials in all fields are dealing with the aftermath of record flooding. Election administrators are no exception; in Johnson County, Indiana, for example, voting machines in storage ended up under six feet of water. In a new piece, Nathan Cemenska of Election Law @ Moritz explores whether states are prepared for similar emergencies and lays out a series of questions to be considered when planning for a variety of disasters.
Read more »
 

New Resources
VOTER REGISTRATION
How Same Day Registration Became Law in North Carolina (PDF)
Steven Carbó and Joyce Kirschner
Dēmos (June 2008)
Draft: Universal Voter Registration: Policy Summary (PDF)
Renee Paradis and Wendy Weiser
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law (June 2008)
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
Are We Condemned to Repeat It?
Daniel Tokaji
Election Law @ Moritz (June 2008)
ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
Building Secure and Transparent Elections Through Standard Operating Procedures (PDF)
R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech) and Thad Hall (University of Utah)
Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project (June 2008)
March 4, 2008 Primary Election: Report from the Secretary of State (PDF)
Jennifer Brunner
Office of the Ohio Secretary of State (June 2008)
MORE ON ELECTION REFORM
 
Events
 
 
About The Election
Reform Project
The AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project aims to synthesize election-related research, link the research and policy communities, track and assist the implemen-
tation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and encourage improvements in HAVA and in election conduct and administration.
 
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Featured Resources
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.
The Florida Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of Sarasota County’s charter election law amendments, finding that state law does not bar individual counties from creating their own election laws.
The Research Database on the U.S. Voting System and Voting Technology provides access to empirical and analytical research about voting and elections to inform evidence-based reforms.
Under the Voting Rights Act, any state-level change to voter registration rules must be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. Georgia’s proposed VoteSafe program, designed to keep private the addresses of victims of domestic violence, was approved by the Department of Justice.
A two-day workshop sought to decide upon a common data format for voting systems. Setting the requirements for a common data format will encourage transparency, interoperability, integration, and eventually assist in the transition to an electronic system of recordkeeping.
Research Projects
FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
The mission of the VoTeR center is to advise state agencies in the use of voting technologies and to investigate voting solutions and voting equipment to develop and recommend safe use procedures for their usage in elections.
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.
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.
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.
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