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Bringing Elections into the 21st Century: Voter Registration Modernization (PDF)
This issue brief summarizes the case in favor of modernization of voter registration procedures. It notes that more than two million voters were unable to vote in the 2008 election as a direct result of issues with registration. By modernizing voter registration, especially by utilizing existing data sources to fill state registration lists, not only will more eligible citizens be able to cast ballots, but also a modernized system will be more cost-effective.

Read the report here.
Featured Resources
A Right to Vote: Modernizing Voter Registration | OCTOBER 2009
Tova Andrea Wang, Demos
Tova Andrea Wang makes the case for modernizing voter registration practices in the states, in the context of the upcoming gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Both states have large percentages of recently naturalized and first generation Americans.
Discount Voting: Voter Registration Reforms and their Effects | AUGUST 2009
Michael Hanmer, University of Maryland, College Park/i>
In this new book, Michael Hanmer argues that to understand how these institutional arrangements affect outcomes, it is necessary to consider the interactions between social and political context and these laws.
I will Register, if You Teach Me How: Results from Voter Registration Field Experiments on College Campuses (PDF) | APRIL 2009
Elizabeth A. Bennion (Indiana University-South Bend) & David W. Nickerson (University of Notre Dame)
Studies on college campuses demonstrate that face-to-face interactions, rather than direct mail or e-mail contact prove to be the more effective method of registration for voters, especially those who are most likely not to vote.
Ohio Senate Bill 8 | DECEMBER 2009
Ohio State Senate
The Ohio State Senate approved legislation to reform various aspects of the elections process. Among the measures are enhancements to early voting rules, adoption of a matching system between voter registration files and driver’s license data, and compliance with the recently passed MOVE Act.
Declining Public Assistance Voter Registration and Welfare Reform: A Response (PDF) | OCTOBER 2009
R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech) & Jonathan Nagler (NYU), Demos
Alvarez and Nagler critique an analysis of data on voter registration at public assistance agencies. This research finds that results attributing the decline of voter registration to PRWORA are overstated.
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Research Projects
FairVote
FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
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.
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.
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 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.
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