AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project

Election Reform Newsletter, Issue #54

Election Reform Newsletter

June 18, 2008

On Topic: Election 2008

Observations on Ohio

As the presidential general election campaign gets into full swing, attention has already turned to key swing states where the contest is likely to be very close. One such state--Ohio--also has a history of election administration challenges; Daniel Tokaji analyzes whether it will be ready for November, while a new report from the Secretary of State looks back at its March primary.
Read more »


»	OPINION/ANALYSIS: "Are We Condemned to Repeat It?," Daniel Tokaji, Election Law @ Moritz (June 2008)

»	REPORT: "March 4, 2008 Primary Election: Report from the Secretary of State to the Governor, General Assembly, and the Citizens of the State of Ohio" (PDF), Jennifer Brunner, Office of the Ohio Secretary of State (June 2008)


Security Through Standardization

Restoring public confidence in the electoral system remains an overarching objective of election reform efforts nationwide, and various researchers have proposed different, specific policy options for reaching this objective. In a new report, R. Michael Alvarez and Thad Hall explore how thorough and standardized chain of custody procedures can help avert election fraud and make recommendations regarding best practices for their implementation. Read more »


Studying Same Day Registration

Nearly a year ago, in July 2007, North Carolina became the ninth state to adopt same-day registration, a convenience reform aimed at making it easier for individuals to vote. A new report from Demos closely examines why the legislation was successful, identifying three key factors: new political leadership in the General Assembly, the support of influential election officials, and a cohesive and strong coalition of advocates and organizers. Read more »

New Resources

VOTING INTEGRITY


The Constitutionality of Requiring Photo Identification for Voting: An Analysis of Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (PDF) L. Paige Whitaker Congressional Research Service (May 2008)

The ID Divide: Addressing the Challenges of Identification and Authentication in American Society (PDF) Peter P. Swire and Cassandra Q. Butts Center for American Progress (June 2008)

ELECTION ADMINISTRATION


Election Protection 2008 Primary Report: Looking Ahead to November (PDF) National Campaign for Fair Elections and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (May 2008)


TECHNOLOGY ISSUES


A Review of Proposed Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (PDF) AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project VVSG Task Force (May 2008)

Assessing the Impact of Voting Technologies on Multi-Party Electoral Outcomes: The Case of Buenos Aires' 2005 Congressional Election (PDF) Gabriel Katz (Caltech), R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech), Ernesto Calvo (University of Houston), Marcelo Escolar (Universidad de Buenos Aires), and Julia Pomares (London School of Economics) Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project (April 2008)

MORE ON ELECTION REFORM

» Voter Registration
» Voter Access
» Early and Absentee Voting
» Provisional Balloting
» Technology Issues
» Election Administration
» Voting Integrity
» More Resources

Events

Public Meeting
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
June 19, 2008
Washington, DC

» 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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Convictions and Doubts: Retribution, Representation, and the Debate Over Felon Disenfranchisement (PDF) | 2004

Pamela S. Karlan, Stanford Law School

Karlan examines the causes and consequences of the apparent turn of public opinion against felon disenfranchisement laws and its implications for future litigation

2007 Voter ID Legislation | APRIL 2007

electionline.org

This resource provides an overview of various pieces of legislation regarding voter identification that are pending at the state level.

The Perverse Consequences of Electoral Reform in the United States (PDF) | JULY 2005

Adam J. Berinsky (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), American Politics Research

Berinsky concludes, contrary to popular opinion, that electoral reforms that ease restrictions on casting ballots in fact increase socioeconomic biases in the composition of the voting public. He advocates shifting the focus of electoral reform from institutional changes to political engagement

The Street-Level Bureaucrats of Elections: Selection Methods for Local Election Officials (PDF) | NOVEMBER 2006

David C. Kimball (University of Missouri-St. Louis) and Martha Kropf (University of North Carolina-Charlotte), Review of Policy Research

Kimball and Kropf provide data on the party affiliation and selection methods for the over 4500 local election officials in the United States and discuss the considerable variation in selection procedures among jurisdictions.

Florida’s Transition from Touch Screens to Op-Scan Paper Ballots for Early Voting: A Snapshot in Two Counties (PDF) | SEPTEMBER 2008

Conny McCormack

Written by the former Los Angeles County clerk, this report summarizes the challenges that Florida is facing this fall as local jurisdictions are complying with a new state law requiring the use of optical scan ballots for early voting.

More Resources »

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.

Electionline.org

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.

More Research Projects »