AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project

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Election Reform Newsletter, Issue #72

Election Reform Newsletter

April 1, 2009

On Topic: Election Administration

Improving Elections: Is an Index the Answer?

Nearly a decade after the 2000 election highlighted the myriad problems with the U.S. election system, reformers still struggle to gain traction for systemic change. On April 7, the Election Reform Project will host a discussion exploring a new book by Heather Gerken of Yale Law School that advocates bringing sustained attention to the need for reform through a “Democracy Index” that ranks state and local governments on the performance of their election systems.
Read more »


»	HEARING/EVENT: "Fixing the U.S. Election System: Is a Democracy Index the Answer?" AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project (April 7, 2009)

»	OPINION/ANALYSIS: "Viewpoint: How Do You Measure Election Reform?" Jessica Leval, AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project (April 2009)


Lessons Learned from 2008

Both the margin of victory and the absence of any major meltdowns kept the 2008 presidential election from going the way of its 2000 counterpart. Despite this relative success, much remains to be learned from the nation’s experience last November, particularly in terms of voter registration issues and the implementation of voter identification laws. The U.S. House Committee on House Administration recently heard testimony from a range of experts and advocates on the lessons to be learned from 2008 and on proposals for reform going forward. Read more »


Easing Registration Through EDR

With states implementing the statewide voter registration databases mandated by the Help America Vote Act and record numbers of new voters choosing to participate in 2008, voter registration issues received significant public and media attention both before and after Election Day. Many reformers have advocated making the registration process easier, and a new report from Demos outlines best practices for one proposal aimed at achieving this goal: Election Day Registration. Read more »

New Resources

ELECTION ADMINISTRATION


2008 Survey of the Performance of American Elections: Final Report (PDF) Charles Stewart, et. al., (March 2009)

Asian American Access to Democracy in the 2008 Elections (PDF) Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (March 2009)

VOTER REGISTRATION


Voter Registration: Assessing Current Problems U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (March 11, 2009)


EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING


Military and Overseas Voting Task Force Report (PDF) Office of the Alabama Secretary of State (March 2009)

New York State Board of Elections, Absentee Voting (PDF) Office of the New York State Comptroller (March 2009)

MORE ON ELECTION REFORM

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

Events

Fixing the U.S. Election System: Is a Democracy Index the Answer?
AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project
April 7, 2009
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.

» Read More

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