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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Testimony Before the U.S. Election Assistance Commission: Voluntary Voting System Guidelines | DECEMBER 2006

Dr. William Jeffrey, Technical Guidelines Development Committee, National Institute of Standards and Technology

This testimony, by the chair of the committee charged with making recommendations to the EAC about voting technology, summarizes likely changes to voting technology standards.

Bridging Science, Technology, and Politics in Election Systems | JULY 2007

R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech) and Erik K. Antonsson (Caltech), National Academy of Engineering of the National Academies

In this article, the authors give a brief summary of recent problems with voting technology and the difficulties of studying it. They also make recommendations about how to build "a science of elctions."

DRE Analysis for the May 2006 Primary (PDF) | JULY 2006

Election Science Institute

This report outlines the results of a study carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of experts during the Cuyahoga County Primary Election of May 2006 that examined both new electronic voting technology and the administrative procedures associated with it.

Designing the Democracy Index | JANUARY 2007

Edward B. Foley, Election Law @ Moritz

This piece looks at a recent proposal for a rating system for states' election administration systems; Foley points out the strengths in such an idea and also makes suggestions for further consideration.

Additional Data Could Help State and Local Elections Officials Maintain Accurate Voter Registration Lists (PDF) | JUNE 2005

U.S. Government Accountability Office

The GAO analyzes how select states maintain their voter registration lists and determines which additional data could facilitate the process.

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.

Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project

This project aims to evaluate the current state of reliability and uniformity of U.S. voting systems; to establish uniform attributes and quantitative guidelines for performance and reliability of voting systems; and to propose specific uniform guidelines and requirements for reliable voting systems

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.

Early Voting Information Center

Reed College

Directed by early voting scholar Paul Gronke and housed at Reed College, the Early Voting Information Center provides news and research on and a state-by-state overview of early voting issues.

More Research Projects »