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Provisional Ballots: Problem-Solver or the New Hanging Chad?
OCTOBER 2008
Provisional Ballots: Problem-Solver or the New Hanging Chad?
A variety of factors, including record numbers of new registrants and the first presidential election test of several voter ID laws, may produce a large number of provisional ballots in November. A new report from the Advancement Project examines the rejection rates of these ballots in 2006 and makes recommendations for reform, while a paper from David Andersen at Rutgers investigates the effect of ID requirements on the number of provisionals cast.
Featured Resources
This supplemental report provides in-depth information on each state's election system.
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.
This analysis finds that 70% of the more than two million provisional ballots submitted nationwide during the 2008 election were counted. It also finds that the major reason for rejected provisional ballots was that the voter was not registered in the state.
This report reviews the election process across all fifty states, using the Carter-Baker Commission’s recommendations as guidelines.
This report provides an overview of reform proposals growing out of a summit convened by Ohio's Secretary of State to examine comprehensively the state's entire election system.
Research Projects
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.
FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice.
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.
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.
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
www.aei.org
The Brookings Institution
www.brookings.edu
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