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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
We reflect on the state of election administration in the United States almost a decade after the 2000 presidential election and suggest how additional changes in technology, election law and administrative practices might further strengthen American elections in the years ahead.
The Indiana Election Division published its Outreach Library for the 2010 elections. Among the resources available for both voters and election officials are guides for military and overseas voters, voter identification requirement outlines, and a handbook for election officials.
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 takes a comprehensive look at Ohio's election system, report highlighting both successes and failures and making a range of recommendations.
Based upon election data collected since the passage of HAVA, this Project Vote memo recommends adopting a number of policies in order to increase the number of provisional ballots counted in future elections.
Research Projects
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.
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.
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 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.
FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
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