AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project

Election Reform Newsletter, Issue #41

Election Reform Newsletter

December 5, 2007

On Topic: Election Administration

The Midwest and Beyond

As local officials in early primary states are focused on their specific micro-level preparations, two new reports take a macro-level look at administration practices. One, by researchers at Ohio State, takes a detailed look at five Midwestern states, while the other, from electionline.org, focuses on the various provisions of HAVA.


»	REPORT: "From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States," Steven Huefner, Daniel Tokaji, and Edward Foley, Election Law @ Moritz (December 2007)

»	REPORT: "The Help America Vote Act at 5" (PDF), electionline.org (November 2007)


On the Ground on Election Day

For most of the year, the topics that election reform researchers explore are largely theoretical. On Election Day, however, the conceptual can quickly become the actual and, as the Election Reform Project’s Tim Ryan describes in this piece about his experiences this November, no amount of planning on the part of election officials and voters will always close the gap between policy and implementation. Read more »


Of Machines and Markets

The first session of the 110th Congress is winding down, and it appears that one of the many items left pending will be paper trail legislation. In a recent Roll Call column, the Election Reform Project’s Norman Ornstein explores why Americans trust voting machines far less than other technology in their lives (such as ATMs) and argues that market forces have profoundly inhibited the improvement of voting systems. Read more »

New Resources

VOTING INTEGRITY


Voter ID Requirements and the Disenfranchisements of Latino, Black, and Asian Voters (PDF) Matt Baretto (University of Washington), Stephen A. Nuno (University of California, Irvine), and Gabriel Sanchez (University of New Mexico) (September 2007)

The Truth About Voter Fraud (PDF) Justin Levitt Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law (November 2007)

VOTER REGISTRATION


An Audit Report on the Voter Registration System at the Texas Secretary of State's Office (PDF) Office of the Texas State Auditor (November 2007)

EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING


Draft: UOCAVA Voters and the Electronic Transmission of Voting Materials in Four States (PDF) Q2 Data and Research (September 2007)

Viewpoint: Using Technology to Improve UOCAVA Blake Hulnick and Daniel O'Brien AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project (November 2007)

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
December 11, 2007
Austin, TX

» 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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	The Election Reform Newsletter is a periodic e-mail publication from AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project http://www.electionreformproject.org

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Quick Start Management Guide for New Voting Systems (PDF) | JUNE 2006

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission highlights key steps administrators should follow when implementing new voting systems. A more comphrensive guide will follow.

Beyond the Hanging Chad: The Promise and Performance of Electronic Voting (PDF/PowerPoint presentation) | OCTOBER 2005

Paul S. Herrnson, Center for American Politics and Citizenship, University of Maryland

Herrnson examines the effect of different types of electronic voting machines on voter satisfaction, voters’ needs for assistance, and the accuracy of votes cast.

Building Secure and Transparent Elections Through Standard Operating Procedures (PDF) | MAY 2008

R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech) and Thad Hall (University of Utah), Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project

In this 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.

Viewpoint: New Jersey's DRE Problem | NOVEMBER 2008

Jennifer Marsico, AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project

In this piece, the Election Reform Project's examines evidence on problems with New Jersey's electronic voting machines and makes recommendations for reform.

Election-Day Registration: A Case Study (PDF) | FEBRUARY 2007

electionline.org

This report examines Election Day Registration (EDR), which is often offered as a way to increase voter turnout. Contrasting Montana's EDR program (which was new in 2006) with Minnesota's (which has been in place for more than 30 years), the authors examine potential promises and pitfalls of EDR.

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 »