Does Design Make a Difference?
OCTOBER 2007
Does Design Make a Difference?
Compared to issues like paper trails and system security, ballot design has largely flown under the radar in the public debate over voting technology. Researchers, however, are exploring design issues in depth; this week, two teams summarize some of their important findings.
Featured Resources
This report explores a wide range of issues regarding voting technology by laying out sets of key principles to maximize security, accessibility, and usability while considering cost, and then evaluating available systems based on these criteria.
Stewart III’s working paper examines the decrease in the residual vote rate between the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections and attributes it to better voting machines, as well as non-technology factors, including improved administrative practices and fewer voter abstentions
This testimony summarized the progress made thus far by the GAO into the problems experienced in Florida in 2006, and lays out additional questions for analysis.
This report surveys four major studies on the reliability and vulnerability of direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines.
Electionline.org surveys the state of election reform in 2006 and compares it to that of 2000. The report provides state-by-state data in the areas of voting systems, voter ID requirements, provisional voting, and more.
Research Projects
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.
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 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.
As part of its broader research focus on elections, campaign ethics, campaign finance, and the legislative process, the Center for American Politics and Citizenship at the University of Maryland is engaged in research projects on voting technology and ballot design specifically.
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
www.aei.org
The Brookings Institution
www.brookings.edu
© Copyright 2006, AEI
and The Brookings Institution