Feature Archive | |
Election Administration |
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Larimer County, Colorado, is the only county in the United States that uses non-precinct based Voting Centers on Election Day. Scott Doyle, Clerk & Recorder for Larimer County, explains the logistics of the centers. Political scientists Robert Stein and Greg Vonnahme study their use since 2003 in Larimer County and conclude that the centers increased its voter turnout.
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As law professor Edward B. Foley reveals, the controversy over the Mexican presidential election highlights a number of issues that also require attention north of the border. Researchers have already begun this process, producing reports on whether Americans believe their votes are being counted as well as on recount procedures.
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Election reform analysts are looking backward and forward as they consider ways to improve election administration. Consultants in Colorado have completed a report outlining the causes of the extensive problems in Denver on Election Day 2006, while Edward Foley of Election Law @ Moritz discusses the creation of ranking system to assess how well states are doing.
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Paper trails may be the hottest election reform topic thus far in the 110th Congress, but Senator Barack Obama recently introduced legislation aimed a tackling a different issue: election administration. Building on an idea developed by Heather Gerken at Yale Law School, the bill would create a ‘Democracy Index’ to measure the quality of states’ administration practices.
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While issues like paper trails and voter ID are receiving the most attention from the press and legislators, researchers are examining much larger questions. One new report assesses the progress of the Carter-Baker Commission’s recommendations, while another raises one of the most fundamental queries in election reform: who should pay?
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While paper trails may have been the election administration issue getting the most attention this summer, researchers continued to examine other equally important components of the process, including post-election audits and the experiences of poll workers and voters on Election Day.
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Nearly two million Americans serve as poll workers each election, and administrators across the country face a range of challenges in recruiting, training, and retaining them. Both electionline.org and the Committee on House Administration have examined the issue, and the EAC has released best practices for use by local officials.
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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.
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The policies that govern the conduct of elections may be made largely at the state and national levels, but they are primarily implemented by local election officials. A new study by the Congressional Research Service examines the demographics and attitudes of these administrators, while electionline.org delivers a report on the Washington, DC primary from the perspective of a poll worker.
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While research highlighting widespread problems in election administration often proves useful to policymakers and local officials, concrete suggestions on areas for improvement can be even more valuable. In a new piece, MIT’s Ted Selker lays out eight steps to improve the conduct of November’s election, while a new report recommends better management practices for the EAC.
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The decision in the Indiana voter ID case may be spending time in the headlines, but in-person voter fraud is not the only type of irregularity that can affect election outcomes. A new analysis from the Election Reform Project looks at the recent presidential primary in New Jersey, while a report from the Maryland Attorney General examines issues that state had in its 2006 primary.
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When Americans go to the polls on Election Day, nearly two million poll workers greet them, representing one of the most important components for making sure an election runs smoothly. A report from the University of Utah explores how the quality of these poll workers can affect voter satisfaction, while a new analysis from the Election Reform Project looks at young people as a potential source of new volunteers on Election Day.
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As campaigns shift into high gear after Labor Day, so too do election administrators’ efforts to ensure they are ready for a smooth Election Day. An analysis from the Election Reform Project looks at poll worker recruitment and training issues, while a new report from FairVote tackles resource allocation questions.
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Voters across the country went to the polls on November 4, likely in record numbers. Before the big day, both electionline.org previewed various potential problems at the polls, and Election Law @ Moritz predicted which states may be likely to see post-election litigation.
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As the winners of the 2008 election prepare to assume their various offices, election reform researchers are both getting ready to take a more detailed look back and discussing how to further improve data collection going forward. Data recently released by Charles Stewart provides an early picture of the 2008 experience, while Edward Foley also highlights the need for better data for the future.
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Back in February 2006, now-President Obama highlighted the importance of a range of election reform issues when he spoke at the launch event for the Election Reform Project. Among the issues he stressed was the importance of effective voter registration procedures—a problem that, according to a new article by Daniel Tokaji, still looms large over the nation’s election administration system.
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While many election reformers tend to focus on developing new solutions to problems, administrators nationwide also examine existing programs to determine how well they are working. Both the EAC and state chief election officers have recently undertaken this process, looking back at their successes from 2008 and identifying areas for improvement.
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Nearly a decade after the 2000 election highlighted the myriad problems with the U.S. election system, reformers still struggle to gain traction for systemic change. On April 7, the Election Reform Project hosted a discussion exploring a new book by Heather Gerken of Yale Law School that advocates bringing sustained attention to the need for reform through a “Democracy Index” that ranks state and local governments on the performance of their election systems.
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Effective election administration requires collaboration between federal, state, and local officials, and two new reports explore specific ways to leverage different levels of government to improve practices. A study from the Brennan Center focuses on reform in Ohio, while a Georgetown Law Journal article examines the procurement process for voting systems
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As jurisdictions work towards improving their individual administration practices, they are able to draw on new amount of research focusing on their particular challenges. One recent report examines how the nation’s largest election jurisdiction, Los Angeles, dealt with record levels of activity surrounding the 2008 election, while another highlights the need for improved poll worker training and voter education in New Jersey.
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While convenience voting options are becoming increasingly popular, the majority of Americans still visit a polling place on Election Day; two new studies examine what happens once they get there. One report, from the GAO, examines the experience of voters with disabilities, while another focuses specifically on lines and wait times.
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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission recently released the results of its Election Administration and Voting Survey, providing nationwide as well as state-level reports of how Americans cast their votes. Significant among the results is the increasing percentage of voters who cast their ballot in alternative ways and the number of ballots uncounted in the initial unofficial election returns.
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As election officials begin preparing for the 2010 elections, they face tighter budgets, reduced staff, and higher expectations from onlookers. The Hawaii Office of Elections submitted a report focused on the realities it faces in light of a decreased budget, while Indiana recently made available its Outreach Library to prepare voters and officials for what to expect in November.
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As states continue to refine their rules regarding elections, courts have stepped in to resolve disputes between enacted legislation and constitutional law. Two recent court decisions on laws in Minnesota and Washington State highlight the continuing influence of the judicial branch in election law.
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While states are tasked with writing their own election laws so long as they meet HAVA requirements, the question remains as to whether a county may make additional mandates beyond state laws. The EAC released its annual report on grants, which help states become compliant with HAVA. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Florida ruled on the constitutionality of county charter amendments, finding that counties may add requirements like more election audits and bans on specific voting systems.
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We launched the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project in June 2005 with the encouragement and financial support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Five years later we bring the project to a close. We take this opportunity to reflect on the state of election administration in the United States almost a decade after the extended and controversial Florida vote count in 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.
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