In 2012, the District of Columbia issued voters an unprecedented number of special ballots—which are the same as provisional ballots, according to the city’s 2012 After-Action report. This was due in part to the city’s use of Election Day registration for the first time in a presidential election. more

This past November, Maricopa County, Arizona, issued the most provisional ballots in its history. In an in-depth report, the county elections department provides detailed information including not just why these ballots were issued and rejected, but also estimates of how much they cost. more

In a review of Colorado’s 2012 general election, the secretary of state’s office describes its participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a data center the state formed in partnership with Pew and six other states. In mid-September, using reports from ERIC, the state identified more than 720,000 Coloradans as eligible to vote but unregistered and invited them to register online, rather than using the traditional and inefficient paper forms. more

In recent election cycles, many jurisdictions reduced their numbers of precincts and polling places in part to save money. Last year Summit County, Ohio was one of these, decreasing the number of precincts from 475 to 298, which county officials estimate saved between $100,000 and $120,000. more

We noted late last year that New Hampshire was, for the first time, going to send confirmation letters to voters who arrived at the polls without the ID required by the state’s new law and had to sign affidavits before voting. more