Election Initiatives commissions and oversees research, projects, and case studies aimed at helping states improve their elections systems. Because effective elections systems are fundamental to our nation’s democracy, we work with election officials, policy makers, researchers, technology experts, businesses, and other stakeholders in the election process to help guide our research and test our recommendations.
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RESEARCH from the Project
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Pennington County, South Dakota Election Costs
In Pennington County, South Dakota, election costs rose between 2010 and 2012. The change in cost, a jump from $6.21 per vote in a 2010 election to $7.10 per vote in the 2012 June election, may be partly attributable to an increase in absentee voting. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Registering, Casting, and Counting Ballots in the U.S.
A new interactive graphic from the Pew Center on the States helps shed light on how voters in each state, and the nation overall, participate in each step of the elections process. more
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- Interactive
- Election Initiatives
U.S. Voter Participation, 1990-2010
The U.S. Voter Participation interactive graphic helps shed light on how voters in each state, and the nation overall, participate in each step of the elections process. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Cost of Cutting Polling Places in Nebraska
Recently, some election jurisdictions have taken to reducing the number of precincts and polling places, at least in part to save money. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Pennsylvania Voter ID
The Pennsylvania Departments of State and Transportation compared databases and found that approximately 9 percent of the state’s registered voters do not a photo ID, such as a drivers’ license, from the state Transportation Department that can be used at the polling place to meet the state’s recently enacted voter ID requirement. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Alaska Ballot Shortage Follow Up
As noted in an earlier dispatch, the city of Anchorage, Alaska faced a troubling ballot shortage in an April mayoral election. An investigation noted one main cause was a miscalculation in planning for how many ballots would be needed.
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Military and Overseas Voting Legislation
Earlier this year, the Pew Center on the States released Democracy from Afar which showed the progress states have made in passing laws to better protect the voting rights of military and overseas voters.
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New Voter Registrations in Virginia and Florida
A recent analysis by the Pew Center on the States examined the surge in voter registrations that takes place right before a presidential election. These same data also reveal other interesting patterns.
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Cutting Election Mailings to Save Money
Election jurisdictions on different coasts are using the same approach to save money during these fiscally challenging times – getting rid of certain mailings to voters. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Voter Registration in Four States
A recent analysis from the Pew Center on the States reveals the massive challenge election officials face in processing registration forms right before a presidential election. Data from four states—Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia—clearly show that, every four years, election offices must deal with a huge spike in voter registration applications.
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