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.
featured
Subscribe to Research from the Project
RESEARCH from the Project
-
- Featured Collection
- Election Initiatives
Military & Overseas Voting
The Pew Charitable Trusts supports reforms that will bring 21st century technology to America’s election system and guarantee all citizens abroad can participate in our democracy from a distance. more
-
- Featured Collection
- Election Initiatives
Voting Information Project
The Voting Information Project (VIP) is an innovative and proven service that provides voters with the information they need to cast a ballot—when they need it and where they are most likely to look for it. more
-
- Featured Collection
- Election Initiatives
Upgrading Voter Registration
The Pew Charitable Trusts and its partners are building on cutting edge practices in some states and the private sector to bring voter registration systems into the 21st century and improve accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. more
-
- Report
- Election Initiatives
The Cost of Delivering Voter Information
This March 2011study examined the costs of disseminating voter information in California’s 58 counties and identified opportunities to reduce spending without cutting essential services.
more -
- Report
- Election Initiatives
Pew's Elections Performance Index
The February 2011 Pew Elections Performance Index, describes an ongoing project to provide an empirical assessment of how well the nation’s elections are administered.
more -
- Report
- Election Initiatives
Moving Toward a Better Election System for Military and Overseas Voters
The Pew Center on the States’ Military and Overseas Citizen Voting Initiative aims to remove the obstacles facing military personnel and citizens living abroad to ensure they can exercise their right to vote—no matter where they may be around the world.
more -
- Report
- Election Initiatives
The Cost of Statewide Recounts
As part of its work to help build high-performing states, the Pew Center on the States commissioned a case study on two recent, high-profile statewide races that underwent recounts: the 2004 Washington state governor’s race and the 2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate race.
more -
- Report
- Election Initiatives
Residual Voting in Florida
This October 2010 report described a project that examined the residual vote rates in the state of Florida’s 2008 presidential preference primary, taking advantage of a state law that, for a time, required all jurisdictions to report over- and under-votes at the precinct level.
more -
- Report
- Election Initiatives
Voter Registration Data Accuracy
This July 2010 report revealed a voter registration system that was not serving America’s increasingly mobile voters. Trapped by the confines of an antiquated, paper-based system, election administrators did not have the necessary tools to improve the accuracy of the data in their state voter registration rolls.
more -
- Report
- Election Initiatives
Assessing Electoral Performance in New Mexico
This April 2010 study provided an in-depth, systematic examination of New Mexico’s election ecosystem. Additionally, it offered administrative and legislative recommendations for New Mexico that would inform any state looking to improve the efficiency of its entire election process.
more
