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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Online Voter Registration
This March 2010 report provided a comprehensive examination of the implementation, operation, public confidence and usage of online voter registration in Arizona and Washington.
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The Real Cost of Voter Registration
This 2009 study found that voter registration in Oregon cost more than $8.8 million* during the 2008 election, a cost of $4.11* per active registered voter or $7.67* per voter registration transaction (adding new or updating existing voter records). Using this analysis as a model, other states will be able to better estimate their registration expenses and therefore identify opportunities for reform. (*The study's data were updated in 2010.) more
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Voting Information Project
This March 2010 report explains how the Pew Center on the States, through the Voting Information Project, is working with election officials across the nation to provide cutting edge technology tools to make voting information accessible online to all Americans.
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Washington State 'Making Voting Work' for 18 Year-Olds
The October 2009 study showed that potential voters who received a mailing as their 18th birthday approached from the Washington Office of the Secretary of State that included information on voter registration were as much as 10 percent more likely to register than those who did not. Furthermore, those who registered did so when they became eligible, rather than waiting until
closer to the registration deadline.
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Bringing Elections into the 21st Century
In December 2008, the Pew Center on the States hosted “Voting in America,” a Washington, DC summit that initiated a discussion among state and local election officials, policy makers, technology experts and election scholars about the critical need for voter registration modernization. This August 2009 brief explained some of results from that research.
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Provisional Ballots
This July 2009 brief served as an introduction to a larger discussion regarding the role of provisional ballots as a partial solution to underlying problems in our election system.
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Making the Election System Work for Military and Overseas Voters
Problems arise for military and civilian overseas voting at every step of the process, from maintaining accurate registration rolls for a highly mobile population, to casting ballots and ensuring the votes are counted to providing information to navigate the complex process of requirements and deadlines.
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2008 Survey of the Performance of American Elections
This March 2009 study was based on the responses to an Internet survey of 200 registered voters in each of the 50 states, for a total of 10,000 observations overall. Individuals were asked about their experience voting—either in-person on Election Day, in-person early, or absentee voting. Non-voters were also surveyed.
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No Time to Vote
This 2009 report was the first-ever detailed public analysis of states’ voting systems for military personnel stationed overseas.
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Data For Democracy
This 2008 report discussed how good data is the basis of good policymaking. In the elections field, a lack of data has often left policy makers and election officials without the tools necessary to assess successes and failures in the field. When data is available, it has usually been limited. With numerous changes to elections since 2002 – and a growing focus on the administration rather than only the outcome of elections – data collection efforts have been steadily increasing. more
