Why Elections Systems Matter
American elections today operate much the way they did at the turn of the 20th century. Our work is aimed at modernizing elections systems, with a focus on three areas:
- Helping states improve voter registration systems, including maintaining accurate lists in a time of increased mobility;
- Collaborating with technology companies and state election offices to provide voters with easy access to official election information; and
- Strengthening research on election administration and developing data measures to provide an empirical assessment of how well our nation is conducting elections.
How We Conduct Our Work
- Policy Advocacy. In the states, we advocate for data-driven policies that make the best use of taxpayer resources while ensuring the highest standards of accuracy, convenience, security, and efficiency.
- Innovative Tools. We work with election officials, academics, and technology specialists to develop tools that help states streamline election processes and make the most of 21st-century technology.
- Research. We conduct policy-relevant research to identify areas of strength and weakness in current elections systems and to evaluate possible solutions. The findings help states improve the way elections are administered in the U.S.
- Information Sharing. Through events, online Election Data Dispatches, interactive graphics, and public appearances, we lead a national conversation on the importance of improved election systems. In doing so, we serve as a resource to state policy makers and election administrators making data-driven policy decisions.
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The LATEST from the Project
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- Featured Collection
- Election Initiatives
Election Data Dispatches
Election Data Dispatches provides data, research and analysis about election administration in the U.S. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Full Elections Performance Index Data Now Online
Pew’s Elections Performance Index, or EPI, released last February, was the first empirical examination of election administration performance and policy across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Online Voter Lookup Tools
How do voters find the information they need on and before Election Day? Many voters turn to online resources, such as state election websites, to find polling locations, the status of absentee ballots, and other key information before casting their votes.
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Who Uses Online Voter Registration in Maryland?
A recent analysis of Maryland’s online voter registration system finds that new voters using the online system are slightly more likely to register as Republicans compared to those registering by paper. more
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- Dispatch
- Election Initiatives
Voting Machine Costs in South Carolina
South Carolina’s touch-screen voting machines do not have voter-verified paper audit trails, and adding them would cost the state more than $17 million, found a report released by the South Carolina General Assembly Legislative Audit Council. Glenn McConnell, then president pro tempore of the state Senate, who had concerns about the reliability of the machines and the lack of a paper trail, requested the audit in 2012.
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