How do payday loan borrowers use their tax refund? Pew has shown that payday loans are used for long term expenses instead of emergencies, and that many payday borrowers end up paying off their balances with a cash windfall. more

In February, Virginia became the most recent state to pass legislation allowing online voter registration, joining 13 other states that permit it. more

In the eight states — Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming — and the District of Columbia that allow Election Day registration, nearly 1.25 million voters registered or updated their information and cast ballots on Election Day last November.

Last year, we noted Wisconsin’s extensive efforts to provide and share data on the costs to administer elections in the state. Recently, the state provided updated figures showing that the November general election cost slightly more than $10 million. more

Maryland became the sixth state in as many years to repeal the death penalty. The fate of the state’s five remaining death row inmates is up to Governor Martin O'Malley. more