Training & Resources

To determine the current state of election reform, the Election Reform Information Project surveyed election reform activity across the country since November 2000. The Election Reform Information Project looked at developments in Congress and the federal government, in the states, in the courts and in the dozens of public- and private-sector task forces and study groups formed to study the issue.

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electionline.brinkdev.com is pleased to bring you this report, the second look at the state of play of election reform in Washington, state capitals, county seats and city halls across America.

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electionline.brinkdev.com’s third annual report seeks to give readers a national overview of the scope and progress of changes to elections around the country. With a presidential election looming in the fall, 2004 provides the best opportunity since the Supreme Court stopped the protracted Florida recount more than three years ago to look at how elections have changed, how they haven’t and why – and what that could mean this year.

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The goal is to set the “state of play” immediately before Election Day. By now machines have been purchased, laws and regulations set and registration closed in many states. In many parts of the country and abroad voting has already begun.This report is intended to serve as both retrospective and reference on “Election Reform 2004: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t and Why” two weeks before Americans go to the polls on November 2.

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This was supposed to be the year–and the election–when the voting process nationwide was more secure, more technologically advanced and more trusted by the citizens and candidates participating.

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Eight years after the 2000 election exposed some limitations of the American voting process – and six years after passage of a federal law intended to address those limitations – voters return to the polls to choose a president and thousands of other elected officials across the country. When they do, they will encounter an election system that, while significantly changed since 2000, is in many respects no less settled after nearly eight years of debate and change.

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The biennial Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) to collect state-by-state data on the administration of federal elections.

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In its most recent biennial Overseas Citizen Population Analysis (OCPA), FVAP estimates there were three million U.S. citizens of voting age living abroad in 2016.

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The CEIR has released a new report based on a survey of 26 states conducted between June and July of 2018 to assess the current state of security around voter registration databases (VRDBs).

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An update of previous research on those who are prohibited from voting due to a current or previous felony conviction.

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All polling places should be surveyed to ensure compliance with the ADA. The official DOJ checklist provides you with the architectural features and provisions to assess.

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This report examines voter turnout in the 2016 presidential elections. The report also looks at the impact of same day registration on turnout, youth turnout, reasons for non-voting, and the how competitive races were for the U.S. House.

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The United States has a highly decentralized election system so the process of preparing for an election varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but there are commonalities. There are common process steps that every election official in the country takes.

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This paper analyzes the details of the legal challenge Wandering Medicine v McCulloch which was brought under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It describes why satellite election offices need to be established in Reservations in Montana and the challenges faced by American Indians living on Reservations with election offices – where people can register to vote and cast in-person absentee ballots – that are currently great distances away.

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This report assesses minority voter access and evaluates the Department of Justice’s enforcement of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) since 2006, focusing on the time after the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision which held that provisions of the VRA unconstitutionally determined which jurisdictions needed federal government preclearance to change voting procedures.

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Advancing Justice | AAJC is the voice for the Asian American community – the fastest-growing population in the U.S. – fighting for our civil rights through education, litigation, and public policy advocacy. We serve to empower our communities by bringing local and national constituencies together and ensuring Asian Americans are able to participate fully in our democracy.

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This publication will explain the role of the assistant in helping an individual with a disability before, during, and after the voting process.

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Bloated rolls, lost records, duplicates, registered dead people, eligible house pets and citizens rendered ineligible by faulty list purges. All have plagued voter registration rolls around the country in recent years. By January 1, 2006, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), will require that each state have a centrally-controlled voter list that would eliminate the litany of registration related problems that prevented many from voting in years past – and perhaps allowed others to vote when they should not have.

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While Election Day marks the end of voters casting ballots, state and local election officials still have a long to-do list to go through after the election. These include the many states that conduct post-election audits of voting systems as well as recounts that may occur in close races.

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Recent research about automatic voter registration (AVR) in Oregon, in place since January 2016, found 44 percent of those who were automatically registered voted in the November 2016 election.

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In examining 27 ballot questions in 2017, the average ballot question required a graduate school-level of education to read and comprehend.

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Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content

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Defending Digital Democracy Project aims to develop strategies, tools, and technology to protect democratic processes and systems from cyber and information attacks.

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While finding solutions is never easy, the Bipartisan Policy Center believes the American answer will always rest in harnessing the best ideas from both parties, seizing pragmatic consensus, and holding steadfast to our commitment to sustaining the institutions and traditions that enable cohesion, freedom, and opportunity in a diverse nation.

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The Brennan Center is at the center of the fight to preserve and expand the right to vote for every eligible citizen. Through innovative policy solutions, litigation, advocacy, and communications, the Brennan Center works to ensure that voting is free, fair, secure, and accessible for all Americans.

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The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working through research, oversight, outreach and demonstration projects to improve the election process so that it better serves the needs and interests of voters.

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This, the 17th electionline Briefing, explores the issue of post-election audits in a number of states. Like so many other issues in election administration, the study finds that rules governing the practice vary greatly across borders as does the size of the sample, public access and scrutiny and response to disparities between vote counts and audit findings. While one state might require that 5 percent of all precincts audit ballots by hand, another might require a review of election-related procedures, including polling-place activities logged on machines, “zero tapes” from the start of the day and final tallies to make sure the counters tabulated results correctly.

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electionline.brinkdev.com examined partnerships between states and universities. Specifically, the 18th electionline Briefing details the nuts and bolts, implications and criticism of existing partnerships. The prospects for future partnerships between state and local election offices, universities and, citizens’ groups are also explored.

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This report reviews the evolution of language assistance requirements under the VRA. Starting from existing procedures in place to implement language assistance, we explore successes and gaps as reported in the literature and interviews with key stakeholders.

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Celebrating awesome civic design with before-and-after examples and the story of the project.

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What are best practices in election websites and other voter education?

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Design guidelines that election officials can really use, base on solid research and best practices.

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Meeting voters’ language accessibility needs.

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Analysis on the current state of language services options, with insight from work at the federal level.

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Designing job aids and other materials that help poll workers run a good election.

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How do we make remote ballot markign systems both secure and accessibile?

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What is needed to ensure the usability and accessibility of next generation elections?

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An analysis of what makes an electronic poll book usable to poll workers, election staff and voters.

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Best practices for expanding voter registration and supporting accurate voting rolls.

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How to create strong passwords.

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We bring civic design skills in research, usability, design, accessibility, and plain language to improve the voting experience, make elections easier to administer, and encourage participation in elections. Through our work, we have helped hundreds of election officials build their skills and capacity, and touched millions of voters in small but important ways.

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Our work is aimed at addressing key election cybersecurity issues, such as election official training, technical volunteer capacity building, social media disinformation campaigns, and robust post-election auditing.

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CEIR is an innovative nonprofit with a proven track record of working with election officials from around the country and from both sides of the aisle. We seek to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation, and improve the efficiency of election administration.

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CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, focuses on young people in the United States, especially those who are marginalized or disadvantaged in political life. CIRCLE’s scholarly research informs policy and practice for healthier youth development and a better democracy.

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CIS® (Center for Internet Security, Inc.) is a non-profit entity that uses the global IT community to safeguard private and public organizations against cyber threats. CIS is home to both the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), which partners with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide resources for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities, and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center™(EI-ISAC™), which supports the cybersecurity needs of U.S. State, Local and Territorial elections offices. To learn more, visit CISecurity.org Twitter: @CISecurity.

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CTCL is a civic tech nonprofit based in Chicago, IL. Their mission is to increase everyone’s access to official voting information and improve the tech resources available to election officials.

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The Certificate in Public Leadership (CPL) is specifically designed for all public officials, elected or appointed, and their staff. The courses are developed and conducted by faculty members of the George Washington University, Center for Excellence in Public Leadership.

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The Professional Education Program is the only program of continuing professional education which specializes in voter registration and elections administration. Participants receive continuing education units (CEUs) from Auburn University and Election Center credit towards the achievement of the profession’s highest designation.

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CIS offers a variety of tools, memberships, and services to help organizations around the world start secure and stay secure. Use the guide below to explore our offerings and find the best options for your cybersecurity needs.

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Pew funded research into the changes since the implementation of the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act of 2013.

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Our Constitution demands that every citizen have an equal voice and vote in determining the future for our families, communities, and country. We’re working to ensure that every eligible citizen has the freedom to vote and that their votes are accurately counted.

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Whether in jurisdictions covered by the VRA for language assistance or in a jurisdiction that has a language community with a need for assistance, this report details how community leaders can engage with their local jurisdiction or their state legislature to help ensure community members get the language assistance they need to meaningfully participate in our elections.

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This article examines the continuing problems people with disabilities face in the voting process and notes that in working to solve problems faced by these voters, this will help improve the process for all voters.

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Repository of election-related icons and images for use in voting instructions, education, and material creation.

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Estimating lines IS a science! There are tools to help.

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A civic engagement toolkit for elections officials.

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Election officials like you play a vital role in making democracy work, and like all professionals, you need professional development to grow and learn. Our courses help you advance while learning practical skills to provide greater service to your communities.

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Estimating lines IS a science! There are tools to help.

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Knowing how long it may take voters to complete the ballot is a critical data point in line managment, this tool will help you with that calculation.

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Step-by-step guides on simple technology to better serve voters, candidates, and poll workers.

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A flurry of research and guides have been published to assist state and local government officials as they strive to fully protect their election systems. This guide provides a list of some of those resources, including a brief summary of each and links to reports or organizational websites that contain helpful information.

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Defending Digital Democracy Project aims to develop strategies, tools, and technology to protect democratic processes and systems from cyber and information attacks.

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This report looks to start answering questions about voting technology, including how governments around the world can use technological innovation to better serve more and more tech-savvy voters and how to do so in a way that is transparent, efficient, and trusted by the public.

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Democracy Works is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the idea that voting should fit the way we live. They’re a team of software developers, public policy wonks, and civic organizers building the tools needed to upgrade the infrastructure of our democracy and improve the voting experience for voters and election officials alike.

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A one-stop guide to many of the resources available to state and local elections officials to protect their election infratstructure.

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An overview of the role the Department of Homeland Security plays in securing elections at the state and local level.

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The EAC is committed to helping state and local election officials get answers to their questions, as well as helping DHS think through the best way to implement this designation in order to protect the accessibility, accuracy and security of elections. This webpage is the online hub for this EAC effort.

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An EAC portal to toolkits on just about every topic from voter registration to military and overseas voters to polling place calculators.

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This section has three parts: (1) planning process information; (2) illustrations of one-language voter information design best practices; and (3) illustrations of two-language voter information design best practices

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EVIC is a nonpartisan, academic research center based at Reed College. Professor Paul Gronke and his team conduct research on early voting and election reform, predominantly in the United States.

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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) released the EAVS Data Interactive, a new data visualization tool that allows users to pull data most relevant to them from the 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), the most comprehensive nationwide data on election administration in the United States.

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Using data from the 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey, the EAC examined polling places and poll workers.

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During 2018, the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center™ (EI-ISAC®) evolved from an idea to a formalized collective of dedicated election officials. Elections staff members, associations, technology vendors, federal partners, and cybersecurity experts worked tirelessly to help secure the U.S. elections infrastructure. From sharing information about the threat landscape to creating educational opportunities and implementing technical cybersecurity controls, the EI-ISAC’s members, staff, and partners made substantial strides toward ensuring the security and integrity of our elections.

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Membership in the Elections Infrastructure ISAC is open to all state, local, tribal, and territorial government organizations that support the elections officials of the United States of America, and associations thereof. This is always a free and voluntary membership for these eligible organizations.

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The Election Academy program promotes modernization and professionalization of the American election administration through education, research, and outreach.

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Get an inside look at the complex and often confusing landscape of election administration. Find out which specific areas to study when covering state or local elections.

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Election dates are set by state statute and, with the exception of special elections that may crop up from time to time, are usually set according to a longstanding schedule. Election officials spend months planning an election, including what would happen if there were to be an emergency on Election Day. And yet, they can’t possibly predict the natural disasters or emergencies that could disrupt an election. For their part, state legislatures have adopted laws that could apply to floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, active shooters or even military invasions and cyberattacks.

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This report focuses on ways to improve the integrity of elections.

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The law and the politics of law: election law, campaign finance, legislation, voting rights, initiatives, redistriscting, remedies, and the Supreme Court. Rick Hasen’s Blog.

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The Election Law Program seeks to provide practical assistance to judges called upon to resolve difficult election law disputes.

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The official United States Postal Service page for election mail–all of your needed resources in one place!

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The official United States Postal Service page for mailing to UOCAVA voters.

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The Election Management Guidelines and Quick Starts Guides were created to assist state and local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections. These guidelines complement the technical standards for the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines for voting equipment.

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This report begins by reviewing evidence of the benefits of conducting linguistically accessible elections and exploring the federal standards and requirements for language access. It identifies best practices that can be implemented by elections officials to expand language access in their jurisdictions.

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An updated Elections Performance Index from the MIT Election Data & Science Lab evaluates the 2016 election

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The United States Elections Project is an information source for the United States electoral system. The mission of the project is to provide timely and accurate election statistics, electoral laws, research reports, and other useful information regarding the United States electoral system.

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The invitation-only conference brings together political scientists, election professionals, and other experts in election administration to develop rigorous empirical approaches to the study of how law and administrative procedures affect the quality of elections in the United States.

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This report examines election security and preparedness in each state, looking specifically at state requirements and practices.

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New research, analysis and commentary on election reform, voting technology, and election administration.

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The Elections Administration Research Database contains elections administration reports published between 2000 and the present. The reports span a range of topics from election costs to voter ID to online voter registration and reflect a variety of perspectives, ranging from election administrators to nonprofit organizations to academic researchers. Each report has been coded by subject, title, author, publication, date and state and can be searched by one or a combination of these features. Coding for subjects was inclusive; that is, we included all subjects that applied.

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Electoral Vote Map is an interactive map to help you follow the 2020 presidential election. The site also features a series of explainers about how presidents are actually elected in the United States.

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The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is a non-profit organization with the sole mission of assisting states to improve the accuracy of America’s voter rolls and increase access to voter registration for all eligible citizens.

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Low voter participation among young people is a persistent challenge to a healthy republic, which requires broad engagement by citizens from diverse backgrounds. We believe these young people are
“opportunity youth”: individuals who, when given the chance for meaningful civic and political engagement, can make a significant positive impact in their lives and their communities. To address the critical knowledge gap about how best to increase their participation in democracy, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) partnered with Opportunity Youth United (OYU) to conduct a study focused specifically on this question.

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FairVote is a nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms that give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans. Today it prioritizes work on ranked choice voting to address problems with partisan elections, primary elections and local elections, and in tandem with multi-winner legislative districts, a means to essentially eliminate gerrymandering.

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The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) works to ensure Service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to successfully do so – from anywhere in the world.

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FVAP continues to make progress in reducing obstacles to absentee voting for active duty military and has expanded outreach initiatives for voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

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The report provides an assessment of FVAP’s activities supporting the special elections for federal office in 2017 — and FVAP’s preparations for the 2018 election cycle.

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Fors Marsh Group (FMG) is a deliberate shift away from the research norm. It is a new way of thinking—customized and focused on providing a more vigorous approach to problem solving. We work with institutions and organizations that want to disrupt markets, understand or influence behavior, drive action on a national or global scale, and create a positive impact on the world.

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Future of California Elections (FoCE) is a collaboration between election officials, civil rights organizations and election reform advocates that work together to expand voter participation and modernize elections in California.

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The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides online training modules that allow for you to complete training at your own pace.

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The Voting Assistance Guide is a reference guide for everything you need to know about absentee voting in all 55 States, territories and the District of Columbia.

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The report reveals how states use map technology to manage elections.

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“Election Reform Briefing 20: Poll Workers” examines a number of facets of America’s one-day workforce, including training requirements, compensation, specialization and absenteeism, attitudes and what innovations are underway in states and localities to recruit, train and retain poll workers.

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This, the 13th electionline.brinkdev.com Briefing, explores the user end of the registration process: how would-be voters obtain forms, complete them, and how much time they have before an election to do so.

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Historically, the committee has had a hand in shaping legislation that touches on any and all aspects of federal elections. Issues concerning corrupt practices, contested congressional elections, campaign finance disclosures, and credentials and qualifications of House Members also fall under its purview.

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IFES is the global leader in democracy promotion, advancing good governance and democratic rights by providing technical assistance to election officials; empowering the underrepresented to participate in the political process; and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle.

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This report focuses on progress made on studying lines at polling places and tools can be used to measure and mitigate them.

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iGO provides professional training, networking, and leadership development for Election Officials, Clerks, and Recorders. iGO offers members opportunities to exchange ideas, elevate standards through education, encourage legislative awareness, develop efficient ways to serve the public, and promote the ethics of public service internationally.

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A new analysis finds that California could be better served if the way election administration is paid for in the state is changed, moving from the current “mandate reimbursement” process to a system where the state contributes for costs associated with the election of state officials and statewide ballot measures.

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This report addresses three areas related to election administration including the benefits and challenges of collecting and sharing voter registration information electronically; the effect of policies such as same day registration and vote by mail on voter turnout; and the costs of elections.

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The event convened state and local election officials, advocates and stakeholders from language communities to discuss critical issues of language accessibility. Speakers shared experiences and observations on efforts to serve voters with language needs.

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This new report finds that more than 875,000 Latino voters in 19 states may find it more difficult to cast ballots in 2016 than in 2012.

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Since 1965, the Lawyers’ Committee has been at the forefront of the legal struggle to advance and protect the right to vote and to ensure that the right is afforded equally to all. Through coordinated and integrated programs of litigation, voter protection, advocacy, and education, the Voting Rights Project has had a tremendous positive impact on communities of color, low-income communities, youth, people with disabilities, and other traditionally disenfranchised populations.

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Since 1920 we have been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that voters should play a critical role in democracy. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public.

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Compared to when they first started, most of the local election officials we surveyed say that it is easier today for people to register and vote, and easier for them as election officials to administer registration and voting processes. An overwhelming majority of local election officials enjoy educating voters and demonstrate a commitment to conducting voter education and outreach. Local election officials feel constrained by time and resources when planning for voter education and outreach activities and express the need for more funding.

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A survey of of local government officials in Michigan about election administration.

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The Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) was developed by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) in 2009 to address an aging voting system and an increasingly large and complex electorate. The project seeks a collaborative approach to voting system design that will put voters at the center and maximize stakeholder participation.

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MALDEF has a proud history to protect the rights of all voters and making a difference on election day for historically disenfranchised populations. MALDEF advocates at all levels of the government for U.S. citizens to have unimpeded access to the polls, regardless of national origin or language ability.

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Election administrators face many challenges planning for and running elections. This website offers tools based on the expertise of election administrators, business managers, and social science researchers that can help election administrators plan and conduct elections.

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The MIT Election Data & Science Lab supports advances in election science by collecting, analyzing, and sharing core data and findings. We also aim to build relationships with election officials and others to help apply new scientific research to the practice of democracy in the United States.

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Election Law @ Moritz is a nonpartisan research, education, and outreach program of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and a national resource for lawyers, journalists, policymakers, civic leaders, election administrators and citizens. Through its web site and programs, EL@M provides information and analysis of election laws, election litigation and election news from around the nation, focusing primarily on election administration – laws dealing with voter registration, voter ID, early and absentee voting, provisional balloting, poll workers and polling place procedures, recounts and election contests, and other related issues.

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Four things to know about election cybersecurity.

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The National Association of Counties (NACo) unites America’s 3,069 county governments.  Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public’s understanding of county government, and exercise exemplary leadership in public service.

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NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, cybersecurity, state business services, and state heritage/archives.

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The National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) promotes accessible, accurate, and transparent elections in the United States and U.S. Territories.  NASED is a nonpartisan professional organization that disseminates election administration best practices and information across the states.

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NCSL’s elections & redistricting program strengthens state election administration by providing state legislatures with information and research on election and redistricting policies across the country. NCSL operates on a bipartisan basis and does not advocate for policy positions.

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The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) provides legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals who might otherwise go without adequate representation. In 2015, NARF started the Native American Voting Rights Coalition to gather voting rights advocates, lawyers, civil rights experts, and tribal advocates into one room to discuss current problems with voting in Indian Country and begin to develop solutions to these problems.

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An overview of what vote-by-mail is, how it works, and what states allow it.

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The next big issue in election administration in the U.S. will revolve around technology: voting equipment, electronic poll books, election management systems, and other hardware and software designed to serve voters and election administrators.

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An overview of funding election technology, especially in light of the recent security concerns.

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This database contains state legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2018.

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An overview of online voter registration, what states allow it, where legislation is pending and how it’s been implemented.

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An overview of post-election audits, how they work, what states are doing them, pending legislation and what are the advantages to conducting one.

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Because elections technology is now on the radar for legislators in a way it hasn’t ever been before, NCSL has developed this elections technology toolkit. It is a compilation of “tech notes” describing the technology in use at each step of the election process.

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An overview of vote centers, how they work, what states are using them, pending legislation and case studies.

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Now in our 35th year, the National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization that supports
democratic institutions and practices in every region of the world. NDI and its local partners help strengthen political and civic organizations, safeguard elections, and promote citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. Our mission is working for democracy and making democracy work.

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Report of the status of postal delivery and services with corresponding recommendations of what election officials, legislatures, USPS, and voters should know.

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This report focuses on voting equipment used during the 2016 general election; what factors jurisdictions consider when replacing voting equipment; and perspectives on federal voting system guidelines.

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This report to the Governor and General Assembly of Virginia evaluated the operation and performance of the state Department of Elections.

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The OSCE/ODIHR assessed the compliance of the election process with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with domestic legislation.

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U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) and its Overseas Vote initiative work toward the realization of a singular mission: “Every Citizen is a Voter”. US Vote uses civic tech to simplify-out the complexity of voting across all states for all voters – domestic, overseas and military. US Vote and Overseas Vote websites serve millions of voters. The foundation is sustained through licensing of its Civic Data API, Hosted Systems Solutions and Overseas Vote Widget.

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In this, the 21st electionline.brinkdev.com Briefing , the process of overseas and military voting is examined, from the federal laws that govern the process to the innovations underway to streamline it to the difficulties anticipated in the 2008 primary season.

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The Council of State Governments’ Overseas Voting Initiative recently published recommendations, as well as a corresponding final report, to improve Section B of the Election Administration and Voting Survey, or EAVS, which tracks military and overseas voter behavior.

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In September 2013, CSG launched a four-year, $3.2 million initiative with the U.S. Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) to improve the return rate of overseas absentee ballots from service members and U.S. citizens abroad.

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The CSG Overseas Voting Initiative is charged with developing targeted and actionable improvements to the voting process for the 1.3 million members of the uniformed services and Merchant Marines stationed away from home, their approximately 700,000 eligible family members, and the 4.3 million U.S. citizens living, studying and working overseas.

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This report describes currently-applicable federal and state language assistance requirements, and concludes by suggesting legislative and administrative initiatives that policymakers can advance in order to secure the deeper engagement in civic affairs of Americans who are not yet fully fluent in English.

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In this report, electionline.brinkdev.com and The Century Foundation examined national election reform issues around the country that will have an impact on the 2004 primary election season. It also specifically examines changes to voting procedures – and potential voting problems – in the 22 early primary states that will be the key battlegrounds as the Democratic contenders seek to secure their party’s presidential nomination.

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This report follows up on recommendations made in 2014 by the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and highlights issues related to voter registration (including online voter registration), access to voting, polling place management, and voting technology.

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The Quick Start Guides are created to assist state and local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections. Each Quick Start Guide offers concise and easy-to-read tips on a wide range of timely topics impacting the field of elections.

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The Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center is a non-advocacy, education focused group which provides a compilation of best practices and firsthand experiences from jurisdictions that have used ranked choice voting. The comprehensive website and other tools serve as resources for election administrators, policy makers, voters, candidates, and others to allow jurisdictions to implement ranked choice voting effectively and efficiently.

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Despite arguments in the halls of Congress that the nation’s election system is teetering on the verge of collapse, state and local election officials say they are more than ready for the 2002 elections, without new federal standards or money, without increased budgets and without new technology.

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What changes need to be made and what upgrades states opt to make will determine how much voting will be reformed around the country. This Election Reform Briefing explores where states stood as of February 2003 in their readiness to meet the mandates of HAVA. The Briefing provides an indication – from the top state election officials themselves – of where state governments believe they are now that federal election reform has become a reality.

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In this 12th election reform Briefing, electionline.brinkdev.com examines the rules in each state governing recounts, with a particular focus on the impact of voter- verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs), absentee and provisional ballots. As with most election issues, federalism has produced a variety of rules governing the same process.

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GAO examined a nongeneralizable sample of 178 polling places during early in-person voting and on Election Day 2016. At these polling places, GAO examined a number of features outside and inside the voting area. Outside the voting area, GAO was able to examine features at all 178 polling places and found that 60 percent (107) had one or more potential impediments.

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In this seventh edition of our Election Reform Briefing series, electionline.brinkdev.com examines voting security, the most controversial aspect of election reform since the passage of the Help America Vote Act.

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Written by a committee of experts from a variety of fields, this report recommends several actions federal, state, and local officials can take to improve election security.

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They weren’t quite the “hanging chad” of 2004, nor quite the safeguard envisioned by voting rights advocates. But regardless of how they were perceived, provisional voting was one of the most controversial aspects of post-Florida election reform around the country.

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A practical guides to the most applicable cybersecurity best practices in elections.

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Since 2011, election administrators, voting system certification specialists, testing laboratory professionals, and members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission have gathered annually to discuss ways to improve the reliability of voting systems in order to uphold the integrity of the vote for the American electorate.

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The following chart provides an overview of the state canvassing timeframes and recount thresholds in each state. State laws vary on the specific procedures for canvassing election results. In general, local officials (often a county canvassing board) meet within a specified timeframe to canvass and certify election results from precincts within the jurisdiction. Results for offices canvassed at the state level (e.g. statewide and multi‐county offices) are then transmitted to the state. State officials (often a state canvassing board) meet within a specified timeframe to canvass and certify those results.

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In 2016 Pew commissioned a survey of almost 3,000 citizens in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio as they left motor vehicle agencies to ask how and whether their experience complied with the National Voter Registration Act.

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At BestColleges.com, we’re encouraging college students to get out the vote. We’ve created a comprehensive voter’s guide replete with everything you need to know about voting in an election. Our state-by-state directory explores voter eligibility criteria, residency requirements, registration deadlines, and other voting guidelines in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our key issues guide takes a bipartisan look at the major talking points of this election, and reviews each candidate’s stance. Our voting rights manual outlines the registration process for college students in all circumstances. Finally, our voting resources list includes links to campus organizations, registration portals, and other sites geared toward college voters.

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In this ninth Election Reform Briefing: The 2004 Election, electionline.brinkdev.com seeks to offer an early analysis of what happened – good and bad – on November 2.

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In this, the 15th Electionline Briefing, “Election 2006 In Review,” we take an early look at what went wrong – and right – in the 2006 midterm election, with particular focus on voting machines, new procedures and preparation. The first general election since the final deadlines of the Help America Vote Act, this year’s vote saw polling places greatly changed – from new voting machines in an estimated one-third of all precincts to accessible machines, one per polling place nearly nationwide, to new requirements including mandatory voter ID in a number of states.

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Using phone calls received by the Election Protection coalition during the 2016 primary season, challenges faced by voters in 10 states are described.

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An in-depth look at the “business of elections” – the market for election goods and services that is both the cause and effect of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002.

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This report provides an overview and analysis of the current state of the election technology industry and vendors in the market.

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The Carter Center, in partnership with Emory University, is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

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The Election Center, also known as the National Association of Election Officials, is the only organization in the United States that focuses exclusively on the elections profession. Its membership includes the largest number of state and local voter registration election administrators in the United States. The organization exists to promote, preserve, and continuously improve the electoral process.

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Like any child, HAVA has changed as it has grown — changes that those of us who have been following election reform since 2000 may have missed in the daily back and forth of life in the field of elections. Thus, as HAVA reaches its fifth birthday, we here at electionline.brinkdev.com pull out the equivalent of the baby book and look back at HAVA’s first five years to see what these crucial early years of development might mean for elections in HAVA’s next five years and beyond.

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This report s the result of two years of studying all things related to elections and costs, addressing questions such as: What are the costs associated with running elections? What state policy choices relate to costs? What funding mechanisms are in use in the states? Can money buy security?

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For this briefing, the first of a series examining election reform issues, electionline.brinkdev.com and The Constitution Project surveyed election administrators in all 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding provisional voting. The research revealed no national standard; indeed, no two states implement this safeguard in exactly the same way. The survey discovered a collection of practices as varied as the states themselves.

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This report identifies recurring barriers to voting accessibility for people with disabilities.

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Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia allow some form of Internet voting, generally by overseas and military voters. Most states that allow this have these voters sign a waiver of their right to a secret ballot. The authors of the report believe this erodes the right to a secret ballot while noting the Internet can be used for other voting-related activities such as online voter registration, transmitting blank ballots to voters, and allowing voters to track their own ballots.

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The Voting Information Project (VIP) is a partnership of Democracy Works and the states to provide official information to voters about where to vote and what’s on their ballots where they look for it most—online. VIP ensures that voters have the official information they need to answer basic questions like: “Where is my polling place?”, “What’s on my ballot?”, and “How do I navigate the voting process?” VIP uses an open format to make election data available and accessible, using technology to ensure that all eligible Americans have the information they need to cast a ballot.

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This report compares the quality of elections around the world. The evidence gathered by the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) compares elections and any problems diagnosed across all eleven components of the electoral cycle. The full dataset allows comparison from mid-2012 to end-2015 in 180 nation-wide parliamentary and presidential contests held in 139 sovereign nations (excluding micro-states with populations below 100,000).

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This report updates a survey of 2,961 experts related to perceptions of electoral integrity. It includes 161 countries holding 260 national elections from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2017.

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In this, the 14th Election Reform Briefing, electionline.brinkdev.com explores the impact of the Language Minority Provision, not only on the growing electorate, but also on the administration of elections.

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TurboVote is an online service to help every American vote in every election—local, state, and national. TurboVote provides help registering to vote, applying for an absentee ballot, and sends notifications via text or email, so you never miss an election.

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NPPD’s vision is a safe, secure, and resilient infrastructure where the American way of life can thrive.  NPPD leads the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of the nation’s physical and cyber infrastructure.

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The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, created in 1957 by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin.

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The EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds.

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Committee on Rules and Administration, to which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to federal elections including the election of president, vice president and members of Congress.

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U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) and its Overseas Vote initiative work toward the realization of a singular mission: “Every Citizen is a Voter”. US Vote uses civic tech to simplify-out the complexity of voting across all states for all voters – domestic, overseas and military. US Vote and Overseas Vote websites serve millions of voters. The foundation is sustained through licensing of its Civic Data API, Hosted Systems Solutions and Overseas Vote Widget.

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America’s election system faces an urgent need for professionals who are well-trained in the latest technology and techniques in the field and well-versed in the legal and policy challenges facing our voting system. The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is responding to this widespread need with a pioneering, online program to prepare professionals in election administration.

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Local and state election officials may use this form to report past or current issues with official Election Mail processed by the United States Postal Service. This form is intended as a supplement to official reporting, and should not replace communication with your local post office.

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VerifiedVoting.org is a non-partisan non-profit organization that advocates for legislation and regulation that promotes accuracy, transparency and verifiability of elections. We believe the integrity and strength of our democracy relies on citizen’s trust that each vote be counted as cast.

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A new report finds that during the November 2016 election California election officials met and exceeded federal requirements in Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act related to providing translated ballots and bilingual poll workers to serve minority language communities.

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Envelope design can impact delivery of ballots to, and from, voters. Effective design ideas available here.

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Whether you are creating a new language program, adding an additional language, or simply revisiting your existing materials, this guide can provide insight in serving limited-English proficiency communities.

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This report examines the impact of voter ID laws on voter turnout.

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VRI is a format whose time has come. Before Automated Voter Registration (AVR) was dreamed up, states were doing NVRA agency modernization. This requires NVRA agencies and other agencies designated by the states to digitize their voter registration processes. VRI is a well vetted format that can be used to by NVRA agencies to jump start or modernize their digitization of VR record transactions.

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This report focuses on the 2016 election and its vote composition, turnout, and party support rates by demographic group.

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Per a Congressional request, the GAO examined access for people with disabilities at early voting and Election Day polling locations for the 2016 general election. Of the 178 polling places observed, 60 percent had one or more potential impediments outside the locations, such as steep ramps outside buildings, lack of signage for accessible paths, and poor parking.

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The Voting Information Project helps voters find information about their elections with collaborative, open-source tools.

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A demographic and geographic portrait of how Oregon’s Automatic Voter Registration system has worked to register hundreds of thousands of eligible citizens to vote.

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Analyzing a survey about the attitudes and experiences of unregistered voters.

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This report provides security recommendations for the current practices surrounding electronic blank ballot delivery and voted electronic ballot return within U.S. states and jurisdictions. These recommendations aim to be actionable for election officials, related intragovernmental agencies, and other related stakeholders. The recommendations contained here are not solely technical recommendations, as many procedural and operational safeguards are also suggested that can be implemented by election officials to help secure the election process.

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