White Papers
On March 31, 2026, the Trump administration issued the Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections Executive Order. This white paper dissects the portion of the order that requires the federal government to create and send a "state citizenship list" to each state and discusses implementation concerns, as well as practical challenges for such a federal list, even under the best conditions.
On March 31, 2026, President Trump announced an executive order entitled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” This analysis provides insight into what the executive order would do and reflects on some of its impacts.
In partnership with the Center for Tech and Civic Life, this white paper explores early departures in state legislatures across the United States.
REAL ID has made a splash in recent news cycles, legislation at the state and federal level, and in conversations around voter registration. This overview explains what REAL ID is and its ability to verify citizenship.
In collaboration with the R Street Institute and the Institute for Responsive Government, we detail the security and integrity protections that make American elections strong, resilient, and trustworthy in every jurisdiction.
During an interview on February 2, 2026, President Trump discussed the idea of increased federal involvement in elections, urging his allies to “nationalize the voting.” The next day, he elaborated that if states “can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over” and said that “the federal government should get involved.” This brief fact sheet outlines reasons why this cannot happen.
This paper analyzes the financial realities of moving U.S. state legislative elections to a proportional representation (PR) system — specifically, an "open list" system with larger, multi-member districts.
Former election officials Kathy Boockvar (D-PA) and Matt Crane (R-CO) discuss the challenges that have emerged over the past five years in the elections space — polarization accelerating into hostility; false narratives and propaganda sharpening every divide; and escalating attacks on the very bedrock of our electoral system.