White Papers

This report investigates the roles different voting structures around the world play in increasing turnout among eligible voters. The purpose is to surface several alternatives the United States could explore as a way of confronting its voting challenges and increasing turnout.

This report looks at what best practices from a sample of peer nations that states (or the federal government) should consider adopting, including greater centralization, improved data sharing operations, regularized and timely voter contact, and the selective targeting of unregistered populations.

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) programs are most often associated with motor-voter programs at state DMVs across the nation. But is that the only government agency where AVR could work? This paper explores alternative government agencies where current infrastructures would support forms of AVR.

For decades, there have been resounding issues with funding elections across the country. Outside of lack of federal funding for elections, one of the main reasons for this is that the systems for financing the administration of elections are as decentralized and varied as the systems for conducting elections. This paper reviews experiences and elections budgets from 12 states to better educate those in the electoral space about the dire need for more funding.

Much of the discussion of elections and election laws centers on access to voting and election security, and the ostensible tradeoff between the two. This paper presents an alternative perspective for evaluating election administration policies, drawing from the administrative burdens framework.