Resources

Use our resource library to explore the latest research in the field of election science.

33 Resources

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, James Thomas Tucker2020
Usability & Accessibility Issue Briefs

Authors describe the difficulties that vote-by-mail presents for Native American voters. Specifically, “members of the 574 federally recognized tribes” face barriers to political participation to a greater degree than any other racial or ethnic group. The authors also define measures that can be taken to level the field, all while respecting social distancing.

Workforce Issue Briefs

This article, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, discusses the overarching trend of poll worker shortages in U.S. elections. Authors identify potential strategies to address shortages, rooted in the practices of state and local election officials. While the pandemic serves as the backdrop for this article, its recommendations remain relevant to elections today.

Workforce Issue Briefs

This resource provides strategies for election officials for recruiting and retaining election workers. It features direct examples from local jurisdicitions that have had success implementing these strategies.

Audits & Validating Elections Issue Briefs

In this resource, Verified Voting explains why post-election audits of paper ballots provide evidence for election outcomes and opportunities to correct outcomes when needed.

The Pew Charitable Trusts2018
Voter Registration Issue Briefs

Pew commissioned a 2016 survey of almost 3,000 citizens in five Great Lakes states—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio—as they exited MVAs after completing licensing transactions in order to determine the extent to which their experience complied with the Motor Voter law. Their findings touch on whether voters were offered the opportunity to register to vote or update their registration, how voters registered, and the mean transaction time to register.

City and County of San Francisco
Workforce Videos

The City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections maintains publicly available training resources for poll workers on their website, including informational videos and an up-to-date poll worker manual. Topics covered include poll worker duties in opening a polling place, assisting voters, and closing a polling place.

Workforce Issue Briefs

This resource provides an overview of state poll worker policies, highlighting the variance between states and need for unique approach to designing and implementing poll worker programs. Statutory references are provided for state laws related to poll worker qualifications, youth poll worker programs, residency requirements, and partisan distribution.

Workforce Issue Briefs

This resource provides tips and guidance for election officials to design clear, simple, easy to use, and easy to understand instructional materials for poll workers.

Steven RicherHarvard Kennedy School, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
Voter Trust Issue Briefs

Former Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer outlines a potential solution to improving voter trust by offering election facility tours.