Resources

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

264 Resources

Gianna M. Wadowski, Leonie S. Otte, Nicholas D. Bernardo, Gretchen A. MachtMIT Election Data + Science Lab2023
In-Person Voting Academic Papers

In this paper, authors compare electronic and paper ballot voting systems, examining how election laws directly impact operational efficiency and capacity, and what this means for polling place design and resource allocation.

Nicholas D. Bernardo, Bridgett A. King, Gretchen A. Macht2023
In-Person Voting Academic Papers

In this paper, authors use simulation-optimization to identify voting equipment allocation requirements across different polling location consolidation strategies, providing guidance for jurisdictions considering consolidation.

Sabina Tomkins, Keniel Yao, Johann Gaebler, Tobias Konitzer, David Rothschild, Marc Meredith, Sharad Goel2023
In-Person Voting Academic Papers

This paper uses geographic discontinuities at block boundaries to identify the causal effect of polling place assignment on voter turnout, finding that distance to and familiarity with a polling location matter for participation.

Gérard P. Cachon, Dawson Kaaua2023
In-Person Voting Academic Papers

In this paper, authors examine how polling place closures following the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder decision affected voter wait times during Georgia's 2016 presidential election. Using queueing theory and empirical data, it quantifies the impact of consolidating polling locations on wait times, with particular attention to how closures affected different communities. Authors provide evidence linking post-Shelby polling place reductions to measurably longer lines.

Mohsen Abbasi, Calvin Barrett, Kristian Lum, Sorelle A. Friedler, Suresh Venkatasubramanian2023
In-Person Voting Academic Papers

In this paper, authors develop an algorithm that can reduce racial disparities in polling place access by suggesting improved placements for polling places from a list of identified public locations at the state level.

Anita Manion, David Kimball, Joseph Anthony, Adriano Udani, Ryan Pritchard2023
In-Person Voting Academic Papers

This paper present a case study examining the implementation of Election Day vote centers, finding that successful adoption requires coordination across multiple elements of the election ecosystem.

Alistair Clark, Toby S James2023
Workforce Academic Papers

This study aims to understand poll worker incentives and motivations. Authors analyze original data from a 2015 survey of poll workers during the 2015 British general election. They found that a range of relationships exist between individuals' decision to serve as a poll worker and various incentives, as well as poll workers' socio-economic, social capital, and satisfaction profiles.

Joshua Ferrer, Igor Geyn, Daniel M. ThompsonUniversity of California, Los Angeles2023
Workforce Academic Papers

This research studies whether characteristics such as election results, turnout, and policies in similar sized counties differ based on the political affiliation of directly elected local election officials. Authors find that regardless of political affiliation, local election officials are more likely to agree on election policies across parties than the general public and that these officials generally do not use their positions to advantage their party.

Anita Manion, Joseph Anthony, David Kimball, Adriano Udani, Paul Gronke2023
Workforce Academic Papers

In this paper, authors examine whether the main predictors of election administration opinions, particularly partisanship and jurisdiction size, are similar for LEOs and the public. They analyze results from two national surveys with identically worded questions administered to both groups, finding that these groups diverge on the topic of election integrity but share similar opinions on election security and reform proposals.

Jennifer Gaudette, Seth J. Hill, Thad Kousser, Mackenzie Lockhart, Mindy Romero2023
Voter Trust Academic Papers

Partisan actors in the United States have recently politicized trust in election administration. This paper suggests solutions for election officials to rebuild trust in democratic processes.

Jacob Jaffe, Joseph Loffredo, Samuel Baltz, Alejandro Flores, Charles Stewart IIIMIT Election Data + Science Lab2023
Voter Trust Audits & Validating Elections Academic Papers

Academic paper examining the use of audits following elections to improve voter confidence.

Philip B. StarkUniversity of California, Berkeley2022
Audits & Validating Elections Academic Papers

In this paper, authors present ALPHA, a flexible risk limiting audit method that can handle sampling without replacement and stratification while learning from audited ballots.