Resources

An early assessment of the growing trend of states expanding the use of absentee and early in-person voting in elections.

This paper analyzes postregistration costs and state policies that can make it easier for registered citizens to vote. Authors find that mailing each registrant a sample ballot and information about the location of their polling place, and providing a longer voting day enhance turnout, especially by the young and the less educated.

In this paper, Berinsky examines electoral reforms design to make it easier for registered voters to cast their ballot. He finds that these reforms increase socioeconomic biases in the composition of the voting public and recommends using political engagement strategies to improve ballot access, rather than institutional changes.

A foundational study of the early consequences of all vote-by-mail elections. This paper studies individual-level voter turnout data in Oregon and concludes that all vote-by-mail elections increase turnout by retaining voters in the electorate, rather than by allowing more low-propensity voters to participate.

Authors examine the question of whether or not conducting elections entirely through the mail rather than at the traditional polling place increases participation. Using election data from Oregon, the authors examine whether mail-based elections increase turnout in both local and statewide elections. The paper uses precinct-level data merged with census data. It finds that, while all-mail elections tend to produce higher turnout, the most significant increases occur in low-stimulus elections, such as local elections or primaries, where turnout is usually low. The increase in turnout, however, is not uniform across demographic groups. Voting only by mail is likely to increase turnout among those who are already predisposed to vote, such as those with higher socioeconomic status. This is one of the early foundational studies of voting by mail.

Stein's article "Early Voting" provides a foundational analysis of who votes early, how early voters behave in contrast to election-day voters, and whether their ballot choices differ. The article discusses findings related to attitudinal and demographic differences between early and election-day voters, and partisan advantage, among others.

In this paper, authors develop a resource model of political participation whereby time, money, and civic skills are distributed differently among socioeconomic groups. Access to these resources help individuals overcome voting barriers and thus have a strong impact on political participation.

In this paper, Aldrich asserts that voting is a "marginal activity" which is affected by costs. He finds that because the costs and benefits of voting are low, small "non-rational" factors such as social pressure or psychological stakes can impact a person's decision to vote. These findings are foundational to academic literature on voter turnout.

This usability testing kit contains a collection of guidelines and templates to help election officials check the usability of election materials. They are intended to help election officials systematize their usability tests, produce reliable findings, and expand their ability to test voting materials thoroughly with real users.

This resource provides an overview of the federal laws that facilitate voting by people with disabilities. It contains links to resources and tools for election officials and organizations to understand the experiences of voters who are blind or low vision and to learn how to better serve them. This includes materials that educate and encourage blind voters to become poll workers.

This resource allows election officials to estimate the number of accessible voting machines needed at a given polling place to meet target wait times for voters with disabilities. This calculation accounts for factors such as number of in-person voters, check-in stations, and hand-marked ballot voting stations, among others.