MIT Election Lab

The field of election science is continuously advancing, with new research, tools, and solutions being developed and put into practice across the country every day. To make it easy to share these advances, we are excited to announce the Election Resource Hub! buff.ly/FpzxeGA

In a new blog post, our founding director @cstewartiii.bsky.social explores the challenging new dynamic between state-managed voter list maintenance practices and federal pressure to implement new systems before Election Day. Read more at: democracyproject.org/posts/clean-....

As the 2026 midterm election gets closer, we're taking a look at what the the 2024 Elections Performance Index said about the in-person voting experience, including accessibility, voting wait time & provisional ballot usage. Learn more about how these indicators provide data on voting in-person ⬇️

The Wisconsin State Report and Data Guide are now available as part of the 2026 Elections Performance Central project! These resources make it easy to explore Wisconsin's election administration landscape alongside the post-election data the state makes available for researchers' use.

Are you passionate about election data? Want to help guide a team of researchers in managing the data science workflow of the MIT Election Lab? We're looking for a new Research Director! Share and tell your networks about this exciting new opportunity.Learn more about this position: buff.ly/JT9HC3z

States have their own processes for keeping voter rolls updated, including identifying when a voter moved. To better understand states' similarities & differences the Election Law Program at William and Mary is reviewing each state's list maintenance procedures. electionlab.mit.edu/articles/wha...

The USCIS SAVE system is one of the tools available to election officials to inform their voter list maintenance processes. The @bipartisanpolicy.org has been examining its use, accuracy, and voter responses to it—learn more electionlab.mit.edu/articles/eva...

Voter list maintenance is complex. That's why researchers from Connecticut College, Ball State University’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program & Indiana election officials are researching how to better share info with voters on list maintenance procedures. electionlab.mit.edu/articles/lis...

The Election Law program at @ohiostatelaw.bsky.social is expanding their database of election law cases to include voter list maintenance and voter registration legal challenges and outcomes! Learn more about this exciting new project by going to electionlab.mit.edu/articles/lit...

"Election Resources Election Officials May Not Know About" is tomorrow (September 30) at 12 p.m. ET. Join our Associate Director and the Election Director of @ncslorg.bsky.social for a deep-dive of two new resources connecting election officials with the latest research & policy. 🔗 buff.ly/c7V7Hre

"Election Resources Election Officials May Not Know About" is on September 30 at 12 pm ET! Join our Associate Director and the Elections Director of @ncslorg.bsky.social for a demonstration of their new resources making it easy to connect policy with practice for election officials. buff.ly/c7V7Hre

ERIC is a national compact between states to help maintain accurate voter rolls. The recent withdrawal of 9 states prompted two University of Missouri-St. Louis researchers to investigate the benefits and tradeoffs of participation & the role election officials had in the decision.

🆕 gig alert! We're looking for a Research Director to oversee the data science workflow of the lab's election-related data collection, processing, and sharing efforts. Could this be you, or someone you know? Learn more about this position or pass it along to your networks: buff.ly/GoItenf

@ncslorg.bsky.social and the Elections and Voting Information Center are creating a voter registration and list maintenance classification system with three distinct components supporting election officials, researchers, and policymakers nationwide! 🔗 electionlab.mit.edu/articles/tow...

Keeping voter registration rolls up-to-date relies on participation from voters as much as it does election officials. The Center for Civic Design is investigating how election officials communicate with voters in ways that build trust & generates results for election officials to use. Learn more ⬇️

Most US voters still cast their ballots in person. How do election officials meet the operational needs of Election Day and the experiential needs of their voters? Our guide provides key ideas, vetted research, and answers to frequently asked questions on practical steps to improve in-person voting.

Most voters don't realize how much time election officials spend thinking about the geography behind their ballot. The Idaho Policy Institute is creating solutions for election officials to better visualize the GIS data needed to effectively conduct elections. electionlab.mit.edu/articles/geo...

Looking for practical research on election administration? Explore the Election Resource Hub! Our resources and guides are great tools for election officials looking for evidence-based recommendations to support their work. buff.ly/46MKz14

Democracy depends, in part, on public trust that elections are fair and accurate. But how do researchers measure something like trust, and how can that research help election officials in their work? Learn more about the latest research in improving voter trust in: buff.ly/Lt1SmNw

The Unstoppable Vote is a new podcast about the resilience of American elections and the people who run them. Part one features a firsthand account of how Hurricane Helene decimated western North Carolina just 39 days before a national election. Listen now 🎧 www.booksandballots.org/p/the-unstop...

Voter roll maintenance procedures have increasingly come under scrutiny. The CEIR team is analyzing states' list maintenance policies to better support election officials, encourage best practices, and contextualize registration rates. Learn more: electionlab.mit.edu/articles/act...

Data Driven Democracy is our new LinkedIn newsletter! Give us a follow for the latest insights and developments in the field of election science, from our analysis of the trends in 2026's election data to new research in list maintenance procedures and best practices. buff.ly/NNWzvtE

Michigan is the latest state we've added to the 2026 Election Performance Central project! Check out our analysis of Michigan's current electoral landscape and primary election, as well as a new guide to finding statewide election data. buff.ly/qR1ltKJ

The theme of last week's APSA conference was "Democracy Under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild." Members of our research team joined academics from across the country to discuss and explore new evidence-backed research. @apsa.bsky.social

Elections produce large amounts of data, from the number of registered voters to how many of those voters cast a ballot. States have their own policies governing what data it makes available, how, & to whom. We're producing guides that steer researchers through what data are available for 11 states.

Curious about Arizona's recent primaries and how the state administers its elections? Looking for election data from the Grand Canyon State? The 2026 Elections Performance Index makes that information, and so much more, easy to find. Explore it today at: buff.ly/QiKgMAi

We had a great time at the 41st annual Election Center conference last week! We were glad to share updates on our 10 grantees conducting practice-oriented research to improve voter registration and list maintenance. Learn more about this project: buff.ly/Rnm0V4O

The Election Resource Hub connects scholarship with practice, making it easy for election officials to find the latest vetted, trusted resources in the field of election science. We're glad Karen shared these resources at the 46th annual Wisconsin Municipal Clerks association last week!

Voters depend on election office websites for important information about their local elections. But can they find what they're looking for, and is it in a format they can access? Join a webinar on Thursday, 8/27 for a conversation about new research and best practices in election website design.

The work doesn't stop for election officials after the polls close; results still have to be counted! This updated explainer illustrates the process of how communities process, report, canvass, and certify results after voters have cast their ballots. Check it out: buff.ly/JGSqT9f

🆕 state alert for the EPC! The California State Report & Data Guide are now available! Visit the link below to learn more about recent policy and law changes in California, the landscape of election administration in the state, and where to find public results for election data. 🔗 buff.ly/L1TJ6LI

Curious about how the Local Election Official Survey is administered? Want tips for building relationships with local election practitioners? Check out this month's Books and Ballots interview with Paul Manson: buff.ly/2wM5exq

Curious about how the Local Election Official Survey is administered? Want tips for building relationships with local election practitioners? Check out this month's Books and Ballots interview with Paul Manson: www.booksandballots.org/p/books-and-...

The Elections Performance Central project is back for the 2026 election, featuring a combination of academic research, analysis, and election data to understand how our election systems respond and adapt to changes. Learn more in the latest edition of our LinkedIn newsletter: buff.ly/5yJtwfy

exas is the second most populated state in the country, with lots of useful data for researchers—if you know where to find it. Our guide to Texas election data is available now in the 2026 Elections Performance Central: buff.ly/YRjpOuR

Used in 24 states & Washington D.C., automatic voter registration integrates voter registration systems with transactions at government agencies, reducing some of the administrative barriers to maintaining up-to-date voter rolls for election officials. Learn more about this process: buff.ly/OB7n5G3

Data Driven Democracy is a new LinkedIn newsletter from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab exploring how scientific principles can be used to improve the democratic process. Subscribe now so you don't miss our next monthly update: buff.ly/0z6adWT

ICYMI: The Election Resource Hub was featured in last week's electionline Weekly! Check it out to learn more about this new project from the Lab connecting scholarship with practice for election officials. electionline.org/electionline...

Through academic research, the Election Performance Central project seeks to understand how our election system responds and adapts to the changes in our election landscape. We've just published a data guide and detailed report exploring Georgia's 2026 primaries: buff.ly/u4tArJF

The Election Resource Hub is featured in today's electionline! Check out the article to learn more about how the Hub can connect you to the latest research and tools for running elections, including solutions that are being put into practice across the country. buff.ly/Cq9XF1i

The Election Resource Hub is a one-stop-shop connecting the latest academic research in election science with practical, actionable results for election officials nationwide. Learn more about what inspired this new tool and what resources are currently available in our launch blog: