Curbside voting is a method of in-person voting where voters who are unable to physically enter their polling place (e.g., due to a disability) may request that a ballot be brought outside of the polling place to an accessible location such as a vehicle. A number of states either require or allow this option to…
Vote centers are an alternative to the traditional precinct based polling place model which allows voters to cast their ballot anywhere in the county in which they are eligible. Some states require vote centers while others allow counties the choice of whether to utilize them. In addition to convenience, vote centers can reduce costs and…
Provisional ballots are a backup voting method intended to allow voters who cannot establish their eligibility at the polling place to cast their ballot and have it counted. Provisional ballots are required under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) passed in 2002. Certain states were initially exempted from HAVA’s requirements, and of those states,…
A common barrier for voters casting their ballots in-person or returning absentee ballots is getting time away from their jobs. There is no federal law that requires voters be provided time off to cast their ballot, so that policy choice is left up to the states. Policymakers have taken two approaches to solve this issue:…
The National Popular Vote Compact is an agreement among states which seeks to implement a popular vote system for presidential elections—as opposed to the current Electoral College process which allows a president to be elected despite receiving less votes than his or her opponent. The Compact will take effect when joined by states representing 270…
Every state has laws outlining who is eligible to vote, and almost all states restrict voting for those who are currently incarcerated for a felony offense—though a few states allow citizens to vote while incarcerated. States differ on when and how formerly incarcerated people can have their voting rights restored.
Native Americans often face additional obstacles to voting, due to geographic challenges, lack of access to mail and government services, and a history of voter suppression, among other factors. A small number of states have implemented laws specifically designed to address and mitigate these obstacles.
Voter turnout is an important measure of the participation in and access to elections within a given state. MAP relied on research and data from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab’s Election Performance Index for this map.
The 2020 election saw a large increase in voters choosing to utilize absentee or mail ballots rather than traditional in-person voting. This increase created logistical issues for election jurisdictions in the ballot counting process, which in turn caused delayed results in some states. One policy states can use to help lessen these delays is allowing…
The federal Voting Rights Act (VRA), passed in 1965 thanks to the efforts of the civil rights movement, is one of the most important pieces of legislation ever enacted in our country. However, due to U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past decade, some of the most important protections of the federal VRA have been…
