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Voting Policy Resources

Voting is an important and deeply meaningful part of what it means to be an American. It is one of our most fundamental rights that gives people a voice in the decisions that impact our lives and a say in how we are governed.

As our nation has changed over time, our election system has largely stayed the same. Many of the advances that have transformed the way we live have not been used to modernize the way we vote. And as threats to democracy increase, there is growing urgency to ensure that our elections are safe, secure, and successful—and that every eligible American can register, vote, and make their voice heard.

Fortunately, election officials and voters across the country are supporting a number of proven policies—like mail voting, absentee voting, and automatic voter registration—that can help make our elections safe, accessible, and secure. However, emerging trends also show how restrictive measures are poised to significantly impact future election outcomes. MAP has developed a series of resources to build understanding of these opposing policies and their effects on how voters cast their ballots, in addition to the security and independence of our elections. 

Related Resources

Laws Protecting Election Officials Against Threats
Since 2020, state and local election officials have increasingly been the targets of an alarming increase in violent threats and harassment. As a result, some states have put in place new laws that seek to explicitly protect the election officials who protect our democracy.
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Independence of State Congressional Redistricting Process
Some states have enacted policies to prevent gerrymandering by requiring legislative maps to be drawn by independent commissions rather than the legislatures themselves. This map tracks policies that govern congressional redistricting processes within the states.
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Restrictions on Third-Party Voter Registration Drives
While almost all states allow voter registration drives, some ban them entirely, and a number of states have implemented restrictions that operate to unduly burden these efforts.
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Nonpartisan Election Observers
While most states allow the use of partisan poll watchers, a number of states also have policies that allow nonpartisan election observers such as academics or the media to witness various parts of the state’s election processes.
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Availability of Vote Centers (county-wide polling places)
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.
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Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated People
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.
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Online Absentee Ballot Application
Similar to online voter registration, a number of states have recently enacted policies that allow voters to request absentee ballots through an online system. This policy gives voters additional options outside of mailing or submitting paper application forms by hand.
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Map image of Voter Turnout Percentage captured on July 13, 2026
Voter Turnout Percentage
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, which depicts voter turnout rates.
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Prepaid Ballot Postage
This map details how states vary in their policies regarding return postage for absentee or mail ballots, with some states providing prepaid return postage envelopes so voters don’t need to pay for postage themselves.
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Direct Citizen Initiative States
The initiative process is a tool through which citizens can propose statutes or constitutional amendments to be put on the ballot in their state. Often referred to generally as ballot measures, the initiative process can be direct or indirect depending on the state.
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Map image of Permanent Absentee Lists captured on July 13, 2026
Permanent Absentee Voter List Availability
Some states have implemented options for voters to sign up to be placed on a list to permanently receive absentee ballots each election. States differ on whether all voters or only certain voters are eligible for this option, and other states allow annual or bi-annual sign ups.
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Mail Ballot Receipt Deadlines
Most states require voters to return their absentee or mail ballots to ensure their ballots are received by the appropriate authority by Election Day. This map visualizes state ballot receipt deadlines that fall before, on, or after Election Day.
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Risk-Limiting Audits
This map details the states that conduct risk-limiting audits, which are a form of post-election audits that use statistical methods to analyze random samples of ballots and verify the accuracy of election results.
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Map image of Private Funding Bans captured on July 13, 2026
Bans on Private Funding of Election Offices
Since 2021, a number of states have enacted bans on grants that provided additional funding for election offices, while disregarding the gaps in funding that led to the need for the grants in 2020.
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Map image of State Level Voting Rights Acts captured on July 13, 2026
State Voting Rights Acts
This map illustrates the landscape of state voting rights acts, which are generally modeled after the federal Voting Rights Act but differ in scope. State voting rights acts provide new legal tools to fight voter suppression in court, create protections against voter intimidation and racial discrimination, and more.
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Voter Identification Requirements for In-Person Voting
This map details how states differ on whether identification must be shown by voters voting in-person and which forms of identification are considered acceptable.
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“Voter Intent” Laws to Standardize Ballot Interpretation
Almost every state has some form of a “voter intent” law or policy, which operates to guide election officials in determining a voter’s choices on their ballot. These policies help in situations where the voter’s marks on a ballot are unclear or there are stray markings, and allow voter’s ballots
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Voter Preregistration
Preregistration is a policy that allows eligible people as young as 16 to sign up to be registered to vote once they turn 18. Preregistration increases turnout and engagement for young voters, who are historically the least likely to exercise their right to vote.
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Map image of Drop Box Policies captured on July 13, 2026
Ballot Drop Box Policies & Availability
In addition to returning absentee or mail ballots through the postal service, many states offer voters the option of returning their ballot to a secure drop box provided by election authorities. States take a variety of policy approaches to ballot drop boxes, with some states requiring or allowing they be
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Third Party Ballot Collection Policies
Third party ballot collection, which is also referred to negatively as “ballot harvesting,” refers to a voter allowing another individual to return their completed ballot. This map categorizes state laws based on whether any restrictions on ballot collection are overly burdensome to voters.
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Absentee/Mail Ballot Verification
States use a variety of methods to verify that absentee and mail ballots were returned by the correct voter. Many states conduct rigorous signature verification processes or match identifying information such as driver’s license numbers, while some states only confirm the ballot is signed or the voter has affirmed their
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Security of Voting Machines (Hand-marked Paper Ballots)
States vary widely in the types of voting machines used for in-person voting. The most secure systems use paper ballots that allow the voter to verify their choices.
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Online Voter Registration
Online voter registration is a policy that improves the voter registration process by allowing voters to fill out and submit registration forms electronically through online systems set up by their state. In most states, these systems work in tandem with, and are checked against, information from driver’s licenses or other
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Map image of Post Election Audits captured on July 13, 2026
Post-Election Audits Required
This map illustrates states that require post-election audits, a nonpartisan process that allows states to verify the accuracy and performance of voting equipment and vote counting machines.
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Map image of Voter Registration Deadlines captured on July 13, 2026
Voter Registration Deadlines
While every state determines their own registration deadline, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) (1993) does not allow states to set a deadline more than 30 days before an election. Deadlines vary from up to 30 days in some states to states which allow registration through Election Day. Allowing Election
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Efficient Absentee/Mail Ballot Processing
The majority of states allow absentee and mail ballots to be processed prior to Election Day. This processing does not involve tallying or releasing results ahead of Election Day, but rather taking steps such as verifying voter signatures and opening ballot envelopes so that counting can later be done more
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Membership in Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
This map depicts member states in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a non-profit organization created in 2012 to assist states in improving the accuracy of their voter rolls. ERIC helps states modernize their voter registration systems and increase efficiency and security.
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Bans on Guns in Polling Places
There is currently no federal law prohibiting the possession of firearms in polling places, and therefore these policy decisions are left to the states. Our map distinguishes between states with total prohibitions on guns in polling places, and states with partial bans. Partial bans have exceptions for either open or
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Early Voting Availability
Almost all states offer some form of early voting, but the length of the early voting period varies by state. Hours and locations may vary by county. Our scoring includes states that offer “in-person absentee voting,” which is a process by which a voter completes an absentee ballot at a
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State Legislature Interference in Elections
Starting in 2021, some state legislatures enacted laws that increase the danger of election subversion by giving the legislatures more power to interfere in election administration. This map tracks which states have these laws in place and which states do not.
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Voting Wait Time and Line Length
This map uses research and data from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab’s Election Performance Index to depict average voting wait time lengths in 2020.
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Partisanship of State Primary Election Systems
State primary elections determine the candidates that will be on the ballot for the general election. States primary election systems vary widely, with some elections only open to voters registered with a particular party, while other states allow non-affiliated voters to participate as well. While most state primary systems are
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Map image of Provisional Ballot Policies captured on July 13, 2026
Provisional Ballot Availability & Counting Procedures
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. This map tracks state policies on how provisional ballots are counted when a voter casts their ballot in the wrong precinct.
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Additional Requirements to Return Absentee Ballots
In most states, when a voter casts their absentee ballot, they can simply return the ballot through the mail or in person at a drop box or election office. However, some states impose additional required steps that can create barriers to voters casting their ballot.
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Native American Voting Protections
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.
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Protections Against Election Disinformation
This type of legislation prohibits the knowing dissemination of false information regarding the time, place and manner of conducting elections, as well as false or misleading information about qualifications or restrictions related to voter eligibility.
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Map image of Voter Roll Purges captured on July 13, 2026
Voter Roll Purges Based Solely on Infrequent Voting
To maintain the accuracy of voter lists, states utilize a number of methods, such as removing voters who have moved or died, or more aggressive tactics which can result in unwarranted removal from registration lists, including removal from registration lists based solely on a voter’s inactivity in recent elections.
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Map image of Automatic Voter Registration captured on July 13, 2026
Automatic Voter Registration
This map shows states with automatic voter registration (AVR), a policy that modernizes the voter registration process by automatically registering eligible voters through their interactions with state agencies, most commonly when people apply for or renew their driver’s licenses.
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Proof of Citizenship Requirements for Registration
This map tracks the landscape of proof of citizenship laws, which require individuals to provide documents such as a passport or original birth certificate to be registered to vote. These laws disproportionately impact marginalized communities, create immense administrative and cost burdens on election officials, and disrupt current registration systems.
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Curbside Voting for Voters with Disabilities
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 explicitly allow
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Election Day Holidays and Paid Time Off to Vote
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: making Election Day a public holiday or requiring employers to provide paid time off for
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Availability of No-Excuse Absentee Voting
The majority of states permit absentee voting, which allows voters to cast their ballot without going to a traditional polling place, in most cases by voting through the mail. States differ in the requirements to qualify to vote absentee, with some states allowing any voter to do so and others
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All-Mail Voting States
A small number of states conduct vote by mail elections, where every eligible voter is mailed a ballot without having to request one. Ballots are returned through the mail or to secure ballot drop boxes or election offices. Voters who wish to do so may still cast their ballot in-person
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Ballot Tracking for Mail Voting
In addition to offering the option for voters to apply for absentee ballots online, many states also allow voters to track those ballots online as well. Voters can see where their ballot is in the process, and be confident their ballot was received, is secure and will be counted.
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Ballot & Signature Cure Availability (Opportunity for Voter to Correct Errors)
Many states verify absentee and mail ballots by examining the voter’s signature on the ballot envelope, and voters sometimes make errors or neglect to sign the envelopes. Some states have implemented policies that require the voter be contacted and allowed to correct these mistakes so they can have their ballot
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Map image of Criminalization of Election Administration captured on July 13, 2026
Election Officials Face Threats of Undue Criminal Penalties/Fines
In 2021, some state legislatures enacted new harsh criminal penalties, depicted in this map, that threaten election officials with felony charges and heavy fines for minor technical infractions "increasing the potential for targeted intimidation and partisan abuse of election officials."
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Map image of Democracy Snapshot: Overall Policy Score captured on July 13, 2026
Democracy Snapshot: Overall Policy Score
This map shows the overall democracy policy scores for each state, and the District of Columbia. A state’s democracy score accounts for the number of laws and policies within the state that help create a healthy election system.
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Absentee and Mail Voting Policies
This map depicts states that conduct all-mail elections, as well as states that do and do not require an excuse to vote absentee.
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