Research
Research Explainers
Modes of voting
Research pertaining to how Americans cast ballots
Voting and participation
Research pertaining to access to the ballot box and exercising the franchise
Administering the system of elections
Research pertaining to managing the process of voting
Projects
Projects
Deepening Scientific Research
Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project
The Voting Technology Project was established by Caltech President David Baltimore and MIT President Charles Vest in December 2000 to prevent a recurrence of the problems that threatened the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election.
External Resources
Presidential Commission on Election Administration (Mirror Website)
For those looking for the website of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, we maintain a mirror site to archive its information online.
Studying Voters' Experiences
Survey of the Performance of American Elections
The Survey of the Performance of American Elections is the only national survey of registered voters that is focused on understanding the voting process from the perspective of the voter. It was begun in 2008 and repeated in 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Evaluating U.S. Elections
Elections Performance Index
The Elections Performance Index is the premier assessment tool to evaluate election administration across the nation. It allows viewers to compare election administration policy and performance across states and from one election cycle to the next. The current index is based on the U.S. presidential and mid-term elections ranging from 2008–2016.
Working Papers
+ Reports
Working Papers
Modeling Voting Service Times with Machine Logs
Residual Votes and Abstentions in the 2016 Election
Reports
February 2019
Waiting to Vote in the 2016 Presidential Election: Evidence from a Multi-County Study
May 2018
Improving The Voter Experience: Reducing Polling Place Wait Times by Measuring Lines and Managing Polling Place Resources