Practice-Oriented Research to Improve Voter Registration and List Maintenance

Maintaining secure, accurate, and accessible voter registration rolls is an ongoing challenge that has come under increased political scrutiny in recent years.  

The challenges in maintaining voter rolls are rooted in a variety of factors that, to a large extent, distinguish the United States from peer democracies. Among these are high degrees of population mobility, decentralization of election administration, and strong attitudes about privacy. Within this larger framework, Americans hold divergent opinions and values on many issues that inform voter registration policy, and these divergent opinions often map onto partisan and ideological commitments. These divergent opinions interact with the broader context to create  policy and administrative landscapes that vary across and within states, as well as over time.

This program seeks to foster partnerships between academics and practitioners to advance research on how the voter registration system currently operates and close existing practice gaps. By addressing academic gaps through collaborative practice partnerships, our aim is to achieve an immediate impact, examining practices that can be implemented widely in a short period of time and clarifying common issues for policymakers and the public.