Every state in the US has voter identification requirements. But — plot twist — every single one of those states goes about these requirements in its own particular way. Some states ask you to simply announce your name when you walk in to vote. Others require an official ID card with your photo on it. The rules vary widely, and for nearly two decades, voter ID has been a source of political controversy around the country.

As political scientists here at the MIT Election Lab, we are really social scientists. We work with many others to understand what’s happening. We aim to help the public by being a fact-based center of election analysis, in the midst of what might be a foggy information environment.

Expanding the opportunities Americans have to vote by mail (VBM) has been proposed as the most important policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to keep elections healthy and secure in 2020. Our newest article, told in part through interactive story maps, is part of the attempt to visualize trends of voting by mail within the United States.

We're launching a new feature at the MIT Election Lab blog! Each week, we'll be featuring new research published in election science or related fields that we find interesting. For this first week, we've gone back in time a bit, but in future editions, you can expect to see articles that are hot off the presses.