Voting and Election Administration
- The State Voting Laws Roundup tracks state legislation across the country and identifies trends.
- “How State Legislators Can Protect Election Integrity and Security” is a practical reference for deploying state authority to defend election systems and the right to vote.
- “Local Election Officials Survey 2026” finds that local election officials want state and local governments to make up for the loss of federal support for election security.
- “Mitigating Election Disruption: Bomb Threats and Hoaxes” highlights recent trends and offers strategies for proactive planning and response by law enforcement and election officials.
- The State Election Law Interference Handbooks provide state-specific resources to help local officials prepare for and respond to disruptions.
- An Agenda to Strengthen U.S. Democracy in the Age of AI explores how state policymakers can mitigate risks to elections and governance posed by artificial intelligence tools.
- Election Certification lays out the steps that legislatures can take to prevent rogue officials from injecting chaos into routine and mandatory processes.
Guns and Voting provides policy recommendations to keep guns away from election sites and prevent intimidation of election workers and voters.
Redistricting
- “What the Supreme Court Gets Wrong about Democracy in the South” analyzes how Louisiana v. Callais incorrectly assumes that politics in the region have moved beyond race.
- “After Louisiana v. Callais: Here’s Proof of Just How Bad Voting Rights in America Are About to
Get” explains how the ruling will have devastating consequences for voters of color. - “The Turnout Effects of Redistricting Institutions” finds that districts drawn by independent commissions have higher turnout than those drawn by legislatures or courts.
- Prison Gerrymandering Distorts Representation finds that counting incarcerated people at their homes rather than prisons could add state house seats for urban communities of color.
Federal Attacks on Voting
- The Trump Administration’s Campaign to Undermine Elections collects our work on the administration’s unprecedented and wide-ranging attempts to interfere with the vote.
- State Accountability for Federal Interference at Polling Places provides a model state legislation that would enable the prosecution of armed federal agents who interfere with elections.
- “Watch Out for False Voter Fraud Claims Fueled by SAVE Program” describes flaws in the federal data-matching program, which could result in eligible voters being struck from the rolls.
Money in Politics and Campaign Financing
- “Fifteen Years Later, Citizens United Defined the 2024 Election” analyzes the fallout of the Supreme Court decision and outlines campaign finance reforms that states and localities can pursue.
- “Small Donor Public Financing Explained” details the features, benefits, and popularity of successful programs.
- “New York State’s Public Campaign Financing Program Empowers Constituent Small Donors” shows how the new program has expanded legislative candidates’ reliance on ordinary voters.
Threats to Elected Officials
- Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders documents the increased abuse of state and local officeholders and proposes solutions to better protect them.
- “Hostility and Abuse Threaten to Undermine Gains in Representative Democracy” details how threats disproportionately target underrepresented groups, impeding fair representation.
Law Enforcement and Civil Liberties
- “State and Territorial Laws Governing the National Guard” catalogs and analyzes the laws controlling how governors can use the National Guard and calls for state-level reforms.
- “The Dangers of the Trump Administration’s Data Consolidation Efforts” urges Congress and state and local governments to create new safeguards for data privacy.
- “Principles for Social Media Use by Law Enforcement” outlines guardrails states can impose on law enforcement agencies’ surveillance of social media to protect privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
Criminal Justice Reform
- Prison Reform in the United States examines innovative corrections practices that can yield safer prisons and prepare incarcerated people to successfully reenter society.
- “Crime-Prevention Efforts Face Setbacks After Federal Cuts” details the effects of the Justice Department’s withdrawal of funding for long-standing public safety programs and partnerships.
- New York’s Clean Slate Act presents a case study of the landmark law’s development and passage.
State Courts and Constitutions
- Countering Originalism offers strategies for responding to originalist arguments that legislators or their counsel may encounter in constitutional challenges to state laws.
- Choosing State Judges: A Plan for Reform calls for reform to judicial selection practices for state supreme courts, where high-cost elections have become the norm.
- Judicial Recusal Reform: Toward Independent Consideration of Disqualification examines an under scrutinized challenge for fair and impartial courts.
