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Welcome
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ReformElections.org is The Century Foundation's informational Web site
on election reform. Here you'll find:
Learn more about the Foundation's work on election reform here.
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Low Turnout in Virginia: It's Also About Felon Disenfranchisement
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Tova Andrea Wang,
The Century Foundation,
11/9/2009
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Lost in all the political spin around the elections this week is the issue of, once again, abominable turnout. The conventional wisdom is that this is always the case for an “off year” election, as though that were in itself some legitimate justification or reason not to care. The importance of our democracy tells us it is not. The situation in Virginia was particularly disheartening. But Virginia’s new governor, Robert McDonnell, can take a step towards doing something about that. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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Is Everyone Else Doing It? Indiana’s Voter Identification Law in International Perspective
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Tova Andrea Wang,
Frederic Charles Schaffer,
Harvard Law and Policy Review,
10/26/2009
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Since the passage of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, requiring
people to present identification to vote has become one of the most
controversial and divisive issues in election reform. HAVA necessitates,
among other things, that members of a small group of people—new voters
registering by mail—establish their identity in one of many ways.1 While
about half of the states in the country today apply just that requirement,
many states have used the HAVA identification provision to justify additional,
more stringent measures. At present, twenty-four states require all
voters to present identification when casting a ballot in person. Download the report (PDF).
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Is Everyone Else Doing It? Indiana’s Voter Identification Law in International Perspective
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Tova Andrea Wang,
Frederic Charles Schaffer,
Harvard Law and Policy Review,
10/26/2009
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Since the passage of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, requiring
people to present identification to vote has become one of the most
controversial and divisive issues in election reform. HAVA necessitates,
among other things, that members of a small group of people—new voters
registering by mail—establish their identity in one of many ways.1 While
about half of the states in the country today apply just that requirement,
many states have used the HAVA identification provision to justify additional,
more stringent measures. At present, twenty-four states require all
voters to present identification when casting a ballot in person. Download the report (PDF).
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Voting in 2008: Lessons Learned
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Tova Andrea Wang,
The Century Foundation,
11/10/2008
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Much has been made of the fact that there was no catastrophic meltdown in the election system this year. The fact that problems were not as pervasive as they might have been is due to the hard work of the voting rights community and election administrators in the months and even years before the election and the enthusiasm and persistence of voters. At the same time, thousands and thousands of voters faced unacceptable barriers to voting this year, demonstrating that much more work remains to be done. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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This Election: Deceptive Practices 2.0?
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10/20/2008
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Washington – Amid daily reports of voter suppression and dirty tricks in the 2008 Presidential election, major civil rights organizations today released a report exposing a worrying new generation of online deceptive practices designed to mislead and intimidate voters. The report, released by Common Cause, The Century Foundation and The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is entitled Deceptive Practices 2.0: Legal And Policy Responses and describes potential online dirty tricks to disseminate false or misleading information over the Internet.
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Deceptive Practices 2.0: Legal And Policy Responses
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The Century Foundation,
The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law,
Common Cause,
10/20/2008
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The Century Foundation, The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Common Cause released a new report exposing potential online dirty tricks to disseminate false or misleading information over the Internet designed to mislead or intimidate voters. The report examines existing state and federal laws that might be used to stop these worrying scams, finding that while many laws are not adequate, some laws currently on the books in many states can be used to address online voter suppression.
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Read the Report (PDF).
View Press Release.
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Voting in 2008: A close look at voting preparedness in 10 swing states
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9/16/2008
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16 September’08, Washington, DC—As election officials brace for record-breaking voter turnout on Election Day, a close examination of voting preparedness in 10 swing states shows that significant problems in the basic functions of the American election administration system persist, and in a few cases have worsened over the last few years, a new report by Common Cause and The Century Foundation shows. &nbs;
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View in PDF.
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Voting in 2008: Ten Swing States
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Tova Andrea Wang,
Samuel Oliker-Friedland,
Melissa Reiss,
Kristen J. Oshyn,
The Century Foundation,
Common Cause,
9/16/2008
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As election officials brace for record-breaking voter turnout on Election Day, a close examination of voting preparedness in 10 swing states shows that significant problems in the basic functions of the American election administration system persist, and in a few cases have worsened over the last few years, a new report by Common Cause and The Century Foundation shows. The report, “Voting in 2008: 10 Swing States,” examined what, if any, progress has been made since 2006 in seven battleground states: Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In addition, Colorado, New Mexico and Virginia, whose new status as likely swing states, and the potential for election administration difficulties, have also been included.
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Download the report (PDF).
View the Press Release.
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Snapshot of Student Voting
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Kristen J. Oshyn,
Tova Andrea Wang,
The Century Foundation,
9/11/2008
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In an election cycle that witnessed an increase in young voter turnout across the country during the primaries, Rock the Vote (RTV) predicts that young voters will turn out in such high numbers in four states in November that their votes will impact the outcome of those states’ elections. The four states RTV predicts will feel the greatest impact of young voters are Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado and Ohio. As a forthcoming report by Common Cause and The Century Foundation, details, of the many young voters out there, a significant number of them are also student voters, who too often must confront unique obstacles to voting. Continue reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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The Incredible Youth Vote?
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Rachel Zaentz,
The Century Foundation,
8/6/2008
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More than 6.5 million Americans under the age of 30 voted in the 2008 presidential primaries. Time Magazine and other prominent publications dubbed 2008 "The Year of the Youth Vote." Political commentators and analysts have argued that the surge in the youth vote and its virtually unwavering support for Barack Obama was a key factor behind the Senator's ascent to prominence and his ultimate victory in securing his spot as the Democratic nominee for president. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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The "MyBarackObama" Experiment
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Michael Cornfield,
The Century Foundation,
7/1/2008
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Have you heard? The Obama campaign has set up a web site to empower its supporters to combat false information circulating about the candidate and his wife. This promises to shed light on the PR conundrum as to whether publicity douses misinformation or sends it rocketing onward.Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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