Election Initiatives

The Pew Center on the States (PCS) Election Initiatives aim to foster an election system that achieves the highest standards of accuracy, convenience, efficiency and security by supporting research that examines the most pressing election problems and undertaking an array of pilot projects to address issues identified during elections. Pew’s research and experiments inform our approach to identifying efficient, cost effective solutions – policies, practices and technologies – that address the key challenges facing the election process: 

Building an election system that reflects the way people live.  American elections operate today much as they did at the turn of the 20th century. PCS Election Initiatives aspire to bring elections into the 21st century with research that will advance solutions to modernize the voter registration system, improve the voting process for military and overseas voters and study new models for conducting elections that accommodate a modern, mobile society.

Putting voters in charge of their own voting experience. Despite the reforms since the 2000 election, the election process continues to overlook the most important part: the voter. PCS Election Initiatives seek to empower voters by using technology to make customized voter information widely and equally available via the Internet and other means.

Eliminating barriers to innovation. Although voters recognize the need for reform, America’s election system has been remarkably resistant to change.  PCS Election Initiatives work to lower these barriers by encouraging policy makers and vendors to focus on data, not anecdotes to make informed decisions.  Through better collection of election data and improved measures of performance, we foster innovative, evidence-based solutions to help states overcome barriers to innovation in election reform.

The Pew Center on the States recognizes that successful election reform must involve a variety of stakeholders in the process.  We consult with election officials, policy makers, researchers, technology experts, businesses and other stakeholders in the election process to help guide our commitment to election modernization. Through our renowned electionline.org information clearinghouse and e-newsletter, the Pew Center on the States disseminates up-to-date, comprehensive, centralized election news, research and reform analysis to inform various stakeholders and the general public regarding election reform issues and best practices.