🚨Save the date🚨 Join the Elections Research Center on Friday, Nov. 20, for the 2026 Election Symposium aat the Discovery Building. Hear leading experts unpack the midterm results, key races, issues, vote patterns and Wisconsin’s battleground role. 🔗http://go.wisc.edu/3EOJM3

With control of Wisconsin’s Legislature at stake, @wisconsinwatch.org highlights key 2026 Assembly and Senate races. ERC Director Barry Burden weighed in saying that Democrats have a Senate advantage, while the Assembly is “genuinely up for grabs.” Read more: wisconsinwatch.org/2026/07/wisc...

As Democrats aim to retake the Wisconsin Legislature, here are the races we’re watching in the Aug. 11 primary

Control of the Legislature won’t be known until the Nov. 3 general election, but the primary could offer clues about who has momentum.

wisconsinwatch.org

A reminder to join us this Wednesday, July 8, for our next Election Matters event: "Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States," featuring leading experts on election law and democracy. Register here for in person and virtual options: go.wisc.edu/62qgi8

Why do election prediction markets matter if favorites sometimes lose? In a recent article in the @washingtonpost.com, ERC affiliate Ross Dahlke explains how they are a “quantification of conventional wisdom" and can help forecast elections. Read more: tinyurl.com/muemx64r

What were the most consequential democracy-related court decisions of the past year? Join us on July 8 for "Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States," featuring leading experts on election law and democracy. Register here: go.wisc.edu/62qgi8

Featured in a recent @nytimes.com story, ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social discusses how slow vote counting can affect public perceptions of elections: “The more elongated the process is, the more the public gets to see every twist and turn.” Read the full story: nytimes.com/2026/06/17/u...

In a recent interview with the @captimes.com, ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social discussed Wisconsin’s crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary, noting similarities to 2018 but highlighting the absence of a clear frontrunner like Tony Evers this cycle. Read here: tinyurl.com/54vye6zw

What 2018 tells us about Wisconsin’s crowded gubernatorial primary

Like now, the 2018 primary race had a big field in a year when Donald Trump was in office. This time, though, there is no clear frontrunner.

tinyurl.com

New research from ERC affiliates Nathan Kalmoe and Michael Wagner in @goodauth.bsky.social finds most Americans oppose Jim Crow-era voting restrictions like literacy tests and poll taxes, even as recent court decisions weaken Voting Rights Act protections. Read at: goodauthority.org/news/how-man...

New research from ERC affiliate Andrew Trexler finds that making local news free did little to boost readership or improve political knowledge and engagement in a 2022 experiment — showing the challenge of reconnecting citizens with local news. Read here: tinyurl.com/3f6bjf96

ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social recently spoke with WSAW about the Supreme Court’s recent Voting Rights Act ruling and what it could mean for redistricting and minority representation across the country. Read more or watch at: t.co/h49ziTwPo4

How did politics become so fractured? In their new book, The Politics of Social Change, ERC affiliate Kathy Cramer and her coauthor trace Americans’ attitudes, from the Class of ’65 to today, to show how reactions to the 1960s still shape our politics. 🔗 press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...

The Politics of Social Change

How did we get to this point in American politics? Drawing on insights from an unprecedented decades-long study of ordinary Americans’ political lives, this book tells the story of how, why, and when ...

press.uchicago.edu

Reminder: Join us this Thursday for Evolution of the Youth Vote at 3PM (Fluno Center)! From participation to party attitudes, Gen Z is reshaping American politics, hear what the latest research tells us about where things are headed. Register now: go.wisc.edu/5sgx2j

🚨Register now: go.wisc.edu/5sgx2j%F0%9F... A reminder to register for our event on the changing politics of Gen Z. Experts will discuss rising youth participation, attitudes toward parties and institutions, and what these shifts mean for the future of American politics.

ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social spoke with @npr.org about Gov. Evers' push for an amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin. With divided government and uncertain election results ahead of 2030 redistricting, both parties may have reason to act. 🎧 www.npr.org/2026/03/23/n...

Wisconsin's outgoing Democratic governor pushes for a ban on gerrymandering

The major political parties' redistricting battle has spread across the country. But Wisconsin may go the other direction. That's if the outgoing governor gets his way.

npr.org

Miss our first Election Matters event of 2026? Watch “The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting” on YouTube to hear legal and political experts break down the rise of mid-decade redistricting and what it could mean for elections across the country. 🔗 youtu.be/amNdLTIglRY

Election Matters 2026 The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting

YouTube video by Elections Research Center

youtu.be

🚨Join us for a panel on the evolving politics of Gen Z🚨 Experts will discuss rising youth participation, changing attitudes toward parties and institutions, and what these shifts mean for the future of American politics. Learn more and register here: go.wisc.edu/5sgx2j

The April Wisconsin Supreme Court race is drawing less national attention than last year’s contest—but it still carries major stakes. ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social joined WMTV 15 News to discuss the race and new polling showing many voters still undecided. Watch here: tinyurl.com/yc64jaeb

Two-thirds of voters undecided in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

The poll also indicates that candidates are drawing far less name recognition than last year’s contest between judges Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel.

wmtv15news.com

Corrected link to register: www.eventbrite.com/e/election-m...

Election Matters 2026: The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting

Join us for “Election Matters 2026: The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting” on Friday, March 6 from 3:00-4:15 pm Central Time!

eventbrite.com

Elections Research Center@electionscenter.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Can states redraw maps in the middle of the decade — and what does that mean for democracy? Join us and the State Democracy Research Initiative on March 6 (3–4:15pm CT) for Election Matters 2026: The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting. 🔗 Register: www.eventbrite.com/.../election....

Can states redraw maps in the middle of the decade — and what does that mean for democracy? Join us and the State Democracy Research Initiative on March 6 (3–4:15pm CT) for Election Matters 2026: The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting. 🔗 Register: www.eventbrite.com/.../election....

What would it mean to nationalize U.S. elections? ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social weighs in for @usnews.com, outlining the constitutional framework, the federal role in election law, and the potential risks of centralized control. Read the full story here: tinyurl.com/4ueacy5m

How does power change what legislators do? New research from ERC affiliate Ellie Powell and coauthors shows that as lawmakers gain power, they shift toward policy, while maintaining their level of constituent service as a result of greater capacity. 🔗https://tinyurl.com/a988rhdh

Using ad tracking and turnout records new research from ERC affiliates Ross Dahlke and Young Mie Kim shows that microtargeted voter suppression ads decreased turnout in 2016, with the largest effects among minority voters in battleground states. 🔗https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2519944123

Do voting access reforms change how people feel about government? ERC affiliate Andrew Trexler and coauthors use a policy feedback framework to show that reforms like expanded mail voting rarely shifts political efficacy or trust overall. Full study ➡️https://tinyurl.com/mrx5ehwm

Back in October the Elections Research Center and the @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social hosted an expert panel on the tensions between free speech and campaign finance regulation. Check out our YouTube page for the full recording of this as well as many other ERC events! 🔗https://tinyurl.com/5m4jmvjn

Could Wisconsin run new congressional maps in 2026? Both ERC Director Barry and State Democracy Research Initiative co-director Rob Yablon spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to explain the legal mechanics, timing issues, and why this fight could matter beyond Wisconsin. 🔗 tinyurl.com/4sne3spp

How do we teach students to disagree productively? A new UW–Madison feature spotlights ERC affiliate Amber Wichowsky’s course, Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America and how students can learn to practice disagreement productively. 🔗 news.wisc.edu/teaching-stu...