The Election Resource Hub is a one-stop-shop connecting the latest academic research in election science with practical, actionable results for election officials nationwide. Learn more about what inspired this new tool and what resources are currently available in our launch blog:

This year, we made North Carolina one of our key states to watch, analyzing the experience of voters and election officials during the state's 2026 primary elections. Explore our comprehensive data guide and report on the electoral landscape this year using

Elections Performance Central

North Carolina is a swing state that has seen many contentious elections for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, and state-level offices, especially over the past fifteen years. In this memo, we examine the…

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Explore research and case studies in different areas of election administration using the Election Resource Hub! Detailed guides are now available on building trust in elections and improving the in-person voting experience, with more to come in the future:

Election Guides | MEDSL Election Resource Hub

Explore research and case studies in different areas of election administration.

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Voter turnout is one of the most visible outputs from our electoral processes. Our recently updated explainer examines how turnout is measured, voter turnout rates from 1980-2024, possible reforms to increase turnout, and more. 🔗

Voter turnout | MIT Election Lab

Important legislation in the twentieth century, most notably the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits discrimination against protected groups in registration and voting nationwide, has led to a…

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The Election Resource Hub connects researchers, policymakers, and election officials directly to evidence-based policy and practice recommendations on a variety of topics in election administration, including voter trust and in-person voting. Check it out now at: electionresourcehub.org

Homepage | MEDSL Election Resource Hub

Practical guides and resources for election administration

electionresourcehub.org

Our team had a great time at the 2026 NASED Summer Conference last week! It was great to connect with election directors from around the country & share our new Election Resource Hub connecting scholarship with practice in across different fields in election administration. 🔗 electionresourcehub.org

Same-day, online, automatic... how do states register their voters, and what are the laws governing voter registration? Our updated explainer on voter registration offers an overview of the issue:

Voter registration | MIT Election Lab

Although voter registration has been the subject of recent controversy, our democracy did not always require people to register to vote. Today, all states except North Dakota have some form of voter…

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The field of election science is continuously advancing, with new research, tools, and solutions being developed and put into practice across the country every day. To make it easy to share these advances, we are excited to announce the Election Resource Hub! buff.ly/FpzxeGA

Homepage | MEDSL Election Resource Hub

Practical guides and resources for election administration

electionresourcehub.org

Curious about the administration of voting by mail in the United States? Our latest blog post explores key indicators in the Elections Performance Index relating to VBM and UOCAVA voting, alongside the backdrop of VBM policies at the state and federal levels. Learn more:

Administration of Mail-In Voting

Measuring Data Across a Nationwide Patchwork of Policy Decisions

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The Elections Performance Central project began in 2024 to address challenges in election administration. The project is continuing in 2026, focusing on 6 states' election data & landscape. Read the North Carolina state report & data guide:

Elections Performance Central

North Carolina is a swing state that has seen many contentious elections for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, and state-level offices, especially over the past fifteen years. In this memo, we examine the…

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We recently sent out our 2026 summer newsletter, with updates on our projects, upcoming events, and more. Are you signed up for updates? See the latest issue and subscribe:

News from MEDSL Summer 2026 Updates

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Election officials must be ready to address any kind of emergency situation, from natural disasters to technical snafus. Tomorrow, Karen Brinson Bell will be speaking on fostering resilient elections and a new national initiative,  Partnership for Elections and Emergency Response.

Preparing for the Storm (and Other Natural Disasters)

Election officials have to be prepared for anything. But a 2025 survey of local election officials found that less than half had coordinated with emergency response agencies before the 2024 general election. Unfortunately, we know that natural disasters are a matter of “when,” not “if.” Fortunately, more and more attention is being paid to what election officials can do to prepare themselves, their offices, and their jurisdictions.

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Since 2002, all states have been required to provide provisional ballots as a fail-safe protection when there are questions about a voter's registration status on Election Day. Learn more about how and when provisional ballots are used in:

Provisional ballots | MIT Election Lab

Since the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) became law in 2002, all states have been required to use provisional ballots.  The only exception is states that offered same-day registration when the National…

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When elections are held and how much notice is given has a direct impact on overall turnout and the demographics of voters in a specific election. Our explainer explores the (maybe surprising) impact of election timing ➡️

In the latest Books & Ballots interview, Lia Merivaki shared her experiences as a researcher traveling in Mississippi in an effort to build trust with election administrators, the link between institutional and informational barriers to voters at the ballot box, and her path to researching elections

Books & Ballots Q&A: Lia Merivaki

A political scientist on finding election administration by accident, earning the trust of skeptical officials and what becoming a citizen has meant for her work

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The EPI tracks a variety of metrics relating to the administration of voting by mail (VBM), including the number of mail ballots unreturned, mail ballots rejected, military and overseas ballots unreturned, and military and overseas ballots rejected.

The MIT Election Data and Science Lab aims to bridge the gap between election officials and researchers. Last week, our Associate Director Sean attended the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks Annual Conference to meet with local election officials and share some of the Lab's latest research.

Measuring voter confidence has always been challenging. But with a few decades of data to draw on, there's plenty of research into the connections between confidence, election outcomes, and administration! Learn about a few of the different ways to measure trust in elections in ➡️

Voter confidence | MIT Election Lab

This explainer was last updated on May 13, 2026.

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Did you miss May's Books and Ballots webinar? Check it out on YouTube: buff.ly/Zk6ZIRm This webinar highlighted the work being done by the University of Maryland's Election Resilience Lab, where researchers and election officials are working side by side to better understand the HR of democracy.

HR of Democracy: Understanding the Election Workforce

Election offices run on people. Permanent teams, seasonal hires, temporary workers, and the surge of poll workers and support staff who carry the office through each election period. Managing that…

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This year’s Election Science, Reform, and Administration conference would not have been possible without the host committee and the team at the Arizona State University Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory!

The 2026 Election Science, Reform, and Administration (ESRA) conference is taking place this week! ESRA brings election officials, academics, and practitioners to share the latest ideas, research projects, and practical applications of all aspects of election administration in the United States.

Did you know the MIT Election Data and Science Lab has a quarterly newsletter? Sign up for the latest updates in the field of election science, what the Lab is up to, upcoming events, and more! buff.ly/61jYmgp

Voter list maintenance is an essential step of election administration, helping officials ensure that elections remain secure & that each jurisdiction receives adequate resources to serve their voters. Interested in learning more about how this maintenance works? Read our explainer:

Voter list maintenance | MIT Election Lab

This explainer was last updated on May 19, 2026.

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Collecting, cleaning, and validating our nationwide dataset of precinct returns for the 2024 election was no easy feat! Learn more about how our research team assembled our largest nationwide dataset yet of general election returns for local, state, and federal offices in this blog ➡️

Inside the 2024 Precinct Project | MIT Election Lab

Collecting, Cleaning, and Validating Our Nationwide Dataset of Precinct Returns

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The 80th annual International Institute for Municipal Clerks (IIMC) conference is happening this week! Municipal clerks play an essential role in administering elections across the United States, helping ensure voters can make their voices heard.

Today (May 20) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET is "HR of Democracy: Understanding the Election Workforce," featuring experts from University of Maryland's Election Resilience Lab. Sign up using buff.ly/EHxPOYn

How do you build a workforce pipeline when the work is cyclical, the pay is often modest, and the scrutiny has never been higher? Join the University of Maryland's Election Resilience Lab for "HR of Democracy: Understanding the Election Workforce" on May 20 from 2-3 p.m. ET. 🔗 buff.ly/yGc0zEg

Want to learn more about voter registration and voter turnout in the Elections Performance Index? Don't miss our latest blog post sharing how these indicators looked in 2024, along with more info about how we calculate them. 🔗

Electoral Environment Changes Since 2008

Diving deeper into the voter registration rate and voter turnout indicators.

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The 2024 precinct project is our largest and most expansive yet! In this new blog, our Research Director outlines the detailed process our research team uses to collect and check data—including comparing emerging AI technologies to scan and quality assure data.

Inside the 2024 Precinct Project | MIT Election Lab

Collecting, Cleaning, and Validating Our Nationwide Dataset of Precinct Returns

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It's great to see our former research director Cameron Wimpy featured in this month's Books and Ballots series! His work as Director of the Institute for Rural Initiatives at Arkansas State University continues to push forward our understanding of election science. Read more ➡️

Books & Ballots Q&A: Cameron Wimpy

A political scientist on rural election administration, defining “rural,” and the challenges facing the country’s smallest election offices

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