An election system that puts voters (not politicians) first

The pandemic shined a light on the inherent drawbacks of the country’s reliance on an in-person, single-day election model, offering a collective chance to innovate in the face of adversity. This year’s unique challenges demonstrated the need for voting at home and early voting options, which make the election system more resilient in uncontrollable situations like the pandemic and inclement weather. Ultimately, election
officials conducted relatively smooth elections across the country, but not without having to navigate a complicated field of partisan infighting, lack of funding and litigation. As we prepare for the future of American elections, the National Vote at Home Institute assesses the successes and failures of last year's historic election. Further by solidifying gains made in mail ballot administration and access, election officials and decision makers can continue to improve the equitability and security of the nation’s election system.

NVAHI lays out exactly how states can become leaders and put voters first. Finally, the voting experience has changed over time.

American election policy is a patchwork that reflects centuries of codified law and amendments across 50 states and the District of Columbia. While there are various efforts to create a more consistent baseline for election policy across the country, American elections continue to be hyperlocal. This map illustrates how mail ballot access changed in 2020.

RBG is a 2018 American documentary film focusing on the life and career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female Supreme Court of the United States Associate Justice after Sandra Day O'Connor. The film was directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, including interviews with feminist icon Gloria Steinem and NPR's Nina Totenberg on Ginsburg's trailblazing career focused on women's rights.

Democracy Fund launched the Election Validation Project to increase trust in elections through rigorous audits, standards, and testing. Part of this project is the release of Knowing it’s Right — the first Risk-Limiting Audit report which serves as a summary to capture where we currently stand on risk-limiting audits; an overview of what policymakers need to know; and as a guide or workbook on how practitioners can prepare to implement. Jennifer Morrell, a nationally recognized election official and expert is leading the Election Validation Project. Morrell’s work in Colorado was instrumental in the successful implementation of the first statewide risk-limiting audit and she has since spent time traveling across the country working on post-election audits. This report is the cumulative documentation of her effort. Follow her on Twitter: @votinggeek.

The National Task Force on Election Crises transcends party and ideology. The National Task Force on Election Crises is a diverse, cross-partisan group of more than 50 experts in election law, election administration, national security, cybersecurity, voting rights, civil rights, technology, media, public health and emergency response. Visit this link for resources from the National Task Force on recommendations going forward.