Each state except North Dakota requires voter registration as a prerequisite for voting in federal elections. The accuracy of voter registration records is often considered important for election administration, as these records are typically used to create poll books (lists of eligible voters) or otherwise assess the…

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent federal agency that is charged with helping election officials to improve the administration of elections and voters to participate in the electoral process. It was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) as part of Congress’s response to…

States and localities have primary responsibility for administering elections in the United States, but Congress has tools it can use to support or shape their efforts if it chooses to do so. One of those tools is funding. Congress can use its power to provide—and set conditions on—funding to encourage or help states…

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was enacted in response to issues with the administration of the 2000 elections. The highest-profile problems in those elections were in Florida—where disputes about the vote count delayed the resolution of the presidential race for weeks—but post-election hearings and reports…

State and local election officials engage in a variety of efforts to ensure that ineligible voters do not vote. Voter eligibility for federal elections is largely established by qualifications set forth in the U.S. Constitution in the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Nineteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendments. Processes for assessi…

Voter registration policies are typically determined by state and local governments, subject to certain federal requirements. Historically, much of the federal policy discussion surrounding voter registration has focused on providing access to registration opportunities. Some federal statutes that primarily address pr…

Historically, most aspects of election administration have been left to state and local governments, resulting in a variety of practices across jurisdictions with respect to voter registration. States can vary on a number of elements of the voter registration process, including whether or not to require voter registra…