Latest Research from the VTP

An Empirical Bayes Approach to Estimating Ordinal Treatment Effects

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 12:00
Working Paper No.: 
67
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Jonathan N. Katz
Caltech
Delia Bailey
Ordinal variables — categorical variables with a defined order to the categories, but without equal spacing between them — are frequently used in social science applications. Although a good deal of research exists on the proper modeling of ordinal response variables, there is not a clear directive as to how to model ordinal treatment variables. The usual approaches found in the literature for using ordinal treatment variables are either to use fully unconstrained, though additive, ordinal group indicators or to use a numeric predictor constrained to be

Building Secure and Transparent Elections through Standard

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 08:45
Author(s): 
R. Michael Alvarez
Caltech
Thad Hall
Journal: 
Public Administration Review
pp: 
828-838
Link to Article: 
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Election reform has evolved since the 2000 presidential election. One issue that has remained at the forefront of public debate is how to build confidence in the election process. The foundation for confidence is based on procedures for electoral security and transparency. In this article, the authors use legal theories of evidence and public administration theories related to standard operating procedures to consider how election fraud - and claims of fraud - can be prevented by having effective and rigorous chain of custody procedures.

Flooding The Vote: Hurricane Katrina and Voter Participation in New Orleans

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 09:44
in: 
Featured Content
Working Paper No.: 
70
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Thad E. Hall
University of Utah
R
The flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina resulted in a massive and rapid exodus of individuals from New Orleans to locations around the United States. In the midst of the hurricane recovery, the City of New Orleans reelected Mayor Ray Nagin to a second term in office. Arguments regarding when this election would be held were

Voting Online Around The World

Submitted by admin on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 11:29
Author(s): 
Thad E. Hall
University of Utah
R. Michael Alvarez
Journal: 
Voting in America Volume 3
pp: 
137-143
Link to Article: 
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
In 2000 there were a number of notable efforts in the United States to use Internet voting. In that year, two presidential primary elections-the Alaska Republican "straw poll" and the Arizona Democratic primary-included remote Internet access as one channel for voting (along with traditional by-mail and in­precinct voting).

Election Technology and the Voting Experience in 2008

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 11:25
Working Paper No.: 
71
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Charles Stewart III
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Draft of March 25, 2009

E-Voting: Perspectives and Experiences

Submitted by admin on Mon, 04/27/2009 - 14:07
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Edited by S Jaya Krishna and Naveen Kumar
Chapter 14
Lessons and Trends in E-Voting: Initiatives in the US and Abroad by R. Michael Alvarez and Thad E. Hall

Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties

Submitted by admin on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 13:52
Working Paper No.: 
13
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Frederick J. Boehmke
University of Iowa
R. Michael Alvarez
One of the biggest hurdles to qualifying an initiative for the ballot is gathering the required number of signatures. Yet little is known about these signatures' representativeness or demographic origin. Using data from eight recent California initiatives, we study the distribution of signatures across counties. We ten conduct regression analysis to study how characteristics of counties relate to the number of signatures gathered there.

The Introduction of Voter Registration and Its Effect on Turnout

Submitted by admin on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 13:56
Working Paper No.: 
14
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Stephen Ansolabehere
MIT
David Konisky
Voter registration, it is widely argued, raises the costs of voting, thereby decreasing turnout. Studies of turnout across states find that states with later registration dates or election day registration have much higher turnout rates. Eliminating registration barriers altogether is estimated to raise voter participation rates by 5 to 10 percentage points. This paper presents panel estimates of the effects of the introduction of registration that exploit changes in registration law and turnout within counties.

The Voter Verifiable Audio Audit Transcript Trail (VVAATT)

Submitted by admin on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 14:07
Working Paper No.: 
18
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Ted Selker
MIT
The debate about verifiable voter audit trails has prematurely narrowed into two camps: those who categorically deny the need for any back-up records and those who advocate the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). As jurisdictions and watch-dog groups prepare to define their election processes we should consider all alternatives.

Seven Steps to Make Sure Your Vote is Counted

Submitted by admin on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 14:47
Date Published: 
11/30/2008
Author(s): 
Voting Technology Project
  • Make sure you are on your precinct's list of registered voters --- DO IT TODAY!
  • Get a sample ballot and read it carefully
  • Bring your sample ballot to help you in the voting booth
  • Try to vote between 10 AM and 4 PM on election day, or allow extra time for long lines
  • Know your rights and ask for help if you need it
  • You have a right to vote if you are registered in your precinct (even if your name does not appear on the list of registered voters in your precinct)

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