A robust and wholesome democracy displays the desire of the individuals. It provides everybody an equal alternative to take part and have their vote counted, no matter race, gender, wealth, or social standing. It ensures that every one voters have the power to advocate for themselves and their communities.
It is determined by all of us to participate and strengthen our democracy collectively, and science has an important function to play. The science of elections may also help us determine evidence-based finest practices to enhance voter entry, enhance public belief within the election course of, and guarantee truthful illustration in order that elected officers could be held accountable to the pursuits of their voters. Previous UCS work has known as out the function of disinformation in weakening our democracy, the hazards of synthetic intelligence in elections, and the way voting restrictions hurt public well being. The 2024 election can have consequential outcomes and we need to be sure that everybody eligible can vote and that their votes are counted pretty.
A process drive of election specialists
The Middle for Science and Democracy at UCS is convening an Election Science Activity Power of greater than 20 main specialists, together with election scientists, democracy researchers, group organizers, voting rights attorneys, and elected officers. The aim of the duty drive is to strengthen the function of science in evaluating how elections are performed, and to make use of election science to determine finest practices and make suggestions for related coverage adjustments to enhance how our elections are administered.
The duty drive will search to:
Guarantee truthful illustration. Too typically, election maps are drawn by partisan politicians to safe their very own energy quite than to precisely characterize the pursuits of their voters. The science of elections permits us to ascertain clear requirements to verify district maps are drawn pretty and that redistricting processes are clear and encourage public participation.
Enhance election knowledge transparency. Clear and constant dealing with and communication of election knowledge—akin to voter registration numbers, the variety of mail ballots despatched and returned, and outcomes—helps enhance belief in elections, reduces the potential for false claims of fraud to achieve traction, and allows states to raised assess their very own election administration.
Enhance poll design. Immediately, poll designs range extensively throughout states, however all states can undertake scientifically-tested finest practices to make ballots extra equitable and enhance voter schooling supplies for everybody. We’re working for equitable poll design and improved voter schooling supplies to extra precisely mirror the preferences of the ruled.
Main as much as the 2024 election, the duty drive will analyze election knowledge preparedness and integrity in Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. We are going to analyze voter information and participation charges on the precinct stage, monitor poll rejection charges because of errors, and decide whether or not election directors contacted voters to repair errors—a course of often known as poll curing. On this method, the duty drive can determine processes that may unfairly marginalize voters.
We’d like structural advances to extend fairness
The duty drive’s work can also be centered on rising fairness and justice in electoral methods. Earlier UCS analysis has discovered increased poll rejection charges in counties with the next share of black voters. The duty drive will search to handle questions, akin to: How can states reliably replace voter information that monitor voter participation whereas elections outcomes are available? How can issues akin to poll rejections and administrative errors be rapidly and precisely recognized and corrected so that every one votes matter? What are the perfect practices to audit elections and publicly launch election knowledge? Following the November election, we’ll publish and share voter turnout and different key knowledge to counter the anticipated wave of mis- and disinformation that always comes within the days and weeks after election day main as much as certification. Election disinformation typically targets or scapegoats BIPOC voters, with this disinformation typically cited to additional limit entry to elections. Our analyses on election knowledge transparency will handle the variety of voters who’re being left behind, inequalities in voter turnout in underrepresented communities, and the implications of bias in and after voter participation, together with the implications of racial and partisan gerrymandering and electoral system bias.
A wholesome democracy means a more healthy, extra simply world
Free and truthful elections are important for permitting voters to advocate for themselves and their communities. UCS analysis has proven that folks residing in states with extra open, much less discriminatory election methods have higher well being outcomes. A wholesome democracy issues for science as a result of a authorities that’s not accountable to the individuals it serves will hearken to essentially the most highly effective pursuits quite than creating evidence-based insurance policies that may serve us all. That’s why all of us profit from authorities primarily based on the preferences of an knowledgeable and energetic voter base. You’ll be able to assist advance this significant work to create a robust and clear democracy.
The necessity to defend our democracy is extra pressing than ever. Keep tuned as we work for science-based electoral reforms that may make our democracy extra free and truthful for all voters.