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New Democracy Maps

Election Security

A cornerstone of U.S. democracy is free and fair elections. Without voters knowing that their votes will be counted, that counts are accurate, and that there is no interference from external or internal forces, our democracy is weakened. States that prioritize election security employ voting machine systems that include verifiable paper ballots, and also have systems in place for post-election audits to detect and address anomalies, and that can provide independent audits and verify results when election results are challenged. The resources on this page focus on policies that work to secure our elections while also preserving access for voters. These include laws protecting election officials, prevention of insider election threats, policies modernizing voter registration, the safety of in-person voting processes, and proper use of post-election audits. 

Related Resources

Report

Diverging Democracy: the Battle Over Key State Election Laws Since 2020

June 2024 - This report details opposing policy trends since 2020 that have impacted how voters cast their ballots and the security and independence of our elections.

Op-Ed

Nearly Every Battleground State is at Risk of Election Denialism Interfering in 2024

August 2023 - This piece by Brian Hinkle, MAP’s senior voting policy researcher, is cross-posted from the Fulcrum and highlights findings from MAP's report on election denialism.

Analysis

How Election Denialism Threatens Our Democracy and the Safeguards We Need to Defend It

May 2023 - Detailing the level of risk to each state posed by election denialism and the resulting threats when the proper safeguards are not in place, this report offers over 10 recommendations for ways in which states can protect their elections.

Analysis

State of Democracy 2022: Year in Review

December 2022 - In this post, MAP looks back at which states have seen the most change in 2022 in our Democracy Tally, for better or for worse, and policy trends in voting and elections.

Analysis

Breaking Trends on Election Day

November 2022 - Voters are motivated by the gravity of the issues at stake in this election, including abortion access and the health of our democracy itself.

Report

Threatening Democracy: Voter Intimidation in the U.S.

November 2022 - State laws and policies can protect against voter intimidation, ignore it, or even increase it. As detailed in this policy spotlight, we recommend states combat voter intimidation through a set of key policies.

Report

Five Approaches to Actually Secure U.S. Elections

September 2022 - Details five policy approaches that states should adopt to secure elections and ensure that eligible voters can cast their votes.

Report

The 10 policy trends transforming voting & Elections in america

April 2022 - This report examines a number of legislative proposals across the United States that seek to make policy changes in three main areas: registration & eligibility, casting a vote, and vote counting & certification.

Blog Post

Protecting the Election Officials Who Protect Our Democracy

February 2022 - In response to a wave of threats and violence against election officials, the federal government as well as state legislatures are moving to better protect election officials.

Report

State of Democracy: How Election Laws Differ Across the Country

November 2021 - This report provides findings and analysis on the disparities in election systems in the U.S. based on the Democracy Maps.

Report

Making Vote By Mail Work for Everyone

June 2020 - This report provides an overview of how vote by mail works, how it can be implemented securely, and why the option is an important advancement to safeguard the accessibility and integrity of U.S. elections.

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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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