ProGov21 Policy Library

Recruiting and Retaining Poll Workers During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Type Article

Year 2022

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for American Progress

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance

Poll workers are crucial to preserving free and fair elections, and local governments should take action to ensure that poll workers are adequately recruited, properly trained, and protected from harassment and intimidation. This memo outlines difficulties localities have faced in...

A Guide to Hosting Your Own Civil Society Town Hall

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2025

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Civil Society Fellowship

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance

Local elected officials must intentionally encourage community engagement in order to understand the priorities and perspectives of those they serve, especially in an increasingly divisive and polarized society. This resource outlines strategies to host a respectful and solutions-oriented...

2019 San Francisco Ordinance 170029 Requiring Disclosure of Campaign Contributions

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) California

Source City and County of San Francisco

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Finance & Procurement

This ordinance requires elected officers to disclose campaign contributions greater than $10,000 to the City's Ethics Commission, which will then make the information publicly available. It also prohibits campaign contributions to members of the Board of Supervisors, candidates for...

Housing Providers and Nonpartisan Voter Engagement

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level National, State

State(s) All States, District of Columbia

Source National Low Income Housing Coalition

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Housing

Low-income renters face many structural barriers to casting their ballots and having their votes counted. This report highlights the importance of housing providers supporting accessible voter registration and provides recommendations. Best practices include contacting residents directly...

Blueprints for Democracy: Actionable Reforms to Solve our Governing Crisis

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source The Campaign Legal Center

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

American democracy is being subverted by a relatively small number of people and organizations that spend large amounts of money to influence who runs for office, who is elected, and the issues that will be up for debate. To combat this influence, this report recommends public financing...

2017 Ventura County Ordinance 4510 Implementing Campaign Finance Reforms

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2017

Level County

State(s) California

Source Ventura County

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

The Ventura County Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance helps the individual voter by reducing the potential influence, and the appearance of influence, resulting from large campaign contributions to candidates, committees supporting candidates, or independent expenditure committees....

After Citizens United: The Story in the States

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town, National, State

State(s) All States

Source Brennan Center for Justice

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Citizens United allows unlimited election spending by outside groups, but requires this spending to be independent of candidates and campaigns; this requirement is frequently violated as campaigns and outside groups coordinate activity. This report reviews coordination laws and enforcement...

The Fair Representation Act: Remedying Dysfunction in the U.S. House of Representatives

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level State, National

State(s) All States

Source FairVote

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This report explores the potential impact of implementing the Fair Representation Act (HR 3057). The Fair Representation Act would require states to elect their House representatives with ranked choice voting in multi-winner districts drawn by independent commissions, thus establishing...

The Fair Elections Act/Democracy For The People Initiative

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) Colorado

Source CleanSlateNow Action

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

The Fair Elections Act/Democracy For The People Initiative establishes campaign finance transparency, small donor contribution matching, and campaign contribution limits for city elections...

2012 San Antonio Ordinance 0603 Establishing a Sales and Use Tax Election

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) Texas

Source City of San Antonio

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This ordinance establishes an election to authorize the city to levy a minor sales and use tax that would generate funding for early child development and education services in the city. It also provides election logistics including dates, locations, and permitted voting methods....

Campaign Finance Reforms

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States, Wyoming

Source Local Progress

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Big money in local elections limits who can run, who can win, and ultimately leads to governments that fail to reflect the needs of everyday people. To combat large campaign donations, political action committees, Super PACs, and rising outside spending, local governments should implement...

2000 New York Ordinance 19-0450 Requiring Specified Agencies to Distribute Voter Registration Forms

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2000

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source City of New York

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This ordinance specifies a system to assist in distributing voter registration materials, by requiring agencies to distribute voter registration forms....

Cities and Counties Address Prison Gerrymandering

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Prison Policy Initiative

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Community Development, Democracy & Governance

Because the Census counts incarcerated individuals as residents of the places they were confined, localities with correctional facilities will have fewer residents thus granting their residents greater representation in local elections. This fact sheet outlines how some localities...

Our Deepening Democracy: How Localities Can Expand Voting Rights

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level County

State(s) All States

Source The Center for Popular Democracy

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

American democracy is at a crossroads. To deliver on the promise of a representative inclusive democracy our electoral system must provide every American the opportunity to meaningfully participate and make their voice heard in our democracy. That starts by guaranteeing that every...

Tax Breaks and Inequality: Enriching Billionaires and Low-Road Employers in the Name of Economic Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level County

State(s) All States

Source Good Jobs First

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Community Development, Finance & Procurement

The intensification of economic inequality, one of the defining issues of our times, has many causes, ranging from the weakening of labor unions to the decimation of inheritance taxes. This report argues that another factor belongs on the list: subsidies given by state and local governments...

Integrated Voter Engagement Research Report

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source Faith in Action

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

The goal of Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) is to build year-round organizations in cities and states that have an organized constituency of people who register to vote, turnout to vote, mobilize others into political activity, and hold their elected officials accountable through...

Modern and Secure Elections

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level County

State(s) All States

Source SiX Action

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

Now, more than ever, the strength of our democracy is not something we can take for granted. Our democracy works only as long as people participate and believe in our election systems. To that end, we need to ensure that our system of registration and voting is modern, secure, and...

Rank Choice Voting Elections Benefit Candidates and Voters of Color

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Fairvote

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Community Development, Democracy & Governance

Localities should consider adopting rank choice voting (RCV) for local elections, because RCV elections improve opportunities for candidates of color and increase voter engagement with the electoral process. This report outlines how candidates of color in cities with RCV elections...

Fair Elections Program Contribution Limitations and Requirements

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2022

Level City or Town

State(s) District of Columbia

Source City of Washington, D.C.

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This ordinance limits campaign contributions from non-resident donors to an aggregate dollar amount and requires campaigns to maintain identification records for non-resident donors. ...

Ensuring Racial Equity in Public Contracting

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level County

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Community Development, Public Spaces, Democracy & Governance

Businesses owned by people of color create jobs and build wealth in communities of color. Yet despite rapid growth of entrepreneurship among people of color - and women of color in particular - these businesses face significant barriers to growth and success. Government spending on...

Uncompetitive and Unrepresented: Voters Locked Out of Representation

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source FairVote

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Safe districts are the electoral districts which are regarded as “secure” for a certain political party or candidate to win. In a winner-take-all system, the votes of people who have a mix of political viewpoints or prefer a different political party are insufficient to elect anyone....

Our Homes, Our Votes: A Guide to Nonpartisan Voter and Candidate Engagement for the Housing and Homelessness Field

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source National Low Income Housing Coalition

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Housing

The same communities that face the greatest barriers to securing stable, accessible, and affordable housing also face the greatest barriers to voting. This guide provides an overview of key considerations for planning a nonpartisan voter and candidate engagement campaign. It recommends...

Cities Vote: Municipal Action Guide - Race Equity and Voting in 2021 and Beyond

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, National

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

Historical and structural barriers like voter ID laws, gerrymandering, and limited polling sites have disproportionately disenfranchised affects, Indigenous, Latinx/Hispanic, and communities of color. All levels of government should implement voting systems that ensures accessible...

Issue One Explainer: Tax Credits and Rebates for Small-Dollar Contributors

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2017

Level National, State

State(s) All States

Source Issue One

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Finance & Procurement

Most of the campaign funding in the United States come from an incredibly small group of people, and trust in this system is near record lows. This report recommends incentivizing greater participation in the political system through a tax credit and rebate system that would make...

Supporting Entrepreneurs and Small Business

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level County

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Community Development, Finance & Procurement, Economic Justice

Local leaders recognize and often publicly tout the importance of a strong, growing entrepreneurial and small business community. Yet, when it comes to supporting entrepreneurs in practice, many local leaders are unsure how they can make a real impact. This tool kit examines the question:...

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