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...

City of Seattle Immigrant Voting Task Force Report

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source City of Seattle

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Civil Rights

This report identifies many obstacles that keep immigrant communities from participating in Seattle's civic and political life. It highlights five general areas of concern and developed a series of practical recommendations that the mayor's office can embrace to help address these...

2007 New York City Local Law 34

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2007

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

The ordinance requires that all candidates comply with contribution limits and disclosure requirements. The ordinance also established the Campaign Finance Program (the Program). Candidates who join the Program also agree to comply with strict expenditure limits, and in return they...

2008 Memphis Ordinance Instant Runoff Voting

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2008

Level City or Town

State(s) Tennessee

Source FairVote

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Instant runoff voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. This ordinance states that the City of Memphis will use instant runoff voting for City elections....

Voting is the Easy Part: Why LA’s Measure M Hasn’t Led to Greater Transit Use

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Transit Center

Policy Areas Transportation & Mobility, Finance & Procurement

In 2016, citizens of Los Angeles voted in favor of Measure M, a ½-cent sales tax increase that will raise $120 billion over forty years for transit expansion and maintenance, and traffic and street improvements. Despite this, transit ridership in Los Angeles has continued to fall....

Voter Engagement Democracy Brief

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Local Policy Lab

Policy Areas Civil Rights

City government elections influence issues such as education, infrastructure, and public safety, but rarely achieve the same voter turnout as national elections. This brief offers strategies local governments can use to improve voter turnout such as voter education campaigns, registration...

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...

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...

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...

Democracy’s Future: Proposals to Expand Access to Registration and Voting for a New Generation

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Fair Elections Center

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance

While turnout among young voters has increased, there is still a gap between the youngest eligible voters and their older counterparts. This report provides best practices, model legislation, and policy examples for advocates and policy makers aiming to increase voter engagement among...

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...

St. Paul Ranked Choice Voting Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) Minnesota

Source City of Saint Paul

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This document establishes ranked-choice voting for municipal elections for mayor and council member. Ranked-choice voting is an election method in which voters rank candidates for an office in order of their preference. This chapter outlines the ballot formats and tabulation centers...

1997 Ramsey County Ordinance 480 Requiring Candidates to File a Campaign Finance Report

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 1997

Level County

State(s) Minnesota

Source Ramsey County Board of Commissioners

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This ordinance requires committees and candidates to file a campaign finance report within 14 days of having donations or reimbursements in excess of $750. The campaign or committee must continue to file reports before January 31st, and for candidates who will appear on the ballot...

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...

San Leandro Ranked Choice Voting Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source City of San Leandro

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Ranked choice voting is an election system in which voters rank the candidates for office in order of preference, and the ballots are counted in rounds that simulate a series of runoffs until one candidate receives a majority of votes. This ordinance establishes ranked choice voting...

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....

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...

Ranked Choice Voting and Campaign Spending in California

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source FairVote

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This report summarizes the preliminary findings of a study into the impact of the introduction of ranked choice voting (RCV) on candidate spending in city elections in the Bay Area of California. It finds that RCV did not significantly impact candidate spending on its own, but it...

Unlocking Fair Maps: The Keys to Independent Redistricting

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Common Cause

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Community Development, Democracy & Governance

Instead of allowing politicians to approve final redistricting maps, Independent Redistricting Committees (IRCs) are cross-partisan entities that facilitate fair redistricting with the final authority to draw voting districts. This report examines how IRCs are established, and highlights...

2007 New York City Local Law 67

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2007

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source Portland City Council

Policy Areas Housing, Public Safety, Democracy & Governance

This ordinance amends the Campaign Finance Act ('Act') to ensure that: the contribution limits applicable to those doing business with the city apply for an entire election cycle, meaning a primary and general election, and not for each election; the new matching level of 6:1 up to...

Vote at Home: A City Leader’s Guide to Safe and Secure Voting in a Global Pandemic

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Public Safety

Ensuring safe and secure voting during a global pandemic requires that leaders implement at-home systems to facilitate voting while minimizing health risks. This guide provides toolkits and resources to assist localities in setting up and promoting vote-at-home options....

Primary Runoff Elections and Decline in Voter Turnout

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level State, National

State(s) All States

Source FairVote

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

A primary runoff election is held if no candidate surpasses the necessary threshold for victory in the initial primary election. Voter awareness of the system and a dip in enthusiasm following the initial primary has resulted in a trend of voter turnout dropping in the runoff election....

2013 Takoma Park Resolution 13-25 Affirming the Right to Vote

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) Maryland

Source City of Takoma Park

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

This resolution affirms the right to vote by establishing a task force on voting, supporting a federal constitutional amendment to grant an individual right to vote, and calling on elected officials to help increase voter turnout. Notably, it specifies that city resources will be...

Promotion of Voter Participation for Students

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, National, Other Boards and Agencies, School Board, School District, State

State(s) All States

Source U.S. Department of Education

Policy Areas Children & Families, Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Education

Students play a crucial role in elections, thus educational institutions, and local governments should facilitate students' participation in the voting process. This guide recommends that postsecondary institutions help students get registered, establish a communications timeline...

ProGov21 Policy Library

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