ProGov21 Policy Library

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...

United States Congress Bill S.2747

Type Act or Session Law

Year 2021

Level National

State(s) All States

Source United States Congress

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Recognizing the barriers many voters face in accessing the poles, the United States Congress passed Bill S.2747 to strengthen voter rights by expanding voter registration and improve voting access through programs like vote-by-mail and early voting. ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Voting Rights Roadmap

Type Roadmap

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source ProGov21

Policy Areas Civil Rights

In the United States, many voters experience difficulty getting registered to vote, staying registered to vote, or actually casting their ballot. As a result, voter turnout rates are extremely low in the U.S. compared to other similar countries. In order to increase voter participation...

2017 Somerset Charter Section 83-21 Extending the Right to Vote to Non-citizens

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2017

Level City or Town

State(s) Maryland

Source Town of Somerset

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This charter amendment specifies who is considered a qualified voter in Somserset County, MD. It specifically states that any person who has resided within the limits of the town for 14 days preceding any election is a qualified voter....

2015 Minneapolis Ordinance 15-080 Requiring Landlords to Provide Voter Registration Forms to New Tenants

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Minnesota

Source City of Minneapolis

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This ordinance requires landlords to provide new tenants with voter registration forms at the time the tenant begins their residency. This obliges landlords to make new residents to the area as well as new tenants who have previously not registered to vote aware of voter registration...

Election 2024: Voting Rights and Access

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town, National

State(s) Colorado, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

A healthy democracy depends on high engagement and a representation of diverse viewpoints, but systemic barriers continue to perpetuate inequities in local elections. Local officials should create and implement Democracy Plans, enhance voter engagement through education, offer registration...

2013 Takoma Park Charter Amendment Resolution 2013-1 Expanding Voting Rights

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) Maryland

Source City of Takoma Park

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Civil Rights

This charter amendment is uniquely possible due to Maryland's State Statutes, which allow localities to lower the voting age. This amendment expands non-partisan voter registration, extends registration, allows same-day registration, permits individuals aged 16 and 17 to register...

Online Voter Suppression: How to Spot It & How to Counter It

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2020

Level City or Town, County, State, National

State(s) All States

Source Center for Democracy & Technology

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Data & Technology

Misinformation and disinformation that suppresses voter participation can be deployed through a variety of media. Online voter suppression can range from inaccurate information about the date of an election, to inaccurate reports of long lines, to efforts to persuade people that an...

Community Voices: Barriers to Voting For California's Formerly Incarcerated

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level Other Boards and Agencies

State(s) California

Source The Greenlining Institute

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

In addition to disenfranchising people through law and policy, felony disenfranchisement laws create additional barriers to voting. The complexity of these laws and a lack of awareness about them have caused confusion and misinformation among formerly incarcerated communities as well...

20 Ways Cities Can Promote Safe and Effective Elections in November

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for American Progress

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Health

This report outlines the role cities can play in protecting safe and fair elections. It details how cities can help facilitate voter registration and participation, mitigate voter confusion, and provide valuable support to local election officers in carrying out their duties....

Redistricting for Community Empowerment: A Legal How-To Guide

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County, School District

State(s) California

Source American Civil Liberties Union of California

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

Redistricting is the process of redrawing the district maps used by political jurisdictions to elect public officials. This process takes place every ten years following each decennial census and affects all government bodies that use district elections including the U.S. House of...

Community Voices: Improving Access to Voting For California's Limited-English Communities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town, County, Other Boards and Agencies

State(s) California

Source The Greenlining Institute

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

This report examines how language assistance policies can increase voter participation among citizens with limited-English proficient (LEP). It highlights research showing that translated ballot materials increase voter turnout and empower LEP communities. The report assesses federal...

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...

Election Finance Roadmap

Type Roadmap

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source ProGov21

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Finance & Procurement

The influence of big money on politics has undermined American Democracy at the national, state, and local level. Today, wealthy elites and businesses have a disproportionate impact on who runs, who is elected, and what issues are debated. ProGov21's updated Election Finance Roadmap...

Fact Sheet: Local School Board Elections Matter

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2024

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

State(s) All States

Source Center for American Progress

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

Despite their importance, voter turnout in school board elections is often low compared to other local elections, thus local governments should increase participation in these elections and communicate with residents about the role school boards play in their communities. This guide...

Election Violence Prevention Toolkit

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source United States Conference of Mayors

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Public Safety

Local officials should play an active role in protecting voters and poll workers from threats of violence and incidents of harassment which have increased over the past few election cycles. This report outlines how localities can identify imminent threats and build community resilience...

Minneapolis Tenant Voter Welcome

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) Minnesota

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Housing, Public Safety, Democracy & Governance

A notice to new tenants summarizing key voting information including election dates and registration options....

Facts and Their Discontents: A Research Agenda for Online Disinformation, Race, & Gender

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Center for Democracy & Technology

Policy Areas Data & Technology

Many disinformation campaigns are specifically designed with racist and/or misogynistic content, suggesting that disinformation is a tool used to promote ideologies like white supremacy. This report outlines findings from various studies regarding online disinformation, race, and...

Young Voices at the Ballot Box: Advancing Efforts to Lower the Voting Age

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level County, City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source Vote16USA

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Children & Families

We have a voter crisis in America that demands bold solutions. One of these potential solutions is lowering the voting age in American elections to 16 years old. This report presents a cohesive argument for lowering the voting age to 16 in municipal elections, addresses counterarguments,...

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