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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 3h

States have their own processes for keeping voter rolls updated, including identifying when a voter moved. To better understand states' similarities & differences the Election Law Program at William and Mary is reviewing each state's list maintenance procedures. electionlab.mit.edu/articles/wha...

What Happens When a Voter Moves?
William & Mary Law School Election Law Program
James Alcorn
A Closer Look at List Maintenance Policies in the United States
Practice-Oriented Research

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The USCIS SAVE system is one of the tools available to election officials to inform their voter list maintenance processes. The @bipartisanpolicy.org has been examining its use, accuracy, and voter responses to it—learn more electionlab.mit.edu/articles/eva...

Evaluating How the USCIS SAVE System Performs in Practice: Evidence from Election Offices
Bipartisan Policy Center
Jack Friedman Wren Orey
Practice-Oriented Research

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Voter list maintenance is complex. That's why researchers from Connecticut College, Ball State University’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program & Indiana election officials are researching how to better share info with voters on list maintenance procedures. electionlab.mit.edu/articles/lis...

List Maintenance Legibility
Connecticut College
Mara Suttmann-Lea
What Indiana Voters Know About How Voter Registration is Maintained in the Hoosier State

Practice-Oriented Research

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Last week, we hosted the research teams who are part of our program supporting practice-oriented research to improve voter registration & list maintenance! It was great to hear about their work expanding scholarship and supporting election officials doing the hard work of list maintenance.

Group of people standing on a balcony with the Boston skyline behind them.

Group of individuals sitting around a table watching a presentation.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Election Law program at @ohiostatelaw.bsky.social is expanding their database of election law cases to include voter list maintenance and voter registration legal challenges and outcomes! Learn more about this exciting new project by going to electionlab.mit.edu/articles/lit...

Practice-oriented research
The litigation landscape concerning voter list maintenance
Learn about new research into list maintenance systems

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

@ncslorg.bsky.social and the Elections and Voting Information Center are creating a voter registration and list maintenance classification system with three distinct components supporting election officials, researchers, and policymakers nationwide! 🔗 electionlab.mit.edu/articles/tow...

Practice-Oriented Research
Toward A Common Framework for Voter List Maintenance
National Conference of State Legislatures
Katie King
Learn more about a new resource for understanding policies and practices.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Most voters don't realize how much time election officials spend thinking about the geography behind their ballot. The Idaho Policy Institute is creating solutions for election officials to better visualize the GIS data needed to effectively conduct elections. electionlab.mit.edu/articles/geo...

Practice-oriented research
The geography behind the ballot:
Building better election maps in Idaho
Idaho policy institute, Boise State University
Vanessa Fry

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Voter roll maintenance procedures have increasingly come under scrutiny. The CEIR team is analyzing states' list maintenance policies to better support election officials, encourage best practices, and contextualize registration rates. Learn more: electionlab.mit.edu/articles/act...

Practice-oriented Research
Active, Inactive, and Everything in Between: Active Voter Registration Rates and Policies for Making Voter Registration Records Inactive
Center for Election Innovation and Reserach
Chris Mann, Research Drector
April Tan, Policy Lead
Kira Flemke, Senior Research Associate

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Today is National Voter Registration Day! While there might only be one day marked on the calendar to celebrate it, we know that election officials work hard every day to ensure eligible voters can update their registration—or register for the first time!

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Data Driven Democracy is our new LinkedIn newsletter! Give us a follow for the latest insights and developments in the field of election science, from our analysis of the trends in 2026's election data to new research in list maintenance procedures and best practices. buff.ly/NNWzvtE

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The theme of last week's APSA conference was "Democracy Under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild." Members of our research team joined academics from across the country to discuss and explore new evidence-backed research. @apsa.bsky.social

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Maintaining secure, accurate, and accessible voter registration rolls is an ongoing challenge for election officials, one that has come under increased scrutiny in recent years.

Project Update
Practice-Oriented Research to Improve Voter Registration and List Maintenance Grants

Expanding the scholarship and solutions available to election officials in maintaining safe, accurate, and secure voter rolls

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Curious about Arizona's recent primaries and how the state administers its elections? Looking for election data from the Grand Canyon State? The 2026 Elections Performance Index makes that information, and so much more, easy to find. Explore it today at: buff.ly/QiKgMAi

Elections Performance Central
Arizona
2026 State Report and Data Guide now available

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

We had a great time at the 41st annual Election Center conference last week! We were glad to share updates on our 10 grantees conducting practice-oriented research to improve voter registration and list maintenance. Learn more about this project: buff.ly/Rnm0V4O

Sean standing next to a podium with a sign that reads "The Election Center" and pointing.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Election Resource Hub connects scholarship with practice, making it easy for election officials to find the latest vetted, trusted resources in the field of election science. We're glad Karen shared these resources at the 46th annual Wisconsin Municipal Clerks association last week!

Karen standing behind a table branded with the MEDSL branded banner and materials.

Sign reading: WMCA 46th Annual Conference, Entertainment Sponsor, MIT Election Data + Science Lab

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

The work doesn't stop for election officials after the polls close; results still have to be counted! This updated explainer illustrates the process of how communities process, report, canvass, and certify results after voters have cast their ballots. Check it out: buff.ly/JGSqT9f

Explainer Update
Election Return Reporting
Examining how local communities certify and report results after the polls close

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

🆕 state alert for the EPC! The California State Report & Data Guide are now available! Visit the link below to learn more about recent policy and law changes in California, the landscape of election administration in the state, and where to find public results for election data. 🔗 buff.ly/L1TJ6LI

Elections Performance Central
California
2026 Sate Report and Data Guide now available

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The Elections Performance Central project is back for the 2026 election, featuring a combination of academic research, analysis, and election data to understand how our election systems respond and adapt to changes. Learn more in the latest edition of our LinkedIn newsletter: buff.ly/5yJtwfy

August 2026, Data Driven Democracy: Restarting the Elections Performance Central Project

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

exas is the second most populated state in the country, with lots of useful data for researchers—if you know where to find it. Our guide to Texas election data is available now in the 2026 Elections Performance Central: buff.ly/YRjpOuR

Elections Performance Central
Texas
2026 Data Guide Available

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Data Driven Democracy is a new LinkedIn newsletter from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab exploring how scientific principles can be used to improve the democratic process. Subscribe now so you don't miss our next monthly update: buff.ly/0z6adWT

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Through academic research, the Election Performance Central project seeks to understand how our election system responds and adapts to the changes in our election landscape. We've just published a data guide and detailed report exploring Georgia's 2026 primaries: buff.ly/u4tArJF

Green outline of the state of Georgia accompanied by the text: Elections Performance Central, Georgia, 2026 State Report and Data Guide now available

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

The Election Resource Hub brings together research and practice, making it easy for election officials to find the latest trusted and actionable research in the growing field of election science.

Woman in a red dress standing behind a table with a tablecloth that reads "MIT Election Data + Science Lab" with a standing banner and display to the left of the frame

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Our team had a great time at the 2026 NASED Summer Conference last week! It was great to connect with election directors from around the country & share our new Election Resource Hub connecting scholarship with practice in across different fields in election administration. 🔗 electionresourcehub.org

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

The EPI tracks a variety of metrics relating to the administration of voting by mail (VBM), including the number of mail ballots unreturned, mail ballots rejected, military and overseas ballots unreturned, and military and overseas ballots rejected.

Purple background with a blue stripe on the side. Text reads: Blog post: Administration of Mail-In Voting; Measuring Data Across a Nationwide Patchwork of Policy Decisions

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

The MIT Election Data and Science Lab aims to bridge the gap between election officials and researchers. Last week, our Associate Director Sean attended the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks Annual Conference to meet with local election officials and share some of the Lab's latest research.

A man in a plaid shirt sitting behind a table with the words "MIT Election Data + Science Lab" printed on it. Table displays stacks of paper, and a white banner is vertical behind the table.

A man in a plaid shirt stands next to a banner displaying the text MIT Election Data + Science Lab.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

This year’s Election Science, Reform, and Administration conference would not have been possible without the host committee and the team at the Arizona State University Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory!

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

🔵 Analyzing ballot measure language from 1998-2024, 🔵 Exploring the representation of female candidates in local elections, and 🔵 Election officials as policy actors in state legislatures.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

The MIT Election Data and Science Lab has been presenting some of our latest work. Our presentations included: 🔵 Building strong relationships between election officials and researchers 🔵 Improving the EAVS data collection process,

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

The 2026 Election Science, Reform, and Administration (ESRA) conference is taking place this week! ESRA brings election officials, academics, and practitioners to share the latest ideas, research projects, and practical applications of all aspects of election administration in the United States.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

🔵 Improving the EAVS data collection process, 🔵 Analyzing ballot measure language from 1998-2024, 🔵 Exploring the representation of female candidates in local elections, and 🔵 Election officials as policy actors in state legislatures.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

The MIT Election Data and Science Lab has been presenting some of our latest work. 🔵 Our presentations included: 🔵 Building strong relationships between election officials and researchers

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Did you know the MIT Election Data and Science Lab has a quarterly newsletter? Sign up for the latest updates in the field of election science, what the Lab is up to, upcoming events, and more! buff.ly/61jYmgp

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

The 80th annual International Institute for Municipal Clerks (IIMC) conference is happening this week! Municipal clerks play an essential role in administering elections across the United States, helping ensure voters can make their voices heard.

Sean and Karen standing in front of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab booth.

Sean exchanging merch with a woman in a patterned shirt at the MIT Election Data and Science Lab booth at the IIMC conference.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

How do you build a workforce pipeline when the work is cyclical, the pay is often modest, and the scrutiny has never been higher? Join the University of Maryland's Election Resilience Lab for "HR of Democracy: Understanding the Election Workforce" on May 20 from 2-3 p.m. ET. 🔗 buff.ly/yGc0zEg

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Today is the last day to send in a proposal for the 2026 ESRA Conference! ESRA's purpose is to engage both election practitioners & scholars to encourage collaboration on processes and ideas that drive innovation in election administration. Learn more & apply today on their website: buff.ly/NTBooaE.

2026 Request for Proposals
Submit your project proposals for the 2026 Election Science, Reform, and Administration Conference through March 20, 2026!
Proposals should emphasize the practical applications of scholarly research in the field of election administration.
Do not exceed more than 250 words.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Presentation proposals for the 2026 ESRA Conference are being accepted through March 20, 2026! This is a fantastic opportunity to share best practices in election administration and connect with academics and practitioners alike. Learn more by going to buff.ly/P8QF8gC.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

The 10th Annual Election Sciences, Reform, and Administration Conference is taking place this June in Phoenix, Arizona! The conference is currently accepting proposals for projects focused on pressing issues in U.S. elections. All proposals must be received by Friday, March 20. 🔗 buff.ly/NTBooaE

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

This is a fantastic opportunity for your city to be the home base for a collaborative environment of academics and election practitioners who are dedicated to strengthening election administration.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

If you've been following along with our precinct project work, you may have already seen that we've uploaded four more states to our 2024 precinct-level dataset! Louisiana, Idaho, Hawaii, and Wyoming are now live. You can find the full dataset on our GitHub: buff.ly/gxPObXI

A hex map of the United States showing our 2024 precinct data collection & publication process. Nearly every state is now green, indicating that the data are available in our repository. NJ is blue, indicating that the state's data are in our quality assurance process. NY, MS, AZ, CA, and OR are yellow, indicating that data collection is still in progress for those states

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

If you've been following our precinct-level data closely, you might have noticed some updates last week! We've now added Hawaii, New Mexico, and Kansas to the 2024 dataset. Check out all of our available states on our GitHub: buff.ly/k6S0zTU

A hex map of the United States, titled "Progress of 2024 precinct data." Most states are still colored grey, indicating that our team hasn't yet cleaned and posted their precinct-level election results. 17 states are now bright pink, indicating that we HAVE collected, cleaned, and posted their data! Pink states are: MT, MN, SD, NH, IL, KY, TN, VA, DE, NC, SC, DC, FL, NM, OK, KS, and HI.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Another day, another state added to our 2024 precinct-level election dataset! We've just added Kentucky to the dataset; too late for the Derby, but hopefully right on time for you to use in your analysis & research! Find all of the data here: buff.ly/2l4Oh0i

A hex map of the United States. Most states are greyed out, but now 12 states are hot pink, indicating their data have been collected, cleaned, and published by our team. States available are now: DC, DE, NC, SC, FL, TN, KY, IL, MN, SD, OK, and MT.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Eagle-eyed followers might have noticed that our map of precinct data has a few updates! We've now added Florida and South Carolina precinct data to our repository. Check them out, and stay tuned for a few more states that we're juuuuuuust about to finish: buff.ly/2l4Oh0i

A hex map of the United States. Most states are greyed out, but 11 states are now hot pink, signifying that our team has collected, cleaned, and posted their precinct-level election data! Available states are: DC, DE, NC, SC, FL, TN, IL, OK, MN, SD, and MT.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Today we have *two* graphs of election administration data to update you on Wisconsin's spring election. 1st: our usual absentee visual, updated through today. 2nd: a look at counties' proportions of absentee ballots for 2025 vs. 2023. See the alt-text or visit buff.ly/envT3fn for more info!

The number of ballots applied for, sent, and returned in Wisconsin, from early March through today, in both 2025 and 2023. In 2023, 450,000 ballots had been applied for and 446,000 had been sent as of five days before the election. This year, 627,000 ballots have been applied for and 623,000 have been sent to voters. In 2023, 310,000 ballots had been returned by this point in the election calendar, compared to 475,000 this year. Whereas 122,000 in-person absentee votes were cast by this point in 2023, 242,000 have been cast this cycle.

Note that data reporting for the absentee voting window began about a week earlier this year when compared to 2023.

This scatterplot plots each Wisconsin county's proportion of requested absentee ballots for the 2025 Spring Election (vertical axis) against that proportion from the 2023 Spring Election. In both cases, data is from five days before Election Day. Counties along the diagonal line made up an equal proportion of the requested absentee ballots at this point in the 2023 and 2025 Spring Elections. Milwaukee and Dane Counties, which have historically been regarded as Democratic strongholds, comprise less of the total requested absentee ballots in 2025 than they did in 2023, while Waukesha and Washington Counties, which have traditionally had a Republican-leaning electorate, constitute a larger proportion this spring.

Note: This is not predictive of outcomes. It may simply be a sign of Republicans being more likely to vote absentee in 2025 than in 2023.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

In Wisconsin's spring election this year, 408k absentee ballots have been returned so far. Visit buff.ly/QniyKcO to see more of our work tracking election administration data.

The number of ballots applied for, sent, and returned in Wisconsin, from early March through today, in both 2025 and 2023. In 2023, 429,000 ballots had been applied for and 425,000 had been sent as of six days before the election. This year, 582,000 ballots have been applied for and 578,000 have been sent to voters. In 2023, 268,000 ballots had been returned by this point in the election calendar, compared to almost 408,000 this year. Whereas 103,000 in-person absentee votes were cast by this point in 2023, 200,000 have been cast this cycle. Note that data reporting for the absentee voting window began about a week earlier this year when compared to 2023.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Are you following the spring Wisconsin election? So are we! Here's a reminder that we are posting regular updates as we track election administration data over at buff.ly/AA0x5RK. For more info on what we're doing, check out our blog post: buff.ly/Bdvv85q

The number of ballots applied for, sent, and returned in Wisconsin, from
early March through today, in both 2025 and 2023. In 2023, 409,000 ballots had been applied for and 405,000 had been sent as of one week before the election. This year, 539,000 ballots have been applied for and 534,000 have been sent to voters. In 2023, 233,000 ballots had been returned by this point in the election calendar, compared to almost 346,000 this year. Whereas 84,000 in-person absentee votes were cast by this point in 2023, 159,000 have been cast this cycle.

Note that data reporting for the absentee voting window began about a week earlier this year when compared to 2023.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

ICYMI: we're tracking interesting data from a few state elections this year, starting with Wisconsin! The Badger State's begun absentee voting for its spring election; here's a look at what the ballot numbers so far look like compared to 2023:

The number of ballots applied for, sent, and returned in Wisconsin, from early March through today, in both 2025 and 2023. In 2023, 327,000 ballots had been applied for and 319,000 had been sent on the 13th day before the election. This year, 393,000 ballots have been applied for and 385,000 have been sent to voters. In 2023, 57,000 ballots had been returned by this point in the election calendar, compared to almost 86,000 this year. Whereas 15,000 in-person absentee votes were cast by this point in 2023, 34,000 have been cast this cycle. It is important to note that the absentee voting window is about a week longer this year than in 2023.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

There's no federal election this year, but elections are still happening! WI kicks off early voting for a spring election today, and more states have elections later this year. We'll be following a few & providing data updates; read our blog for more info! buff.ly/EfttUMM

This plot compares the total number of Wisconsin registered voters in each of the the six months before the 2025 and 2023 Spring Elections. Both years saw a spike in registrants in the data reported after a federal general election, and a gradual drop-off thereafter. In 2023, there were about 3,600,000 registered voters at the beginning of March. By comparison, in 2025, that figure was just under 3,850,000.

The number of ballots applied for, sent, and returned in Wisconsin, from early March through today, in both 2025 and 2023. In 2023, just over 300,000 ballots had been applied for and nearly all had been sent on the 13th day before the election. This year, 352,000 ballots have been applied for and 343,000 have been sent to voters. In 2023, 31,000 ballots had been returned by this point in the election calendar, compared to almost 36,000 this year. It is important to note that the absentee voting window is about a week longer this year than in 2023.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Happy Friday, election geeks! We're showing our love for you today by bringing you not one but TWO new states, just added to our 2024 precinct election data: buff.ly/4jSaoqR

A hex map of the United States. Most states are colored grey, but 9 states are hot pink, indicating that they have been added to our dataset of 2024 precinct data. Those states are: Montana, Minnesota (new!), South Dakota, Illinois (new!), Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina, Delaware, and DC.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that we've added another state to our 2024 precinct-level election dataset! Stay tuned for more: our team is working full steam ahead on a bevy of new states, coming soon. buff.ly/40RFgQS

A grey hex map of the United States. Seven states are colored bright pink, signifying that they have been added to our 2024 precinct data: MT, SD, OK, TN, NC, DE, and DC.

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MIT Election Lab @mitelectionlab.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

GIG ALERT: Come work with us! We are looking for a research director to join our team ASAP; this position is a great fit for a PhD/ABD interested in helping manage a lab & contributing to a range of academic projects. More info & application are available: buff.ly/4jwRvtg

A red and white lawn sign that reads "Now Hiring" in black capital letters.

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