In the upcoming November 2026 election, Wisconsin voters will be asked to vote on three proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution. These…

Join us for our next Election Matters 2026 Panel!

As part of President Trump’s efforts to expand federal control over the country’s historically state-run election infrastructure, the U.S. Department of…

On September 3, 2026, the State Democracy Research Initiative filed an amicus brief on behalf of eight legal scholars encouraging the court to be mindful…

On August 20, 2026, the State Democracy Research Initiative filed an amicus brief on behalf of eight legal scholars encouraging the court to be mindful of…

Constitution bars three provisions of New York’s Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act that seek to limit disclosure of sensitive state data for…

From banning new detention centers to barring warrantless immigration actions at courthouses and other “sensitive locations,” jurisdictions are using traditional powers to push back on ICE operations.

As citizens have increasingly employed their powers to make or change law, state officials have used a variety of tactics to make doing so more difficult.

This Elections Matters panel will review major democracy-related rulings from the past year at both the state and federal levels.

The charter is a guide for safeguarding the state’s aim of self-determination.

Mail voting is under unprecedented federal pressure heading into the 2026 midterm elections. From the White House to the Supreme Court to Congress, a…

On June 17, 2026, the State Democracy Research Initiative’s faculty co-directors, Miriam Seifter and Rob Yablon, filed an amicus brief with six other…

State courts are encountering a new type of “vote dilution” claim, which asserts that certain election rules or practices are unconstitutional because…

Mail voting is under unprecedented federal pressure heading into the 2026 midterm elections. From the White House to the Supreme Court to Congress, a…

The State Democracy Research Initiative invites you to join us on Friday, May 29, 2026, from 9:00-10:30 am CT.

The State Democracy Research Initiative invites you to join us on Friday, May 29, 2026, from 9:00-10:30 am CT.

Litigation over election results serves an important role in legitimizing the democratic process, but when these challenges drag on for months, they can…

For decades, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) limited enforcement operations at so-called “sensitive locations” like courthouses, schools, or…

Federal laws and institutions have long played a central role in addressing public corruption. This report considers the potential for states to play a…

The case arose after a new Republican majority in the Michigan House refused to send several bills passed by a previous Democratic-controlled legislature to the governor to become law.

State and local governments are increasingly using property law to push back on ICE operations. This report unpacks the viability of these efforts, from…

Join us for “Election Matters 2026: The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting” on Friday, March 6 from 3:00-4:15 pm Central Time!

Join us for “Election Matters 2026: The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting” on Friday, March 6 from 3:00-4:15 pm Central Time!

So-called converse 1983 statutes are percolating in statehouses across the country and could fill a critical constitutional gap.

In January, the Century Foundation published the United States Democracy Meter, a new tool for assessing the health of our democratic system. Comparing the