AAAS Debuts New Voting Research Database to Aid Study and Improvement of Elections

Paper trails and exit polls, vote suppression and hanging chads—problems in the U.S. system of choosing political leaders have become a high-profile concern in recent years, casting election results in doubt and eroding public confidence. Now AAAS is launching an extensive database of voting-related research to aid researchers, election administrators, journalists, and others interested in the workings of voting process.

The ambitious project—the first of its kind in the United States—will permit fast, free access to research focused on a broad range of issues, from absentee voting to polling places and voting technology. The database currently has about 500 entries, most published since 2000, and the collection will grow considerably as more research is added.

"There is a growing consensus in America that improvements to the election process are very much needed," said Mark S. Frankel, director of the AAAS Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program. "Yet, surprisingly, so little is known about the fundamentals—the accuracy, reliability, and security of voting technologies and election administration. More research and greater understanding of the U.S. voting system are imperative in order to implement effective changes."

For more information on the AAAS Research Database on the U.S. Voting System and Voting Technology, read the full story.