Republicans nationwide could follow Virginia’s lead on early voting
When Democrats were in power in 2020, Virginia enacted one of the longest early voting periods of any state. Now, Governor Glenn Youngkin and GOP candidates for the Virginia legislature are seeking to...
View ArticleConservative Agenda for Democracy
Over the last year, the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the R Street Institute have been leading an initiative to support efforts to define and consolidate a conservative agenda for...
View ArticleConspiracy theorists turn Georgia vote hearing into circus
Most voters probably consider legislative hearings on voting machine software upgrades about as interesting as watching beige paint dry, and understandably. They can be tedious, but the most recent...
View ArticleOpinion | Early absentee ballot processing could restore trust in elections
The 2024 presidential election is fast approaching and polling released earlier this year found that less than half of Americans — just 44% — are confident that the votes will be counted accurately....
View ArticleTime is right to reform Arizona’s primary elections
The 2024 election is fast approaching, and many Americans are wondering if Arizona will be a red state or a blue state next fall. But the reality is that Arizona is neither. Recent statistics from the...
View Article“What If…?”: A Series on How Election Rules Shape Outcomes
When it comes to social systems, rules shape outcomes. This maxim has wide applicability, from economics to elections. For many, the impact of rule changes on outcomes is clearest in the world of...
View ArticleWhat If Republicans Had Encouraged Early Voting by Mail in Nevada?
Introduction This post explores how the 2022 general election in Nevada was impacted by Republicans’ refusal to embrace the state’s new rules around early voting by mail, instead fomenting mistrust and...
View ArticleStructural Election Reform: What Is Happening in the States?
Featuring Kevin R. Kosar, [Moderator] Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute Matt Germer, Associate Director, Governance Program, R Street Institute Kevin Johnson, Executive Director, Election...
View ArticleWhat If Georgia Conducted Instant Runoffs Using Ranked-Choice Voting?
Introduction This post looks at how the 2020 and 2022 U.S. Senate elections in Georgia might have turned out if the state had conducted instant runoff elections rather than standard runoffs. Currently,...
View ArticleDoubling down on an open primary will expand voter choice in California
The 2024 election is fast approaching and recent polling points to a highly competitive U.S. Senate race in California that could once again yield a general election matchup between two Democrats....
View ArticleHow a new way to vote is gaining traction in states — and could transform US...
With U.S. democracy plagued by extremism, polarization, and a growing disconnect between voters and lawmakers, a set of reforms that could dramatically upend how Americans vote is gaining momentum at...
View ArticleWhat If Pennsylvania Opened Primary Elections to All Voters?
Introduction This post investigates the impact of opening primary elections to all voters and how that can benefit Republicans in states like Pennsylvania. Currently, Pennsylvania law restricts primary...
View ArticleWhat If More States Followed Alaska’s Lead and Combined Primary Reform with...
Introduction Building off the two previous posts in this series which looked at instant runoff elections in Georgia and primary reform in Pennsylvania, Republicans across the country would benefit from...
View ArticleTestimony In Opposition to Georgia SB 355: An act to prohibit the use of...
Testimony from:Marc Hyden, Director of State Government Affairs, R Street Institute In Opposition to SB 355: “To amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,...
View ArticleTestimony In Support of HB 4055: An act to provide an instant runoff voting...
Testimony from:Matthew Germer, Director, Governance, R Street Institute In SUPPORT of HB 4022, “An Act . . . to provide for the instant voting runoff method of conducting municipal elections.” January...
View ArticleRanked-Choice Voting Would Dramatically Improve the 2024 Republican Primary
The Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 Republican presidential primary today, and Donald Trump is projected to clean up among a dwindling field of challengers—the first step toward a rematch against Joe...
View ArticleTestimony In Support of HB 4022: An act to provide an instant runoff voting...
Testimony from:Matthew Germer, Director, Governance, R Street Institute In SUPPORT of HB 4022, “An Act . . . to provide for the instant voting runoff method of conducting municipal elections.” January...
View ArticleTestimony in Support of Wisconsin SB 528, “A bill relating to: top-five...
Testimony from:Matthew Germer, Interim Director, Governance & Elections Fellow, R Street Institute In SUPPORT of SB 528, “A bill relating to: top-five primaries and instant runoff voting for the...
View ArticleTestimony in Support of Wisconsin AB 563, “A bill relating to: top-five...
Testimony from:Matthew Germer, Interim Director, Governance & Elections Fellow, R Street Institute In SUPPORT of AB 563, “A bill relating to: top-five primaries and instant runoff voting for the...
View ArticleSore Loser Laws, Explained
There is a small movement to repeal sore loser laws, which would allow vanquished primary candidates into the general election. More importantly, repealing them might force other candidates to moderate...
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