Policy Brief
This brief studies trends in mail ballot rejection rates in 2020 compared to previous years and how different factors, including sets of policies and policy changes, the political environment, and voter outreach, may have contributed to these changes in an extraordinary election year. Our main findings include:
We highlight these trends and suggest further areas of study that researchers, advocates, organizers, and policymakers can explore to better understand how voters casting their ballots by mail can ensure their votes are counted.
Podcast
Thomas Hicks, who was fired as head of the federal Election Assistance Commission on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners, joins Terms of Engagement to discuss what the agency does and what the move might mean for the upcoming midterms and future elections.
Feature
For Marcus Board Jr., democracy has never been just an academic subject—it has always been about people. As a 2025-2027 Democracy Visiting Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, the Howard University political scientist explores how scholarship and community practice can work together to strengthen democracy.
In this conversation, Board reflects on the experiences, ideas, and relationships that have shaped his work.
Podcast
Richard Hanania, a writer and former alt-right influencer who renounced MAGA and now favors political rule by elites, joins Terms of Engagement to discuss his book “Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster.” The book is named for the Greek word meaning “rule by the worst.”
Feature
Books, reports, and articles exploring the front lines of American politics and democracy, as featured on the Terms of Engagement podcast.
Feature
Tova Wang, director of research projects in democratic practice at the Ash Center, shares her top picks for summer reads focused on making democracy more resilient, responsive, and inclusive.
Commentary
Allen Lab Fellow Tyler Fisher examines the untapped potential of city charters as a vehicle for deliberative democracy, arguing that advocates should work to embed tools like citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and town meetings directly into the governing architecture of cities, institutionalizing deliberative democracy one municipality at a time.
