Podcast
What now? Post-Election Day Special with Archon Fung and Stephen Richer
On this week of the Terms of Engagement podcast we have a special Post-Election Day Discussion with co-hosts Professor Archon Fung and Stephen Richer.
Policy Brief
Ensuring All Votes Count: Reducing Rejected Ballots
Programs
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:
- Mail ballot rejection rates decreased in most states in 2020 compared to 2018, and a number of states saw a consistent drop from 2016 to 2018 to 2020.
- Certain states that adapted their voting laws to make mail voting more accessible in 2020, particularly in the South, saw especially pronounced changes in rejection rates.
- In North Carolina, rejection rates vary from county to county. Previous studies of other states’ rejection rates found similar trends.
- States that implemented mail ballot policies, including ballot curing, increased ease of access when returning mail ballots at boards of elections, early voting sites, drop boxes, and ballot tracking, saw lower rejection rates than those that didn’t, though we caution against assuming a causal relationship.
- Previous academic and advocacy research suggests that voters of color, young voters, and first-time voters are disproportionately more likely to have their mail ballots rejected.
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.
Related Resources
The fans who helped build women’s sports may be the fans most threatened by their success
Liz B. Delia, Ph.D., an Ash Sports, Democracy and Civic Health contributor, explains that as bigger crowds and brighter spotlights are on women’s sports, longtime supporters may find that success also changes their sense of belonging.
Podcast
Midterm Special: Key Races, Election Predictions and What Comes Next
On this week’s episode of the Terms of Engagement podcast, co-hosts Professor Archon Fung and Stephen Richer will discuss everything related to the midterm elections.
Commentary
Field Report: How AI Is Being Used in the 2026 Midterms
Allen Lab Policy Fellow Hillary Lehr provides a late-October 2026 snapshot of the multiple ways that AI and the midterms are intersecting, including campaign use cases, policy issues, and voters’ use of LLMs.
Feature
Law Enforcement and Election Officials: Building Partnerships to Protect Elections
Amid rising threats, harassment, and political polarization, panelists at a recent Ash Center webinar discussed how law enforcement and election officials can collaborate to protect voters and election workers while safeguarding public trust.
Additional Resource