The Canvass, a newsletter for state legislators and legislative staff that follows election news and trends, has been published by NCSL since 2008. The back issues are all available. In addition, key articles from those back issues have been indexed by topic below, including an "Odds & Ends" category.
Within the topic, articles are organized in reverse chronological order, with the most recent article at the top.
Please note that if a page number is included in the list below, the link will open a pdf and the article of interest can be found by moving to the appropriate page. In cases where the page number isn't included, the document will open to the article itself.
Best Practices
- 7 Considerations for Talking to Your Constituents About Elections, April 2022
- When Redistricting Is Complete, What’s Next? Election Administrators Get Busy, February 2022
- Back to Session: Legislators Get Homework in Four Election Recommendation Reports, December 2021
- Recounts Provide Reassurance, Rarely Reversal, December 2020
- After the Voting Ends: Postelection Processes, November 2020
- Geo-Enabled Elections, November 2019
- Elections, Meet Academia; Academia, Meet Elections, April 2015
- Presidential Commission Asks Legislators to Consider Elections Recommendations, February 2014
- Presidential Commission on Election Administration, July-August 2013
- Customer Service for Elections, April 2013
- Measuring Elections: Data, Not Anecdotes (including the Elections Performance Index), March 2013
- Ballot Access (for Candidates and Parties), February 2012
- Ballot Design Matters, October 2011
- Colorado Considers Elections, June 2011
- Field Tripping--to Your Local Elections Office, June 2011
- Tennessee & Ohio Enact Bipartisan Election Reform, July 2008
Cost Concerns
Court Opinions
- Elections Go to Court, September 2020
- Court Rulings Impact Elections in 2014, November-December 2014
- Dual Voting Systems in Three States (proof of citizenship and proof of residency) November 2013
- U.S. Supreme Court rulings on proof of citizenship and the Voting Rights Act, July-August 2013
- Elections and the Courts: A Busy Year, October 2012
- Supreme Court Upholds Indiana's Photo ID Law, July 2010
- California Voters Approve Moving to a Top-Two Primary, June 2010
- Challenges to Felon Voting Laws Yield Conflicting Rulings, March 2010
- Indiana Court Strikes Down Photo ID Requirement, October 2009
- Supreme Court Rule Near on Indiana Photo ID Law, April 2008, p. 6
Disabilities/Nursing Home Voting
Election Outcomes & Analysis
- 2021 Legislative Action on Elections, January 2022
- 2020 Legislative Action on Elections, January 2021
- Election Experts Look Ahead, October 2020
- 2019 Legislative Action on Elections, February 2020
- 2019 Election Legislation—A Continuation or a Divergence from 2018?, February 2019
- Looking Ahead: 2015 Elections Legislation, February 2015
- Expert Predictions for 2015, January 2015
- Predictions for 2012 from Elections Experts, January 2012
- Election Challenges with Doug Lewis, September 2011
- Election Season Gets Longer and Longer, December 2010
- Elections Change How Some of Us Vote, December 2010
- 10 Years Since the FL. Election Meltdown: Could It Happen Again? August 2010
- 2008 Election Recap, January 2009
- Statistical Update on State Election Legislation, July 2008
- Record Turnout Seems Inevitable: Plan Now or React Later? April 2008, p. 3
- 2007 Recap, April 2008, p. 5
Federal Requirements
- The Help America Vote Act: 20 Years Later, May 2022
- The Electoral College and Legislatures, January 2020
- The Facts on 10 Common Election Misconceptions, October 2015
- Some States Still Have HAVA Funds, October 2015
- State Legislation and the Voting Rights Act: Past, Present and Future, September 2015
- Linking Driving and Voting Records, March 2015
- Minority Language Requirements Decline, November/December 2011
- What is Section 5?, October 2011
- DOJ Releases Guidelines for "Motor Voter" Act, August 2010
Felons and Voting
MOVE/Military and Overseas Voting
- Voting is for All Americans, Including Those Living Abroad, July 2021
- Mail Dispute Could Be Hurdle for Overseas Voters, August 2019
- Internet Voting: Creeping Our Way?, July 2015
- MOVE Act Waivers, February 2012
- Who's Complying with MOVE? February 2011
- Legislative Summit 2010: Voting by Military & Overseas Citizens, August 2010
- Uniform Law Commission's Model Act for Overseas Legislation, August 2010
- States Confront Military and Overseas Ballot Mandates, December 2009
- WV Enacts Pilot Program for Online Voting for Military & Overseas, December 2009
- State Military & Overseas Voting Legislation Advances, June 2009
- Arizona leads the Way as Military & Overseas e-voting gains, March 2009
- Alliance for Military & Overseas Voting Rights Formed, March 2009, p. 11
- UOCAVA Report, January 2009, p. 8
- Addressing the Critical Need for Reform of Military & Overseas Voting, January 2009, p. 7
- Only Half of States Give M & O Voters Time to Vote, January 2009, p. 9
- Exploring a Uniform System for Military and Overseas Voters, August 2008, p. 4
Odds and Ends
- Milestone in Women's Suffrage, July 2019
- Trends in Ballot Collecting, April 2019
- You Can't Do That Here: A Look at Electioneering Laws Across the Country, October 2018
- Happy 10th Birthday, Canvass!, April 2018
- 2017 Legislative Action on Election Administration, January 2018
- Avalanche of Election Bills Introduced in 2017, February 2017
- That's a Wrap on 2016-But What Happened in Legislatures?, December 2016
- It's a Presidential Election Year: Do You Know Where Your Voter Records Are?, February 2016
- Legislative Vacancies: A Patchwork of Laws for Patching Holes in State Legislatures, January 2016
- Presidential Ballot Access: 50 Shades of Law, August 2015
- Worlds Apart: Urban and Rural Voting, October 2014
- A Snapshot of Rural Elections, October 2014
- States Aim to Improve Voter Turnout, August 2014
- The Value of Recounts, August 2014
- Seeing Double: Can Candidates Run For Two Offices? March 2014
- Will Schools Continue to Serve Voters? January 2014
- Election Reform in North Carolina and Colorado, September 2013, p. 1
- Online Look-up Tools for Voters, May 2013, p. 4
- Recalls, Details for the Curious, May 2012, p. 4
- Cast Ballots, April 2012
- Ballot Readability, February 2012
- National Popular Vote, September 2011
- Interviews with Donetta Davidson, U.S. EAC Commissioner, and Gracia Hillman, former U.S. EAC Commissioner, March 2011
- Election Observers, February 2011
- Virginia Helps Voters Find Polling Place with Google Gadget, March 2010
- Interview with Stan Appel, Iowa Chair of State Government Committee, October 2009
- Straight-Ticket Voting Case in Texas, June 2009
- Straight-Ticket Voting, March 2009, p. 12
- Non-Resident Property Owners and Voting, October 2008
- Emergencies Happen, August 2008
- Voting on Sunday? August 2008, p. 7
- Schools and Library Safety on Election Day, July 2008, p. 7
Primaries
- Primary Changes: The Hot Trend of 2021?, March 2021
- 2020 Presidential Primaries, December 2020
- An Elections Question for NCSL, October 2014
- Primaries, Caucuses, Conventions...Oh My! November/December 2011
- A Primer on Primaries, May 2011
- More on California's Top Two, July 2010
- Top Two Primaries Approved by California Voters, June 2010
- Top Two Primary to "Round Two" in Federal District Court, October 2009
- Top Two Primaries: Supreme Court Upholds WA System, April 2008, p. 9
Poll Work
Post-Election Audits
Research Reports
- After the Voting Ends: Postelection Processes, November 2020
- NCSL Launches Elections Administration Research Database, July 2014
- State Election Webpages: Being Online is Not Enough, February 2012
- Recourse to Recounts?, June 2011
- Voter Opinions About Election Reform (CalTech/MIT), August 2010
- AEI-Brookings Election Reform Report: Hope & Experience, July 2010
- Online Voter Registration: AZ and WA Show Cost Savings, June 2010
- Alternative Voting Methods: Seven Pew Reports, June 2010
- The Real Cost of Voter Registration: Oregon Case Study, March 2010
- Young Voters Find Convenience in Election Day Registration, October 2009
- Public Attitudes on State Election Law Studied (U of Missouri), June 2009
- "No Time to Vote": States Don't Give Time for Military & Overseas, January 2009, p. 9
- Optical Scan v. Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, August 2008, p. 8
- "Trust But Verify" Electronic Voting Systems, April 2008, p. 12
Vote by Mail
Voter ID
- Voter ID: Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been? October 2021
- Voter ID: Back to the Future? June 2017
- Voter ID: Where Are We Now? March 2014
- Voter ID and Other Notable 2013 Election Issues, January 2014
- The Minnesota-Nevada Approach to Voter Check-In, April 2013
- Voter ID: Five Considerations, November-December 2012
- Voter ID: Where are We Now? April 2012
- Variation in Voter Verification, January 2011
- DOJ Denies GA Voter Verification Pre-Clearance (Again), December 2009
- Indiana Court Strikes Down Photo ID Requirement, October 2009
- Georgia Asks DOJ to Reconsider Voter Verification Pre-Clearance, October 2009
- Georgia Enacts Proof of Citizenship Legislation, June 2009
- Supreme Court Upholds Indiana Photo ID, May 2008
- Supreme Court and Photo ID, April 2008, p. 4
- Variations in Voter ID Legislation, August 2011
Voter Registration
- The What, Why and How of Voter List Maintenance, March 2022
- Chasing Voters: Efforts to Keep Registration Lists Up to Date
- What is Automatic Voter Registration Anyway? What the Experts Say, July/August 2016
- Voter Registration is All About Residency (and Domicile), May 2016
- Online Voter Registration Likely to Keep Its Momentum in 2016, January 2016
- The Facts on 10 Common Election Misconceptions, October 2015
- Online Voter Registration Grows in 2014, April 2014
- Security Becomes Key Issue for Online Voter Registration, April 2014
- Pre-registration for Teens, September 2013, p. 4
- Election Day Registration: FAQs, May, 2013
- Voter List Maintenance, Why, How and When, July/August 2012
- The Cost of Inaccuracy: Voter Registration Examined, March 2012
- Registration Conversations, Recapped (online registration and registration modernization), October 2011
- Online Voter Registration: Coming to a State Near You? June 2011
- Third-Party Registration Drives, June 2011
- "Motor Voter" Act Guidelines, August 2010
- Online Voter Registration: AZ and WA Show Cost Savings, June 2010
- The Real Cost of Voter Registration: Oregon Case Study, March 2010
- Registration Reform: States Target Voter Rolls, December 2009
- Voter Registration "Modernization" Coming to a State Near You? October 2009
- Young Voters Find Convenience in Election Day Registration, October 2009
- Registration "Modernization" Proposals Take Center Stage, June 2009
Voting Options
Voting Technology and Equipment
- Elections Cybersecurity: Actions for Legislators, June 2022
- Election Tech Providers Offer Advice on Cybersecurity and More, September 2021
- Don't Sleep on Election Cybersecurity (Cyber Criminals Won't), April 2021
- Elections Cybersecurity: Striking a Balance, October 2019
- Treating Elections as Infrastructure, June 2019
- Remote Ballot Marking: Risks and Rewards, June 2018
- Federal Funds and Difficult Decisions, May 2018
- Cybersecurity for Elections: Everyone's Priority, November 2017
- Common Data Formats: What's in them for Legislators? September 2017
- Elections Security: A Priority For Everyone, July 2017
- Security and Elections: What Legislators Need to Know, September 2016
- Uniformity in Voting Systems: Looking at the Crazy Quilt of Election Technology, June 2016
- Election Funding for 2020 and Beyond, November-December 2015
- Internet Voting: Creeping Our Way?, July 2015
- Burning Questions at NCSL's Policy and Elections Technology Conference, June 2015
- Elections Technology: Nine things Legislators May Want to Know, May 2015
- All About E-Poll Books, February 2014
- Online Voting: Not Ready for Prime Time? February 2013
- Electronic Poll-books, November/December 2011
- Virginia Helps Voters Find Polling Place With Google Gadget, March 2010
- WV Enacts Pilot Program for Online Voting for Military & Overseas, December 2009
- Update on the Voting Information Project, July 2008, p. 6
- E-Voting Equipment on the Decline, January 2009, p. 11
- Optical Scan v. Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, August 2008, p. 8
- What Should States Do About Voting Equipment? April 2008
- "Trust But Verify" Electronic Voting Systems, April 2008, p. 12