As legislators and legislative staff prepare for the start of their 2025 legislative sessions, NCSL is excited to offer election resources to help its members start the session on the right foot.
The Elections and Redistricting team covers a wide range of election topics, including election administration, fair and secure elections, state election results, ethics, primaries and other nominating processes, electoral structures such as ranked choice voting, federal election issues, redistricting law and policy, the census, campaign finance and initiative and referendum processes. The team also has 50-state surveys on state laws, webinars, podcasts, enactment summaries and much more.
A great place to start is NCSL’s Election Resources page, which links to a range of comprehensive materials on voter ID, felon voting rights, the use of voter registration lists and much more. Campaign finance and ethics have dedicated landing pages.
50-State Databases
As bills are introduced early in the session, members may want to track what other states are doing and identify trending topics. NCSL offers four databases that are updated as legislation is introduced and that track bills at all stages of the process.
Election Enactments
Beyond simply tracking legislation, the Elections and Redistricting team compiles yearly summaries of enacted election bills and categorizes them by common topics. For the latest trends or information on which states are passing legislation, be sure to visit the Election Enactments page. Common topics for 2024 were voter registration, list maintenance, artificial intelligence and bills governing candidate and political party activities. Stay tuned to see what topics emerge as trends in 2025.
Similarly, the 2023 Campaign Finance Enactments and 2023 Ethics Enactments pages provide reports on all enacted bills nationwide for that year.
Elections Defined Video Series
In a series of one-minute videos, NCSL Director of Elections and Redistricting Wendy Underhill covers key steps in the U.S. election administration process, from the moment voters receive their ballots to ballot curing, voter list maintenance and vote counting and certification.
Election Administration
NCSL’s Election Administration at State and Local Levels page provides information on who administers elections at these levels, how the selection processes work, the history of election administration and whether jurisdictions use an election board or commission.
NCSL’s Elections Newsletter
“The Canvass,” a monthly newsletter produced by the Election’s and Redistricting team, covers research, legislative practices and insights on state election issues. It highlights new or updated resources the team has developed, information on upcoming events and even fun election stories from across the country. Subscribe today to stay connected to the election community and the team at NCSL.
Voting for All Americans
The NCSL series “Voting for All Americans” includes policy briefs on seven different voting groups: Native Americans, military and overseas voters, rural voters, people with nontraditional residences, voters with disabilities, individuals in long-term care facilities and limited English proficiency voters. For each group, the briefs provide an overview, federal requirements, state policy and recently enacted legislation.
Redistricting and the Census
NCSL’s redistricting and census resources cover redistricting criteria, redistricting commissions, case law and more. Each decade, NCSL publishes a comprehensive overview of the state of redistricting law at the time the next cycle begins. Stay current on NCSL’s redistricting resources as well as news from across the country by joining the Redistricting Distribution List group, which lets you interact with the redistricting network via email or NCSL Groups on Breezio. To join the group, email Helen Brewer.
NCSL is here to help—from traveling to testify on policy trends and connecting members with election experts to facilitating in-state meetings and providing in-depth, customized research. Reach out anytime.
Camilla Rodriguez Guzman is a policy analyst in NCSL’s Elections and Redistricting Program.