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The Elections Performance Index is the premier assessment tool to evaluate election administration across the United States.
Elections Performance Index
About the EPI
Explore the Index
The Elections Performance Index (EPI) compares election administration policy and performance across the states and from one election cycle to the next. The current index is based on the 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 elections.
The EPI is intended to help policymakers, election administrators, and other citizens:
Evaluate elections based on data, not anecdote.
Compare the performance of elections across states and time.
Identify potential problem areas that need to be addressed.
Measure the impact of changes in policy or practice.
Highlight trends that otherwise might not be identified.
Use data to demonstrate the need for resources to state and local policymakers.
Educate voters about election administration.
The EPI was first launched in 2013 by the Pew Charitable Trusts, following close consultation and development with an advisory group of leading election officials and academic experts. The initial edition of the index summarized data from the 2008 and 2010 elections; a second iteration followed the year after with data from 2012, and a third edition for the 2014 election was added in 2016.
In 2017, management and development of the EPI passed to the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, which is dedicated to the nonpartisan application of scientific principles to election research and administration.
The EPI was made possible through the generosity of the Pew Charitable Trusts, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Democracy Fund, and the provost of MIT.
To explore the 2016 index, including indicator scores and profiles of all 50 states and Washington, DC, follow the link below to the EPI website.
You'll also find the full index methodology, with more information about the EPI's development and a closer look at how its calculations and rankings are maintained and updated. The data used to calculate the index is also available for download.
Click below to explore the 2016 EPI:
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