Thanks for your interest in our data! MAP tracks over 50 voting and election-related laws and policies via our Democracy Maps and Democracy State Policy Scores. Our maps and data are updated in real time – meaning that as new laws pass, we will update the maps and include the new laws in the scoring and citation/references sheet available for each map.
For more on how the scores are created, please visit our Democracy Maps FAQ and related methodology.
What does the Democracy Policy Score include?
The Democracy Policy Score is a summary measure across 50+ voting- and election-related laws and policies currently on the books in each state. MAP tracks these policies across all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). The major categories of laws covered by the Democracy Score include: Voter Registration, Representation & Participation, Voting in Person, Voting By Mail, Election Security, and Independence & Integrity.
For more on how the scores are created, please visit our Democracy Maps methodology.
What does the Democracy Policy Score not include?
The Democracy Policy Score is a summary measure across 50+ voting and election-related laws and policies currently on the books in each state. While it is an excellent and robust measure of a state’s current voting/electoral policy environment across a wide range of issues, it does not necessarily reflect the entire political or social landscape shaping voting and elections.
- Number of policies: While we currently track 50+ voting and election-related laws and policies, these are not all the laws and policies shaping the voting experience. We regularly add new policies to our tracking to further improve this measure. If you have suggestions for democracy policies to include in our tracking, please email info@mapresearch.org.
- Non-policy factors: This measure does not reflect bills that have been proposed but not passed; a state’s social climate or public opinion; the efforts of advocates in the state; and other non-policy-related factors that also shape voting experiences.
- Non-voting policy: The Democracy Score is focused on voting and election-related policy measures, but a voter’s experiences are shaped by numerous factors. These factors include income and economic security, education, racial justice and health disparities, among many other variables.
- Snapshot in time: The Democracy Score also provides only a current-moment snapshot of a state’s policy environment. This does not reflect a state’s potential improvement (or decline) over time, or how a state’s policies might change in the future. States with low scores might shift rapidly with an influx of resources, and states with higher scores may either backslide with a new wave of anti-democratic efforts or continue to expand access to the ballot and democratic protections in ways that can provide models for other states.
What MAP data are or are not available?
Our Democracy Maps data are always available online and updated in real-time. MAP’s website is always the most up-to-date version of our data.
Additionally, every map has a corresponding factsheet that includes citations, direct sources, and more detail, often including historical information. View the “Citations” tab on the corresponding map to access these factsheets.
Our Democracy Maps and Democracy Policy Scores focus on the current landscape of laws and policies, rather than histories of these laws. As a result, our historical archives are more limited. Our Democracy Maps program began in 2021, so historical data are especially limited.
Do I have to pay to access MAP’s data?
We value accessibility, transparency, and collaboration in research and beyond. You do not have to pay to access our data. However, we are a very small, nonprofit team with limited resources and capacity, and financial contributions—whether as a donation or more formal contribution (e.g., as part of an academic research grant)—help us continue to do this work. If we can provide the data you request, we will likely ask if you have any funding available to support this request. We can work with you to meet grant-specific or other administrative requirements, such as writing formal letters of support or providing an invoice.
How do I request MAP’s data?
Before making a formal request for MAP’s data, we recommend visiting our Democracy Maps and corresponding citation sheets. If our maps or our citation factsheets do not have the information you are looking for, please also try The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine! You can use this site to find archived versions of our website (and many other websites) over time. This can help answer historical questions and much more.
If you have reviewed the above resources and still need to speak with the MAP team, please complete the form below.
Please note that response times vary and we may be especially slow to respond in the first half of the calendar year during state legislative sessions. In addition, request fulfillment is up to the discretion of our team, and some data may not be available (e.g., historical data).
