The Democracy Policy Lab

Your resource for research on the intersections of politics, policy, and democracy. Housed at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, our work uncovers the influence of campaign finance, election administration, civil rights, and labor policies on state-level democratic performance.

State Voting Laws Roundup

OCTOBER 2025 STATE VOTING LAWS ROUNDUP RELEASED

According to the Democracy Policy Lab and the Brennan Center for Justice’s latest roundup of state voting legislation around the country, the number of new restrictive voting laws has increased this year, while legislation aimed at expanding voting access has lagged.

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NEW REPORT SHOWS EFFECTS OF CITIZENS UNITED ON DEMOCRACY

See how Citizens United changed billionaire spending in federal and state elections from 2010-2024, how the case continues to damage US democracy, and what reforms are necessary.

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Research

Behavior and Democracy Policy

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Money in politics

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Labor and Democracy

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Young Americans' Political Representation

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Race, Civil Rights, and Democracy

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Election Admin & Redistricting

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The State Democracy Index 2.0

A quantitative measure of democratic performance across all 50 states within the U.S., from 2000 to 2023.

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The State Voting Laws Roundup

Tracking expansive and restrictive state voting legislation around the country.

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WA State Election Database

Estimated racial demographics in electoral precincts in Washington State.

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