Measuring Accessible Elections

Chapter 2 develops the accessible elections theoretical framework used throughout the study. To evaluate the framework, the chapter discusses data to measure state voting and registration laws, election administration performance, and individual voting decisions in recent midterm and presidential elections. Special attention is paid to the Election Performance Index (EPI) to measure how well states conduct elections; previous research has not generally measured election administration to predict voter turnout. The states have different combinations of in-person early voting, no-excuse absentee/mail voting, same day registration laws, and election administration performance. The moderate correlation between the voting laws and election administration suggests that both must be taken into account to identify their independent effects on whether people vote. Research hypotheses posit that states with more convenience voting laws and higher performing election administrations will have higher voter turnout, campaign mobilization, and lower turnout inequality.

Registration Laws of Housing Developers: A Major Obstacle in Achieving the Goal of Housing for All in Pakistan

Among other housing developers, the major housing developers are private housing companies and cooperative housing societies, these housing developers can become very effective to achieve the goal of housing for all, but unfortunately, these two have been used to do massive corruption in the housing industry of Pakistan. The major reason is that the legal framework, which is meant to regulate the housing developers, has become an instrument at the hands of housing developers of the housing to commit corruption in the housing industry. These housing developers can become very effective to achieve the goal of housing for all if some suitable amendments are introduced, and the legal framework is strengthened

The Complicated Partisan Effects of State Election Laws

Conventional political wisdom holds that policies that make voting easier will increase turnout and ultimately benefit Democratic candidates. We challenge this assumption, questioning the ability of party strategists to predict which changes to election law will advantage them. Drawing on previous research, we theorize that voting laws affect who votes in diverse ways depending on the specific ways that they reduce the costs of participating. We assemble datasets of county-level vote returns in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 presidential elections and model these outcomes as a function of early voting and registration laws, using both cross-sectional regression and difference-in-difference models. Unlike Election Day registration, and contrary to conventional wisdom, the results show that early voting generally helps Republicans. We conclude with implications for partisan manipulation of election laws.

Part 1 Freedom of Religion or Belief, 1.3.8 Registration

This chapter focuses on several issues concerning the registration of religious communities. While ‘registration’ may appear to be a merely technical theme of less political significance, the issue is actually a source of major human rights problems in the area of freedom of religion or belief. Quite a number of States assume that only members of ‘registered’ religious communities should be allowed to fully practise their freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, registration procedures are often overly bureaucratic, cumbersome, and thus not in the service of freedom of religion or belief. This chapter derives from the reports of Special Procedures a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ for the formulation of registration laws and procedures concerning the acquisition of legal status. In terms of issues of interpretation, this chapter discusses misunderstandings with regard to the term ‘recognition’, which should be avoided in the context of registration procedures.