A multi-year study of Election Day vote center implementation across the United States, examining administrative impacts, voter experiences, and stakeholder support.
Vote centers allow any registered voter within a jurisdiction to cast a ballot at any polling location on Election Day, rather than being assigned to a specific precinct. This model requires real-time voter check-in systems and has seen rapid adoption across the Midwest and Plains regions in particular.
625 jurisdictions in 19 states — with geographic concentration in the Midwest and Plains regions. View the presentation and research paper below for more detailed information.
Vote centers dramatically reduce the operational footprint of election administration. Jurisdictions report roughly half as many physical polling locations to staff and maintain, and corresponding reductions in poll worker recruitment needs.
Because vote centers eliminate "wrong precinct" errors, jurisdictions see sharp reductions in both the number of provisional ballots cast and the share of provisionals that are ultimately rejected.
Survey data from 2024 show that vote center users reported somewhat less ease locating their polling place compared to precinct voters — an important equity and communication consideration for implementing jurisdictions.
The research finds that vote centers prove most effective in larger jurisdictions and when paired with robust voter communication. Access and equity require ongoing attention, particularly for voters with limited transportation or information access.
Case studies from St. Louis County, Missouri and Fresno County, California reveal strong support from both voters and election workers.
Our database catalogs all known jurisdictions in the United States as of 2025 that have adopted Election Day vote centers, including state, county, and adoption year.
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