The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.
Elections in the U.S.
Many people have a general sense of how democracy works and understand the basics of elections in the United States. But there is a lot of nuance worth understanding as you consider your own civic engagement.
Federal Elections Explained
- The Electoral College (U.S. National Archive resource)
- How the president is elected (USA.gov explainer)
- Congressional, state, and local elections (USA.gov explainer)
- The elections clause: Interpretation and debate (National Constitution Center)
- How does campaign funding work? (CalTech Science Exchange)
- Rock the Vote has explainers on many topics related to U.S. elections, including voting rights legislation.
- Spotlight on Voting in America (Smithsonian Institution)
- Voices and Votes: Democracy in America (Smithsonian Institution)
Current Issues in Democracy and Voting
- Tufts Now series: Saving Democracy
- Tufts Solutions: Advancing Democracy
- Freedom House: Democracy in the United States
- Gerrymandering Explained by the Brennan Center for Justice
- Consider a course in political science.
Other Resources
- You can visit the JFK Presidential Library and Museum or the Edward Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. These two centers are right next to each other in Boston; easily accessible by the MBTA Red Line from Davis Square. They both offer exhibits and experiences on the working of the federal government and various topics related to the election.
- The MGGG Redistricting Lab in Tisch College studies applications of geometry and computing to U.S. redistricting in order to address a threat to our democracy: gerrymandering.
- The MIT Election Data and Science Lab researches election administration and election security.
- Vote.gov, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and USA.gov are official government sources of information about voting.