Being Online Is Still Not Enough: Military and Overseas Voters

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In December 2011, the Pew Center on the States released Being Online is Still Not Enough. The report assessed state election websites sites for all 50 states and the District of Columbia between May and November 2010 based on three categories: content, lookup tools, and usability. 

One of the principal researchers, Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation, recently presented more detailed information, focusing on how state websites serve military and overseas voters.

The study examined the content of state websites in 10 voter information categories, evaluating their performance in each category using nearly 100 questions. The categories were then ranked based on how well the websites, collectively, made the information available to voters. The category for providing information to military and overseas voters ranked ninth out of 10, indicating that significant room for improvement still exists.

Additionally, at the time of the study, 50 states provided a special information section designed to help military and overseas voters register and vote, while only 22 provided information about when military voters must re-register to vote.

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