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Which states run the best elections? MIT researchers have an answer.

Best states for elections

A certain New England state achieved the highest score on MIT's elections index.

wellesenterprises/Getty Images

Despite the disinformation, legal actions and 2021 insurrection, election administration improved in 2020, according to MIT’s Election Performance Index.

And while nearly every state saw improvements from 2018, even during Covid-19 pandemic, not all states performed equally well.


The index examines voter turnout and registration, ballot problems, online tools, audits and other aspects of election administration.

The top-performing states in 2020 were:

  1. Vermont
  2. Minnesota
  3. Iowa
  4. Wisconsin
  5. North Dakota

The lowest-scoring states were:

  1. New York
  2. South Dakota
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Arkansas
  5. Mississippi

See the full rankings and read more about the methodology.

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Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

Two coloured pencils one red and one blue drawing a reef knot on a white paper background.

Getty Images, David Malan

Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

It is a common refrain to say that Americans need to find common ground across the political spectrum.

Over the past year, AllSides and More Like US found >700 instances of common ground on political topics, revealed in Similarity Hub. It highlights public opinion data from Gallup, Pew Research, YouGov, and many other reputable polling firms.

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U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces service members and U.S. Army Soldiers hold an African Lion banner during a Moroccan F-16 flyover at the closing day of African Lion 2025 (AL25) at Tantan, Morocco, May 23, 2025.

By Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Mallett/U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

WASHINGTON – Both the Trump administration and its critics agree the U.S. risks losing influence in Africa to rivals like China and Russia. But while the administration argues its commercially driven foreign policy will reverse the trend, critics warn that retreating from development and diplomacy could deepen the problem.

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. plans to consolidate embassies, scale back USAID operations, and pivot towards a security and commercial driven approach on the continent. While U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) defense officials insist their core missions within Africa will remain intact, civilian experts and lawmakers argue that abandoning diplomatic and development tools opens the door for strategic competitors to fill the void and fails to take into account what would best benefit African countries.

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