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

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:

46. New York
47. South Dakota
48. Oklahoma
49. Arkansas
50. Mississippi

See the full rankings and read more about the methodology.