Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE)

A new study co-authored by CDCE Director Mike Hanmer with CDCE Fellows Alauna Safarpour & Jared McDonald, along with Lisa Bryant shows that state mailings to unregistered eligible voters increase participation without advantaging either party. Read more: cdce.substack.com/p/sending-post…

A 2022 poll found that the majority of Americans (54%) were neutral on the issue of sports betting, but now—according to the latest poll by the @washingtonpost, @cdceumd, and @PovichCenter—more Americans are taking a negative stance. Read more at go.umd.edu/postumdpoll1225.

New research from @washingtonpost & @cdceumd finds Americans are increasingly concerned about the growing influence of the sports gambling industry and remain wary of its effect on the games they watch. Results are based on a survey of 1,032 American adults interviewed through the SSRS Opinion Panel. washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/12…

Americans are increasingly concerned about sports betting, according to our latest poll, conducted in partnership with The @WashingtonPost and the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (@cdceumd). Learn more: washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/12…

Good research can play a crucial role in shaping debates about proposals to change how voters verify their residency, identity and citizenship when registering to vote and casting a ballot. Read more: cdce.substack.com/p/how-we-can-k…

A new University of Maryland (@UofMaryland) lab will work to boost the capacity of election offices to administer these contests crucial to our democracy, thanks to a four-year, $2.3 million grant from the Election Trust Initiative (ETI), a nonprofit that develops and supports strategies to strengthen America’s election administration systems. The Election Resilience Lab will be part of the University of Maryland - Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (@cdceumd) in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS). “Our college’s motto is to ‘be the solution to the world’s great challenges,’ and time and again, the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement has answered that call,” said @bsosumd Dean Susan Rivera (@srivera_tw). “Every time that elements of our democracy have been called into question, CDCE has been there providing answers, or seeking to find them. The Election Resilience Lab will expand CDCE’s ability to effectively navigate these scenarios, and therefore make an even greater difference for the American public.” today.umd.edu/2m-grant-estab…

The CDCE's new Election Resilience Lab, housed within @bsosumd, will bring together researchers and practitioners to examine the increased demands that election officials face. You can learn more about this exciting new effort in Maryland Today! today.umd.edu/2m-grant-estab…

I am very happy to share that @UMDGVPT's @cdceumd is growing to include a new Election Resilience Lab! This dedicated effort to strengthen American elections will undoubtedly expand CDCE's already impressive impact on the American public, & our democracy. go.umd.edu/CDCEerl25

CDCE Faculty Fellow Dr. Alejandro (Alex) Flores recently co-authored a new International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) study: “U.S. Ethnic and Indigenous Media Play Critical Role in Countering Disinformation.” 📰 Read more: merrill.umd.edu/articles/us-et…

Excited to share this piece from the Election Trust Initiative in @electionline highlighting researcher-practitioner partnerships, including the new Election Resilience Lab at the @cdceumd electionline.org/electionline-w…

Sports are perhaps one of just a few things that bring tens of millions of Americans together with a sense of joy and belonging. As a result, more than ever, teams have a role to play in building community and connection. In 2024, the @Raiders did just that. Yesterday, a paper released by Tova Wang & Mike Hanmer (ash.harvard.edu/resources/voti…) told the story of how the team turned @AllegiantStadm not just into the most popular voting location in the state in 2024 but made it a place where families came to participate in the election in a way that was efficient and fun. Allegiant voting with the #Raiders also attracted young voters and people who never voted before: At the Allegiant Stadium poll site, the 4,200 voters who came on Election Day were more likely to be young, and more likely to be first time voters, than at other locations. We hope this story of success for the Raiders and the citizens of Nevada inspires other teams to give to their communities and to our country in similar ways. raiders.com/news/new-study… @HarvardAsh @cdceumd @NFL @NFLMedia @nflnetwork @SDMraiders1 @pipedream_lv @CiscoAguilar @NWSL @MLB @NBA #NFL #RaiderNation #NWSL #NBA

A new study co-led by @cdceumd and @HarvardAsh shows how stadium voting at Allegiant Stadium in 2024 offered a positive, engaging experience for voters and election officials—highlighting the potential of sports venues to strengthen civic engagement. go.umd.edu/sportsarenas

Four years after the Las Vegas Raiders moved into their sleek new home in 2020, the team used Allegiant Stadium to forge a deeper connection to the community—one that extended beyond the NFL team’s fans. By transforming the facility into a polling location during last November’s general elections, the team effectively called a blitz: 4,200 voters flocked in, far surpassing any other polling station in Clark County. The festive atmosphere with mascots, cheerleaders and music drew significantly younger and more first-time voters than other voting locations, according to a report released Monday, co-led by the University of Maryland - Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (@cdceumd), which analyzed the effects of using sports arenas as election sites. today.umd.edu/sports-arenas-…

Thank you @UofMaryland for covering our research on sports arenas as effective election sites! "The Las Vegas case study reveals 'a unique and politically neutral way to welcome new voters,' said Michael Hanmer, CDCE director." Read more: today.umd.edu/sports-arenas-…

A new study from @HarvardAsh and @cdceumd shows Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium a winning model for Election Day Voting. To read more, visit: bit.ly/3Vxi0Eb @NVSOS @CiscoAguilar @ClarkCountyNV @scottpioli51

We're excited to share our new collaborative research on voting at Allegiant Stadium, home of the @Raidersimpact, in 2024! This was a great collaboration with @NVSOS and @ClarkCountyNV election officials, the Las Vegas Raiders, and colleagues at @harvardash & Temple University.

Check out CDCE Director Michael Hanmer's book, Discount Voting: Voter Registration Reforms and their Effects, to read more about the research backing this up! cambridge.org/us/universityp…

Thousands are hosting voter registration drives today to celebrate #NationalVoterRegistrationDay. These actions matter even as "automatic" voter registration and other policy reforms expand. cdce.substack.com/p/why-policy-r…

Our research with @VoteRiders finds over 21 million U.S. citizens lack easy access to documents proving their citizenship. It is important to understand who might face challenges registering and voting if legislation like the SAVE Act is enacted. cdce.substack.com/p/which-us-cit…

To close the 18-year-old registration gap in Maryland: ✅ Strengthen automatic registration at the MVA ✅ Expand AVR beyond the MVA to other agencies ✅ Boost school-based outreach like student election judge programs Learn more at cdce.substack.com/p/maryland-cou….

Montgomery County offers an additional model: Voter education and school-based outreach through a student election judge program boosted youth registration rates above what license data would predict.

Our new analysis with the Maryland Democracy Initiative and @TheCivicsCenter reveals a key link between young drivers and young voters in Maryland. Counties with fewer young drivers are struggling to serve 18-year-old voters.