Congressional Research Service Reports - 583 Matching Results
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- Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
- This report provides data on current Latin American and Caribbean leaders and the date of their last election as well as the next scheduled election.
- The National Popular Vote (NPV) Initiative: Direct Election of the President by Interstate Compact
- This report monitors the National Popular Vote's (NPV) progress in the states. It includes sections that provide brief background on the electoral college, history of the National Popular Vote concept, more detail on the NPV initiative, pros and cons for the NPV, legal issues, and concluding observations.
- Postelection Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- This report discusses the political structure, presidency, legislative elections of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the role of the Unites States.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
- This report provides data on current Latin American and Caribbean leaders and the date of their last election as well as the next scheduled election.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress
- This report examines the political and economic environment in Latin America and the Caribbean and U.S. policy toward the region in the 115th Congress, highlighting congressional interest and legislative action.
- Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections: An Overview
- This report provides a resource for understanding the current campaigns and elections regulatory structure. It addresses those areas of law and public policy that most directly and routinely affect American campaigns and elections: campaign finance; election administration; election security; redistricting; qualifications and contested elections; and voting rights.
- The Designation of Election Systems as Critical Infrastructure
- This report discusses the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designating the election infrastructure used in federal elections as a component of U.S. critical infrastructure. The designation was made in January 2017, in response to a series of cyberattacks that occurred on information systems of state and local election jurisdictions prior to the 2016 election. The report explains the concept of critical infrastructure and the implications of the designation.
- Mexico's 2018 Elections
- This report discusses issues surrounding Mexico's 2018 elections -- particularly the presidential election -- including Mexico's political climate, electoral process, presidential candidates, and predicted outcome.
- Federal Election Commission: Membership and Policymaking Quorum: In Brief
- This report discusses the Federal Election Commission's structure, membership, and quorum requirements and what happens if they lose their policymaking quorum.
- U.S. Senate Vacancies: Contemporary Developments and Perspectives
- This report discusses the procedures for filling a vacant Senate seat and provides a brief description of the most recent Senate vacancies and the election proceedings used to fill the vacancies. Various legislative proposals to alter the procedures for filling Senate vacancies are also discussed.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
- This report provides data on current Latin American and Caribbean leaders and the date of their last election as well as the next scheduled election.
- Regulating the U.S. Campaign Environment: Politics and Policy
- This report discusses current regulations governing election campaigns and potential new threats to campaigns that may require new regulations or policies.
- Russia's 2018 Presidential Election
- This report discusses the 2018 Russian presidential elections and the strict control exercised by the Russian government over the election process and candidates allowed to run. Brief overviews of all the candidates are provided as well as notable absences from the election along with possible plans for the future by President Vladimir Putin.
- Election in Italy
- This report discusses the results of the Italian Parliamentary election on March 4, 2018 which ended with no party gaining a majority making a coalition necessary. Populist parties gained a significant number of seats and implications of their rise to power for Italy, the EU, NATO, and the U.S. are discussed.
- Russians Indicted for Online Election Trolling
- This report discusses the indictment of three Russian companies and 13 Russian national by the Department of Justice for interference in the 2016 presidential election. The charges brought for each one are detailed along with the sentencing guidelines for the crimes.
- Iran: Politics, Human Rights, and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses Iran's political and governmental structure, major elections and political unrest (including the Dec. 2017-Jan 2018 protests), and human rights violations, as well as U.S. policy and relations with Iran.
- Contested Elections in Honduras
- This report discuses the November 26, 2017 Honduran presidential elections including allegations of irregularity in the voting count and uncertainty over who the election winner is with only 89% of the vote counted as a of November 30th. It provides an overview of implications of the results of the election for the United States and their relations with Honduras.
- U.S. Senate Vacancies: Contemporary Developments and Perspectives
- This report discusses senate vacancies created by a member resigning, dying, or transferring to another position as well as the the procedures to fill them.
- Electoral College Reform: Contemporary Issues for Congress
- This report provides a brief introduction to the electoral college system, its original intent, pros and cons of the system, recent criticisms, and proposals to reform or end the electoral college.
- Election in Germany
- This report gives a brief overview of the 2017 chancellorship election campaign in Germany where Chancellor Angela Merkel is running for her 4th term in office. The major political parties and issues in the campaign are discussed as well as possible effects on U.S. relations with Germany.
- Foreign Money and U.S. Campaign Finance Policy
- This report discusses regulations forbidding the use of foreign money in U.S. election campaigns and various debates and recent actions surrounding enforcement of the rules.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
- This report provides the results of recent elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. It includes three tables, organized by region, containing the date of each country's independence, the name of the newly elected president or prime minister, and the projected date of the next election.
- Foreign Money and U.S. Elections
- This report provides an overview of the prohibitions on foreign money under federal campaign finance law.
- United Kingdom Election Result
- This report discusses the United Kingdom's (UK's) election of June 8, 2017, which resulted in a hung parliament, an outcome in which no single party won a majority of seats in the 650-seat House of Commons.
- The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections
- This report focuses on the institutions and procedures associated with the contemporary electoral college system. It opens by noting four rarely occurring electoral college eventualities that took place in connection with the 2016 presidential election. These included the election of a President and Vice President who received fewer popular votes than their major opponents; the actions of seven "faithless electors," who voted for candidates other than those to whom they were pledged; the split allocation of electoral votes in Maine, which uses the district system to choose its electors; and challenges to electoral votes in the joint session of Congress at which they are counted. The report also examines the constitutional origins of the electoral college system and identifies the additional components and processes that are the product of federal and state law, party requirements, and political tradition, explaining their role in presidential elections. It provides a timeline for operation of the electoral college system for the 2020 presidential election, a brief examination of alternative reform measures, including constitutional amendment proposals and non-governmental initiatives, such as the National Popular Vote initiative1 (NPV), and closes with concluding observations on the state of the electoral college system and prospects for change.
- France's 2017 Presidential Election: In Brief
- This report discusses the French presidential election of 2017 and includes brief descriptions of the main candidates and current poll leaders, major campaign issues, and possible implications of the results of the French election for American-French relations and for their role in Europe and the EU. This report was written before the election which was won by Emmanuel Macron.
- Northern Ireland's Snap Assembly Elections: Outcome and Implications
- This report discusses the snap elections for Northern Ireland's Assembly, its regional legislature.
- Proposals to Eliminate Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns
- This report discusses Presidential campaign funding and provides a brief policy overview and raises potential issues for congressional consideration.
- Russia and the U.S. Presidential Election
- This report discusses a declassified report on Russian activities and intentions related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
- Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913-2017
- This report provides data on elections of the Speaker in each Congress since 1913, when the House first reached its present size of 435 Members. During that period (63rd through 115th Congresses), a Speaker was elected five times with the votes of less than a majority of the full membership.
- Moldova: A Pivotal Election?
- This report discusses Moldova's presidential election on October 30, 2016. This is the first time since 1996 that Moldova's president is being elected by a popular vote.
- Contingent Election of the President and Vice President by Congress: Perspectives and Contemporary Analysis
- This report provides an examination of constitutional requirements and historical precedents associated with contingent elections. It also identifies and evaluates contemporary issues that might emerge in the modern context.
- Recent State Election Law Challenges: In Brief
- This report begins by setting forth key constitutional provisions relevant to recent state election law challenges. Next, it discusses federal statutory provisions contained in the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act and briefly examines pertinent Supreme Court precedent. Then, based on that legal framework, it provides an overview of several recent challenges to state election laws in Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas that resulted in major decisions by the various federal courts of appeals as illustrative examples of the types of challenges that have been playing out in the courts. Finally, the report discusses some potential implications of these challenges.
- Legal Processes for Contesting the Results of a Presidential Election
- This report discusses the legal processes for contesting the results of a Presidential election.
- State Voter Identification Requirements: Analysis, Legal Issues, and Policy Considerations
- This report provides an updated overview of state requirements for voters to present some form of ID before casting a ballot in a federal election. The report also discusses the origins of voter ID, relevant federal legislative action in the 114th Congress, and selected legal and policy issues related to state voter ID laws.
- Elections Strengthen Georgia's Ruling Party
- This report discusses the country of Georgia's parliamentary elections, which domestic and international observers assessed as democratic, despite isolated violations and violent incidents.
- Russia's Parliamentary Elections
- This report discusses Russia's last parliamentary elections. On September 18, 2016, Russians will go to the polls to elect the State Duma.
- How Can the Results of a Presidential Election Be Contested?
- This report discusses methods of contesting presidential election results on the basis of miscounts or fraud.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
- This report provides the results of recent elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. It includes three tables organized by region, containing the date of each country's independence, the name of the newly elected president or prime minister, and the projected date of the next election. Information in this report was gathered from numerous sources, including the U.S. State Department, Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) World Fact Book, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and other news sources.
- Coordinated Party Expenditures in Federal Elections: An Overview
- This report examines campaign finance law in the context of political party committee expenditures. It discusses relevant Supreme Court precedent and recent legislative activity.
- The State of Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress
- This report provides an overview of the campaign finance landscape and policy issues that may confront Congress. It includes information about the development of campaign finance law with selected litigation as well as potential policy considerations and emerging issues.
- Funding of Presidential Nominating Conventions: An Overview
- This report provides a historical overview of how Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF) convention funding functioned. It also describes private funding sources that remain available after legislation (H.R. 2019) became law (P.L. 113-94) eliminating PECF funding for convention operations.
- Contested Presidential Nominating Conventions: Brief Background and Questions
- This report briefly addresses selected questions about possible contested Democratic and Republican conventions that might be relevant as Members of Congress prepare for the 2016 election.
- The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections
- This report provides information about the electoral college including its origins, who makes up the college today, the 2012 presidental election, and calls for the reform of the electoral college.
- Peru: Politics, Economy, and Elections in Brief
- This report provides an overview of Peru's political, economic, and security conditions and of U.S.-Peruvian relations.
- Implications of Iranian Elections
- This report briefly describes the Iranian election process and the implications of this Election's results. On February 26, 2016, Iran held elections for the 290-seat Majles (parliament) and for the 88-seat body called the "Assembly of Experts," which is empowered to choose a successor to the Supreme Leader and rewrite Iran's constitution.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
- This report provides the results of recent elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. It includes three tables organized by region, containing the date of each country's independence, the name of the newly elected president or prime minister, and the projected date of the next election. Information in this report was gathered from numerous sources, including the U.S. State Department, Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) World Fact Book, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and other news sources.
- Aung San Suu Kyi's Party Takes Control of Parliament in Burma
- This report discusses politics and government in Burma following elections in November 2015. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) has now assumed control of Burma's Union Parliament. The lower chamber (People's Assembly) and the upper chamber (National Assembly) took office on February 1 and 3, 2016, respectively.
- Taiwan's January 2016 Elections: A Preview
- This report briefly provides context for the January 16, 2016 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan. The elections may determine whether an eight-year period of relative calm in relations between Taiwan (whose formal name is the Republic of China or ROC) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) continues, or comes to an end.
- Independent Bids for President
- This report briefly discusses legal and practical obstacles for candidates pursuing an independent run for the presidency after participating in the nomination process of a major political party--including competing in state primaries and caucuses for delegates to the party's national nominating convention.