Two U.S. Electoral Integrity Measures: A Surprising Lack of Correlation Across States

This article compares two prominent measures of electoral integrity—

• The Electoral Integrity Project's 2016 U.S. Perceptions Survey
• The Pew Research Center's 2014 Elections Performance Index

The analysis reveals several key findings:

Low Correlation Between Measures

Despite assessing similar concepts, these two widely-used measures show remarkably low correlation across state elections.

Multi-Dimensional Assessment

Both indices appear to capture multiple aspects of electoral integrity rather than measuring a single dimension. Their component parts reflect different conceptualizations.

Citizen Perception Linkage

The study examines how the individual indicators comprising each measure relate to citizens' own perceptions about their state's electoral integrity.

Recommendations for Researchers

Based on these findings, the authors provide guidance for future research:

• Measures should be clearly defined and validated
• Comparisons between different indices require careful consideration of conceptual differences

The article concludes by urging caution in using standardized measures to assess complex political systems.