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.