Transparency Scores – How Scores are Calculated

Data Transparency Scores – How Scores are Calculated

Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act requires states to make all records pertaining to the implementation of accurate voter registration lists available for public inspection. Voter Reference Foundation Transparency Scores provide insight into how each state ranks in their ability to deliver on this requirement. We score each state based on how easy it is for a member of the public to obtain the voter lists, and how complete and accurate the data is. Below is a table outlining a breakdown of each score.

The scoring on each category is from 0 to 5.

Rating Scale

0 – Least Transparent

Rating Scale

5 – Most Transparent

How does your state score?

Availability & Accessibility

Points
Possible

Request Process

Automatic Process for Any Citizen +5, Approval Required +3, State Resident only +1, State PAC only 0

Price

Free = +5, Under $500.00 = +3, $500-$1000 = +1, Over $1000 = 0

Delivery Method

Downloadable = +5, Physical USB or Disk = +3, Paper = 0

Update Frequency

Daily = +5, Monthly = +3, On request = +1

Historical snapshots

Daily = +5, Monthly = +3, No snapshots/Live data only = 0

Use Restrictions

Can freely Publish & Share = +5

Completeness of Data

Points
Possible

Full Name (First, Middle, Last, Suffix)

Yes = +5, No = 0

Registered Address

Yes = +5, No = 0

Mailing Address

Yes = +5, No = 0

Voter Eligibility Status (Active, Inactive, Canceled, etc.)

Active only = +1, Active and Inactive = +2, All Statuses including canceled/Removed etc. = +5, No Status = 0

Voter Status Reason (Data identifying why a record is inactive or canceled, e.g. Deceased, Moved, NVRA, etc.)

Yes = +5, No = 0

Age or Date of Birth information

Full DOB = +5, Month and Year = +3, Year = +2, Age as number = +1, NO DOB = 0

Registration Date

Yes = +5, No = 0

Modified Date (last update to record)

Yes = +5, No = 0

Jurisdiction Information (County, Precinct, Congressional, Legislative)

Yes = +5, No = 0

Record of Voting

Yes = +5, No = 0

All Current and Removed Records

Yes = +5, Current only +2, No = 0

Documentation & Quality

Points
Possible

Fields Clearly Described

Yes = +5, No = 0

Coded Fields Translated ( e.g. voter status values are A=Active, I=Inactive, R=Canceled,S=Suspense)

All coded values defined = +5, Some coded values defined = +1, No coded values defined = 0

Protected Records Accounted For

Yes = +5, No = 0

How does your state score?

See State Scores