Variable Information
Below are descriptions of county-level MoVE (Measurement of Voting Equity) variables available through the MoVE Data Extractor. Each variable represents a specific component of voting access, election administration, or informational transparency at the county level. The data is meticulously collected through direct communication with county election offices, public records, official documentation, and publicly available sources to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Together, these county-level variables form the foundation of the MoVE Index score. Each measure captures a distinct dimension of voting equity, and when combined, they provide a comprehensive assessment of how accessible and supportive a county’s election system is for its residents.
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Registration Information (0–5) | Additive scale measuring whether the county provides registration information to the general public in the following locations: DMV offices, government social service offices, general media services, minority-oriented media services, and in minority languages. |
| Voting Information (0–5) | Additive scale measuring whether the county provides voting information to the general public in the following locations: DMV offices, government social service offices, general media services, minority-oriented media services, and in minority languages. |
| Registered Voter Information (0–4) | Additive scale measuring whether the county provides the following information to registered voters: polling locations and closures, drop box locations and changes, early voting locations and changes, and voting center locations and updates. |
| Registration Drives (0,1) | Dichotomous measure indicating whether the county held a voter registration drive in the past four years. 0 = no registration drive, 1 = registration drive. |
| Ease of Registration (0–6) | Additive scale measuring whether the county facilitates registration by: not requiring government-issued identification, allowing registration at DMV offices, allowing registration at government social service offices, assisting incomplete forms, not requiring notarization, and providing assistance in minority languages. |
| Availability of Poll Workers (0–6) | Additive scale measuring poll worker availability, including: no shortages, adequate funding, recent training, demographic representation, assistance for limited English voters, and media recruitment campaigns. |
| Reduction in Election Day Polling Locations (0,1) | Dichotomous measure indicating whether the county reduced Election Day polling locations in the past four years. 0 = no reduction, 1 = reduction. |
| Drop Boxes (0,1) | Dichotomous variable indicating whether the county provides drop boxes for voting. 0 = no drop boxes, 1 = drop boxes available. |
| Vote Center (0,1) | Dichotomous variable indicating whether the county has at least one vote center. 0 = no vote centers, 1 = at least one vote center. |
| Standard Mail Service (0,1) | Dichotomous variable measuring whether the entire county has standard residential mail delivery. 1 = full residential mail service, 0 = some residents lack residential mail delivery. |
| Post Office Locations (0–5) | Likert scale measure of access to post offices. 5 = all residents within 10 miles; 4 = some up to 20 miles; 3 = up to 40 miles; 2 = up to 60 miles; 1 = up to 80 miles; 0 = more than 80 miles. |
| State Support for Elections (0–3) | Likert scale measure of financial support provided by the state for elections. 0 = no support; 1 = limited funding; 2 = partial funding for all elections; 3 = full funding for all elections. |
| State Support for Equipment (0,1) | Dichotomous variable measuring whether the state provides funding for election equipment. 0 = no funding; 1 = funding provided. |