pew charitable trusts

January 14, 2016 - A new report looks at the demographics of state legislatures across the country and finds that in the South they are disproportionately male and more religious. They are also more racially diverse — at least for now.

May 20, 2015 - Last week Florida became the latest among 28 states that now or will soon offer statewide online voter registration. Evidence shows such systems are less prone to fraud, more cost-effective and popular among voters and elections officials alike.

April 14, 2014 - A program launched by conservatives to root out alleged voter fraud has generated a lot of heated rhetoric but few cases of actual wrongdoing. North Carolina joined the program just as two other states dropped out amid concerns about unreliable data.

February 22, 2013 - North Carolina banned payday lending in 2001 over concern about usurious interest rates. But now some lawmakers want to bring back the industry, which new research finds often leads to snowballing financial trouble for desperate consumers.