History & Milestones
The Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID) at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy is one of the country’s leading nonpartisan research centers focused on elections, voting behaviors and electoral and political participation.
First launched as the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) at UC Davis in December 2010, CID was founded by political sociologist Mindy Romero, who through her graduate and doctoral work in sociology saw a great need for more data-driven research on voting, voting behaviors and elections. Growing up in the Central Valley of California, Romero also saw significant voting disparities among low-income and migrant communities, as well as communities of color, further inspiring her research into how big data could be used as a tool to improve both civic and political engagement.
In 2012, the Center released its first data research report, “Disparities in California's Vote-By-Mail Use. Changing Demographic Composition 2002-2012,” which set the stage for dozens more studies and research collaborations over the years. These have included the Center’s first election research presentation to policymakers at the California State Capitol in 2014, the launch of a Voters Choice Act report series in 2016, and roll-out of the “Mapping California’s Politically Vulnerable Communities” report that same year in conjunction with the California Secretary of State’s Office.
In 2018, the Center moved from UC Davis to the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy. It was officially renamed the Center for Inclusive Democracy the following year to better reflect its mission to increase civic and political engagement, as well as serve as an accessible data source and catalyst for change in communities of color and disenfranchisement. Today, policymakers and communities have come to rely on CID’s extensive library of collaborative research to inform both public policy and to inspire civic engagement in communities across the U.S.
In 2018, CID rolled out a first-of-its-kind Voting Location Siting Tool, an innovative web-based data mapping system to help election officials and community advocates in California identify accessible voting locations, as well as optimize voter outreach efforts. For the 2020 General Election, CID expanded the Tool to nine additional states, while also introducing a new data-centric Ballot Return Tool for Los Angeles County. During the election, the latter provided online, up-to-date real-time tallies of voting, down to the precinct level. CID also created a Ballot Return Tool for Georgia in support of the state’s U.S. Senate run-off election in January 2021.
Over the last decade, CID has also gained a national reputation for its expertise on the Latino Vote, including its 2018 research series in partnership with UnidosUS on the “Strength of the Latino Vote.” Similarly, Romero’s passion for inspiring youth civic engagement has led to recognition for expertise in the Youth Vote as well, which included a 2016 TED Talk featuring Romero speaking on the “Power of the Youth Vote.” Her talk has since inspired youth activism in many schools and counties, and led to development of a high school civics initiative and curriculum program for Yolo County, California.
With a goal of making voting and elections more accessible and transparent, CID plans to expand its signature Voting Location Siting Tool—as well as its Ballot Count Tool—to additional counties and states across the U.S. in the future. The Center will continue its research around election reform issues, such as automated voting registration, vote-by-mail, early voting and conditional voting, as well as data collection and analysis providing a clearer understanding of the relationship between political representation and economic outcomes in California communities. Given Romero’s passion for inspiring youth, she also hopes to expand the “Power of the Youth Vote” model curriculum to other counties and cities across the U.S.