Heritage Foundation ranks Tennessee and Arkansas highest in 2026 election integrity scorecard

The Heritage Foundation unveiled its 2026 Election Integrity Scorecard, which assesses all 50 states and the District of Columbia on 15 election-related criteria. Tennessee and Arkansas tied for first place with an overall score of 91, a result attributed mainly to recent citizenship-verification statutes and safeguards against foreign election funding. Alabama ranked third with a score of 89, followed by Louisiana at 85, and Florida and Georgia sharing the fifth spot at 83.

At the opposite end, Hawaii received the lowest score of 22 and California 26, while Vermont and Oregon each scored 31. The scorecard also measures voter ID laws, registration list accuracy, ballot-harvesting limits, same-day registration rules, and audit practices. Don Palmer, senior legal fellow for election integrity at the Heritage Foundation, said the organization will convene experts to discuss enforcement and will incorporate those insights into the 2027 rankings, which will emphasize proof-of-citizenship voting and stronger fraud-prevention measures.