In Focus This Week
Election 2026
The circle of life
By M. Mindy Moretti
electionline.org
There was a birth, a death and a marriage proposal on Tuesday. And in between all of that millions of Americans safely and securely cast their ballots largely without incident.
“Once again, the strength and dedication of thousands of election professionals triumphed in designing and delivering a safe and secure election experience to millions of Americans,” said Kathleen Hale, executive director of the National Association of Election Officials (Election Center). “For the first time in about a decade, the inner workings and administrative details of the election process itself were not the story. On news outlets large and small throughout the country, our members were called upon to offer their expertise, and major candidates and political leaders acknowledged the legitimacy of the election and its results.”
Even with a significant turnover in the elections field since the last midterm election, years of training and security preparations clearly paid off this week.
The National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) issued the following statement:
“We are extremely proud of the work done by the election community to prepare for and carry out this election. Election Day may be over, but for us, the work does not stop: the dedicated professionals in election offices around the country are making sure that all eligible ballots are counted as cast,” the statement read. “NASED expresses our immense gratitude to local election officials across the country for their diligence and professionalism over the course of this election. We want to thank the thousands of election workers for serving their
communities yesterday, and who continue to work to canvass ballots and finalize results. Finally, thank you to the millions of voters who cast their ballots; our democracy functions best when its citizens show up.”
Concerns about federal interference, both at the polls and behind the scenes, failed to materialize. While there were a couple of reports of issues with Department of Justice monitors, even those were nothing compared to the concerns ahead of Tuesday.
Election security, a major concern leading up to this week, quickly became a back-burner issue. While there were a couple of bomb threats on Tuesday, the impact on voting was minimal and elections officials quickly adapted. There were also a small handful of polling place skirmishes reported, pre-Election Day fears about confrontations between poll watchers, election monitors and voters failed to materialize.
“From a law enforcement perspective, success isn’t measured by the number of incidents we respond to, but by our ability to keep people safe and prevent disruptions in the first place,” said Michel Moore, Co-Chair of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections and retired
Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. “Across the country, law enforcement leaders have worked alongside election officials to understand their responsibilities, establish clear communication, and prepare for potential threats. That partnership matters. Whether Election Day brings significant challenges or relatively few, our responsibility remains the same: protect the public, support election officials, and ensure that every voter can exercise their rights without fear or intimidation.”
Voting equipment, for the most part, functioned without major incident. Lines did form and some stretched into the night, but with more than 60 million votes cast early in-person or by mail, that certainly helped move the process along on Election Day.
“The topline takeaway from election night is that even amid some routine challenges, the 2026 midterm elections have thus far demonstrated the resilience of our election system,” said Issue One Senior Policy Director Michael McNulty. “We should celebrate the millions of Americans who made their voices heard and the dedicated election officials and poll workers who helped them do so. Despite
unprecedented executive branch efforts to interfere in election administration, state and local officials responsible for running our elections have continued to do their jobs and uphold the process. American democracy is strongest when people participate and hold their leaders accountable. The 2026 midterm elections are a clear example of our election system working as it is supposed to, and it shows why Americans should trust the process.”
The Election Center’s Hale noted that in many places turnout was very high and margins were very wide and that even in places where margins are razor thin, the legitimacy of the process appears to be accepted once again.
“Election professionals have ample reason to be proud of the service they provided not just on Election Day proper but throughout the year, every year, as they uphold their oaths of office and serve us all as the gatekeepers of democracy,” Hale said. “The Election Center stands ready to continue its support of the field with professional development. training and certification as it has done for the past 40 years.”
We’ll be back next week with a more in-depth look of everything that did and didn’t happen on November 3, 2026 and the days after.
Secretary of State Races
Obviously there is still counting happening and races still need to be certified, but this is how things are looking on the state election official front.
Additionally, there are another 12 states and D.C., where voters selected the officials who will then appoint their state elections chiefs. Those states are: Alaska, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. There will definitely be changes in some of those states, Texas being the most obvious, but it will take time to see how many of those change if at all.
Alabama: Republican Caroleene Dobson is the winner.
Arizona: Incumbent Adrian Fontes (D) is the winner.
Arkansas: Republican Kim Hammer is the winner.
California: Incumbent Shirley Weber (D) is the winner.
Colorado: Democrat Amanda Gonzalez is the winner.
Connecticut: Incumbent Stephanie Thomas (D / Working Families Party / Independent Party of Connecticut) is the winner.
Georgia: Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds is the winner.
Idaho: Incumbent Phil McGrane (R) is the winner.
Indiana: Democrat Beau Bayh, is the winner.
Iowa: Incumbent Paul Pate (R) is the winner.
Kansas: Republican Pat Proctor is the probable winner.
Massachusetts: Incumbent William Galvin (D) the winner.
Michigan: Democrat Garlin Gilchrist is the winner.
Minnesota: Incumbent Steve Simon (D) is the winner.
Nebraska: Republican Scott Petersen is the winner.
Nevada: Incumbent Cisco Aguilar (D) is the winner.
New Mexico: Democrat Amanda Lopez Askin is the winner.
North Dakota: Incumbent Michael Howe (R) is the winner.
Ohio: Democrat Allison Russo is the winner.
Rhode Island: Incumbent Greg Amore (D) was running unopposed.
South Dakota: Republican Heather Baxter is the winner. .
Vermont: Incumbent Sarah Copeland Hanzas (D) is the winner.
Wyoming: Republican Robert Short is the winner.
Statewide Ballot Measures
We’ll take a closer look at the local ballot measures next week, but here’s what happened with the statewide elections-related ballot measures this week.
Alabama: Amendment 1 – Require the office of lieutenant governor to be filled by election if a vacancy occurs more than 60 days before the next general election–Passed with 65% of the vote.
Alaska: Ballot Measure 2 – Repeal the top-four ranked-choice voting (RCV) system that was adopted in 2020 – Currently failing.
Ballot Measure 3 – Amend state law to provide that “Only a person who is a citizen of the United States” may vote in any election–Passed with 69% of the vote.
Arizona: Proposition 144 – Make a number of changes to the state’s election laws, including specifying that only citizens may vote in any Arizona election and requiring voters to show a government-issued ID to cast a ballot.–Failed
Arkansas: Issue 1– Provide that “Only a citizen of the United States … may vote in an election in this state”–Passed with 69% of the vote.
California: Proposition 39 – Require voters to present government-issued identification when casting ballots and require election officials to use government data to confirm voter citizenship and report verification rates.–Failed
Proposition 5 – Eliminate the successor election when a state officer is recalled, thereby leaving the office vacant until it is filled according to state law.–Too close to call at press time.
Colorado: Amendment 84 – Require voters casting ballots by mail to place their signature and some form of real ID on their ballot.–Failed.
Amendment 85 – Require ballot questions to be in plain language, at no more than an eighth-grade reading level.–Too close to call at press time.
Kansas: Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment – Amend the state constitution to state that only a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote.–Passed with 63% of the vote.
Massachusetts: Question 3 – Eliminate political party primaries for state elections and create a single primary where candidates are listed regardless of their political party.–Failed
Question 4 – Provide for same-day voter registration. –Passed with 56% of the vote.
Missouri: Amendment 6 – Prohibit the legislature from repealing or amending a citizen initiative unless at least 80% of both the House and Senate vote to refer a proposed change to the ballot, and voters then approve the change, prohibit the legislature from making changes to the citizen initiative and referendum process, among other changes.–Passed with 59% of the vote.
Montana: CI-133 – Add the power of initiative and referendum to the state’s Declaration of Rights.–Passed with 65% of the vote.
Nevada: Question 7 – Require voters to present photo identification when voting in person or to provide the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number when voting by mail.–Passed with 62% of the vote.
New Mexico: Constitutional Amendment 2 – Repeal the constitutional provision requiring that school elections be held at different times from partisan elections.–Passed with 64% of the vote.
North Carolina: Require Voter Identification Amendment – Require photographic identification to vote for all voters, not just those voting in person.–Passed with 59% of the vote.
North Dakota: Constitutional Measure One – Require constitutional amendments to receive a 60% supermajority vote to be adopted.–Failed.
Ohio: Issue 3 – Require photo ID to vote.–Passed with 65% of the vote.
South Dakota: Constitutional Amendment J – Provide that “[an] individual who is not a citizen of the United States is disqualified from voting in any election or upon any question submitted to the voters”.–Passed with 61% of the vote.
Constitutional Amendment L – Require a 60% supermajority by voters to approve constitutional amendments.–Failed,
Utah: Constitutional Amendment A – Require that constitutional amendments appearing on the ballot must be published for a period of 60 days.–Passed with 60% of the vote.
Virginia: Question 3 – Provide that persons convicted of felonies have their voting rights restored upon release from incarceration.–Passed with 56% of the vote.
West Virginia: Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment – Amend the constitution to state that only citizens may vote in elections.–Passed with 79% of the vote.
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Election News This Week
Personnel News: Antrim County, Michigan Deputy Clerk Annette Marcus has submitted her resignation.
In Memoriam: Longtime Carter County, Tennessee Administrator of Elections Tracy Tanner-Harris died suddenly last week. “She was such a good administrator,” Teresa Murray Smith, who served on the Carter County Election Commission from 2021-2024 said. “Efficient, capable, dealt with the public so well. Any time a candidate or anybody came in with questions she either had an answer for them or got on the phone with Nashville or whoever to get them an answer.” Carter County Election Commission Chair Connie Roberts said Tanner-Harris had been fighting
through illness to carry out a heavy slate of duties in the run up to early voting and especially since it has begun in mid-October, but Roberts said no one had suspected anything serious. Members of the community state and local elections expressed their shock and sadness at Tanner-Harris’ passing. “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Tanner-Harris. Tracy served her community in an important role. Her decades of service reflected a steadfast commitment to the voters of Carter County. Her passing is a loss for those who knew and worked alongside her, as well as the community she served,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said in a press release. “Please join us in keeping Tracy’s family, friends, and loved ones in your prayers during this difficult time. Our team will continue working closely with the Carter County Election Commission to support them as they prepare for the November election and mourn this tremendous loss.” Former Hawkins County Election Administrator Donna Sharp has been brought in on an interim basis to get the county through the midterm election.
New Research & Resources
What Americans Know About the Rules for Voting by Mail: Understanding what the public knows—and doesn’t know—about how to successfully cast a ballot is a necessary step for identifying where the information needs are greatest. To identify the public’s election information needs, Team Election Knowledge has been measuring public knowledge of election laws across the country in a series of different surveys for the past two years. This election cycle, we fielded a survey between October 23 and 30, 2026 that asked a national panel what they know about key election laws in their own state. In this write-up, we concentrate on mail voting rules—whether no-excuse mail voting is an option, whether mistakes on mail ballots can be fixed, and, importantly, the deadline for returning a mail ballot. We preview the topline findings, discuss what they may mean in the final days of the election, and consider the broader relationship between election knowledge and public confidence in ballot counting.–Team Election Knowledge
Protests & Public Safety: A Guide for Cities and Citizens: Protecting public safety has become a challenge for local communities as ideologically opposed groups have increasingly clashed openly during protest events across the country. Cities large and small have struggled to prevent violence during white nationalist rallies where the tactic of the protesters often has been to provoke confrontations with counter-protesters. Peaceful racial justice protests have been marred by violent interlopers and have been unlawfully “policed” by heavily armed vigilante militia groups, inhibiting free expression and heightening the risk of serious injury and death. In the present moment, it is more important than ever that local jurisdictions understand their role in fostering First Amendment activity while protecting the safety of protesters and the public. Having successfully litigated against violent white supremacists and unlawful private paramilitaries after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) created this guide to help with those efforts. In it you will find legal principles, best practices, and creative solutions upon which local jurisdictions may draw to protect public safety while respecting constitutional rights during rallies, protests, and other public events. The toolkit offers detailed legal analysis suitable for municipal and state attorneys, as well as more general legal guardrails, best practices, and frequently asked questions intended to be more easily accessible to non-lawyer elected and appointed officials, concerned residents, and activists. Download ICAP’s fact sheets for all 50 states explaining the laws barring unauthorized private militia groups and what to do if groups of armed individuals are near a polling place or voter registration drive.–Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown Law.
Ballot Measures, Legislation & Rulemaking
Hawai’i Rulemaking: After holding a public hearing October 26 and allowing for written testimony submitted by no later than October 28, the Hawaiʻi Office of Elections late October 29 finalized its recommendation for a new rule on how to settle these types of tied elections. The action was ordered Sept. 4 by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, part of a ruling that rejected the tie-breaking process used by the Elections Office to settle the House District 43 race, which ended in a tie following the Aug. 9 primary. But the rules are now submitted to Gov. Josh Green for his consideration are identical to what the public was asked to comment upon. In announcing its decision, the Elections Office did not say anything about the public comments other than noting that the office followed the required hearing. The proposed rules allow for using a container, the names of candidates written on folded paper and placed in capsules, the shaking or rotating of the container and the person doing the drawing averting their eyes. According to Honolulu Civil Beat, in theory, that means the same lauhala basket and plastic capsules — the latter compared to Easter eggs — used previously to decide the House race as well as a tied Senate race could be used again. Chief Elections Office Scott Nago has defended the process and says it has been used to select the order of political parties on ballots.
Albany, New York Ballot Measure: Ranked choice voting is one step closer to being implemented in City of Albany elections. Advocates with the organization Ranked Choice Voting Albany said they’ve gathered 1,975 signatures in support of ranked choice voting in city elections during a second round of canvassing this fall. RCV Albany submitted the petitions to the Albany City Clerk’s Office on October 29. If the Clerk’s Office determines that at least 1,200 of the newly submitted signatures are valid, voters could see a referendum on ranked choice voting as soon as the 2027 general election. If it moves forward, the referendum would ask voters whether they want to eliminate party primaries and choose elected officials in a single election in November where the winner would be decided by ranked choice voting. The changes would only apply to municipal elections in the City of Albany for positions like mayor and Common Council member. If approved by the voters, the system could go into effect by the next round of city elections in 2029.
Mitchell, South Dakota: A petition to bring a Mitchell ordinance establishing a runoff process for city elections has been certified and the Mitchell City Council will consider setting a date for voters to decide the matter. During its regular meeting on Nov. 2, the Mitchell City Council will consider whether to put a publicly referred runoff election ordinance on the ballot for either a special election or as part of the June 2027 city election. The petition was turned in on Oct. 29, according to Mitchell Finance Officer Michelle Bathke. According to Bathke, the petition needed at least 502 registered voter signatures and more than this number was confirmed by the finance office. Mitchell Mayor Jordan Hanson and others submitted more than 600 signatures, according to Hanson. A referred petition must include 5% of Mitchell’s registered voters. Early this month, the Mitchell City Council overrode a mayoral veto of an ordinance establishing a runoff election process when candidates in a three-way or more race fail to receive more than 50 percent of the votes in that race. The council may set an election date within 10 days of receiving the petition and has two options. According to Bathke, the council may set the date for the next annual municipal election on Tuesday, June 8, 2027 or the council can schedule a special election on a Tuesday not less than 30 days after the date the council considers the petition date. The latter option’s earliest date for a special election would be Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Legal Updates
Federal Litigation: Chief Judge James E. Boasberg in Federal District Court in Washington ordered the Trump administration to provide a list of states it targeted with demands that state and local officials change how they will administer the midterm election, including that they set aside specific ballots for extra scrutiny. The order could provide new transparency into the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure local officials ahead of next week’s election. It came in a lawsuit brought by a broad coalition of Democratic politicians and party organizations that is seeking a court order prohibiting the Trump administration from interfering in election administration. Boasberg asked the Justice Department to produce any communication with state or local election officials that directed them to remove registered voters from state rolls, to refuse to issue ballots to specific registered voters, or to set aside “or otherwise not count and tabulate” votes cast by specific individuals.
The full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted on November 3 to again lift a block on the Trump administration’s attempts to coerce election workers into setting aside ballots suspected to have been cast by noncitizens. The full panel reinstated its earlier order after rehearing the Justice Department’s appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the administration from threatening state and local officials with criminal prosecution if they do not comply with its demands. The order contained no explanation, noting only that a “majority of the en banc court” agreed to restore a divided three-judge panel’s ruling that had been vacated hours earlier. Five judges dissented. Two labor unions and political interest groups sued the Trump administration last week after the Justice Department sent letters to California and Washington requesting the states check their voter rolls for potential ineligible voters and sequester those mail ballots until citizenship status can be verified. One of the letters sent to Los Angeles officials warned of “significant federal scrutiny and legal exposure” if they did not comply. The challengers accused the administration of unlawfully trying to interfere with the midterm elections by attempting to coerce election officials with threats, arguing it could disenfranchise lawful voters.
Federal Law Enforcement: Federal authorities charged an Oklahoma City man with sending hundreds of letters containing white powder and ominous warnings about treason to public officials ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections. The powders turned out to be nonhazardous — yeast or flour — though not all letters have been fully tested, the FBI said in a court filing made public Tuesday. Robin Martin is charged with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. He was arrested Monday and was expected to make an appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City. Investigators believe more than 700 mailings this fall appeared to be associated with the same sender but with a different return address. They were addressed to election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, news media and federal law enforcement, FBI agent David Cole said in an affidavit. The investigation stretched back to 2024 when election officials in multiple states reported mail with a white substance and a three-page letter declaring war, the FBI said. Some bore warnings that could only be read under ultraviolet light, such as, “Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it!!”
Alaska: U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that sought to block the state of Alaska from declaring a winner in the state’s U.S. Senate election. In a 20-page order issued November 1, Gleason said the federal government failed to explain how it has the authority to bring its lawsuit. “Therefore, this court lacks jurisdiction and the United States’ amended complaint must be dismissed,” Gleason wrote. Less than two hours after Gleason’s judgment, the federal government said it would appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In written arguments filed since last week, attorneys representing the federal government had argued without evidence that Alaska voters might be confused by the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan and sought an order that would require the state to set aside all votes for Dan J. Sullivan, pending further investigation. The state of Alaska, Peltola’s campaign, a national Democratic group and two nonpartisan voting organizations opposed that request. In written filings, they said the action requested by the federal government would not prove any possible confusion. “The absence of any explanation from the United States as to how its requested relief could redress its alleged injury while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is telling,” Gleason wrote. “Simply, the Court cannot grant the United States the relief it seeks because the United States has failed to establish the redressability prerequisite for Article III standing.”
California: The U.S. Supreme Court on November 2 rejected the Trump administration’s push to force California to set aside thousands of ballots from people the federal government claims are noncitizens, a decision that came hours before the final day of voting in the midterm elections. The high court refused to immediately intervene in a case involving 20,000 people the Republican administration flagged as likely noncitizens on the largely Democratic state’s voter rolls. The swift rejection capped a string of losses for the president’s effort to intervene in the election before the counting of ballots to decide who controls Congress in the last two years of his second term. No justices publicly dissented. Several lower courts also rejected the Justice Department’s push to set aside the challenged California ballots until the voters’ citizenship status could be verified.
Georgia: Marietta resident Michael Olaribigbe has agreed to drop the lawsuit he filed against the Cobb County elections director and the county board of elections over his delayed absentee ballot now that the county has agreed to send him a new ballot by express delivery. Olaribigbe filed the lawsuit on October 27 alleging that he was among nearly 2,900 people in Cobb County who did not receive an absentee ballot as requested. The suit pointed the finger at the New York-based vendor the county hired to handle the task. It focused on ballots requested by Cobb voters from Oct. 6 to Oct. 15 and alleged that the vendor had taken as long as two weeks to complete the mailings. In a statement, Cobb disputed the scope of the problem but acknowledged there were “some delays in ballot delivery” by the vendor. “This delay affected a limited set of voters and we were already working on solutions to this problem before any lawsuit was filed,” the county said in a statement. The county said impacted voters could contact Cobb Elections to request a new absentee ballot that would be delivered by express mail with prepaid return express delivery.
Iowa: The Republican National Committee sued Black Hawk County Auditor Karen Showalter October 29, claiming her office refused to let committee members watch document testing of election equipment or access records ahead of the midterms. After election staff performed pre-election testing earlier this month, the committee says Showalter wrongfully denied RNC representatives — attending as authorized public observers — access to personally record the security seal numbers. “Despite the provisions of law which guarantee the right of the public to witness logic and accuracy testing, and which obligate those in attendance to certify the sealing of tabulating equipment, the defendant refused to permit RNC representatives to photograph or otherwise document the seal numbers placed on tabulating equipment,” the committee says in the complaint. The RNC claims Showalter repeatedly refused to release seal records in follow-up emails from the committee, claiming the numbers were confidential under Iowa law and a 2018 resolution passed by the county board regarding security procedures. According to the committee, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate informed county auditors this week that documents related to “logic and accuracy” are public records — though Showalter again refused to provide the seal numbers.
Michigan: The Michigan Supreme Court issued an order October 29 declining to hear an appeal by the Republican National Convention, the Michigan Republican Party and Chesterfield Township Clerk Cindy Berry in their lawsuit challenging election guidance from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on how to handle mail-in ballots with mismatched numbers. The order did not come with a written opinion or statement from the justices in the majority, but noted that the appeal was denied because they were “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court.” However, Justice Brian K. Zahra, the high court’s sole Republican, wrote a dissent on the order, concluding that a decision not to hear the case “cheapens the role of this Court and fails to recognize the importance of the right to vote in our state.” Zahra added that the case has particular prominence because of Michigan’s role as a swing state with competitive local and statewide elections. “As Michigan’s court of last resort we owe it to the people of Michigan to explain why ballots with mismatched or missing ballot numbers are tabulated when our Legislature has plainly stated that ‘[i]f the ballot numbers match, the board of election inspectors shall . . . prepare the ballot for tabulation’,” Zahra continued. Justice Richard H. Bernstein also indicated that he would grant leave to appeal, but did not include a further dissent.
Nevada: On Oct. 17, the first day of early voting, people encountered a woman with a bullhorn outside an early voting location in Clark County. ACLU observers recorded cell phone video as the woman, known as “Bullhorn Becky”, verbally accosted and harassed voters. Voter Charles Raymond Karel says he reported her to poll workers, who told him they couldn’t do anything about it if she was 100 feet away. “And I said, ‘But that pathway is the only path, you know, so she’s not really 100 feet away,'” Karel explained. “‘Well, sir, that’s the way it is.'” Other videos show the woman yelling at other voters, saying things like “stop murdering babies.” ACLU Nevada executive director Athar Haseebullah saw it all go down. “Voter intimidation and battery are not protected First Amendment activities. The law has made that clear. Both state and federal law make that clear,” Haseebullah said. “What we ended up seeing was individuals who not only followed voters into the voting area, effectively, and were recording them on their cell phone, screaming obscenities the entire time as voters were only in line.” There’s only one narrow pathway available to access the polling site. “[It’s] led to serious intimidation, to the point where some voters have turned around and left the site,” Haseebullah said. Late October 29, the ACLU asked the court for a temporary restraining order. By Friday morning, it was granted by a judge. The court, in part, ordered Clark County to prohibit electioneering within 100 feet of the “narrow, single pathway required to access the voting area at Desert Breeze Community Center.” The court order also specifically prohibits the woman the ACLU calls Bullhorn Becky from doing what she was doing in those videos at Desert Breeze. She’s not allowed to harass or intimidate voters. She can’t follow them while recording. She can’t talk to them while they’re entering or leaving the polling place. And, of course, she’s prohibited from physical assault or threats of harm at any time during the 2026 election. The court order was extended through November 3.
Pennsylvania: Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick filed a lawsuit October 29 in an effort to disqualify Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia from serving on the county election board ahead of a tight contest against a fellow Democratic commissioner, Bob Harvie. Fitzpatrick’s suit, filed in Bucks County Court, alleges that Ellis-Marseglia has shown a “disdain for election law” and should be removed for “conflicts of interest.” Ellis-Marseglia is close friends with Harvie, Fitzpatrick’s Democratic challenger, and has attended events for his campaign. The lawsuit urges the court to remove Ellis-Marseglia from the board and appoint a substitute for the forthcoming election, alleging that the Democrat serving on the committee violates Fitzpatrick’s due process rights after she has publicly supported Harvie and portrayed an “animus” toward the Republican. “When a public official charged with overseeing or influencing the conduct of elections publicly expresses disdain for controlling election law for blatantly partisan purposes, and publicly expresses extreme partisan bias against candidates from opposing political parties, she has a clear conflict of interest,” Geoffrey R. Johnson, an attorney for Fitzpatrick, wrote in the complaint.
South Dakota: U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier ruled in favor of a member of the Yankton Sioux tribe allowing him to cast his ballot Tuesday at a polling place in Wagner, South Dakota, wearing the apparel of his choice. In a complaint filed in federal court, Lonnie Provost said Charles Mix County election officials turned him away from his polling place during 2024 general election because he wanted to cast a ballot wearing a “Natives Vote” T-shirt. Jason Gant, the auditor, has said those tees violate state laws against electioneering, which prevents anyone from displaying campaign materials within 100 feet of a polling place, according to Provost in his complaint. Since that day, Provost’s attorneys repeatedly told state and county officials the policy violated his and others’ constitutional rights. Those officials did not see it his way. Provost sued and requested a temporary restraining order allowing him to vote the next day wearing the shirt. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier granted the motion Tuesday morning following a hearing at the federal courthouse in Sioux Falls. “Plaintiff has demonstrated a likelihood of success on his First Amendment claim,” wrote Schreier, a Bill Clinton appointee, in her order. “His shirt conveys a nonpartisan Native voter participation message without advocating for or against a candidate, political party, or ballot measure. On the present record, defendants’ treatment of that message as prohibited campaign material lacks an objectively reasonable basis consistent with the First Amendment.” Schreier required Gant to instruct election workers at every Charles Mix County polling place that any voter wearing the “Natives Vote” shirt or similar apparel be allowed to vote.
Texas: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office is suing the Harris County Clerk’s Office for allegedly running social media advertisements that targeted “certain racial and ethnic groups,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday. The lawsuit accuses county clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and her office’s director of communications, Irene Nuñez, of running voter awareness ads on Facebook and Instagram that were allegedly targeting “certain racial and ethnic groups (African-American, Asian, and South American or Latino Groups)” while excluding other demographics. “The Harris County Clerk’s office used Meta’s ad tools to intentionally target its ‘Get Out the Vote’ style ads to certain racial and ethnic groups while avoiding targeting other demographics,” the attorney general’s office said via a release announcing the lawsuit. “By classifying based upon race when advertising to provide Harris County voters with election information, the county clerk’s office exceeded its authority.” The attorney general’s office claimed this alleged targeted advertising amounts to racial discrimination “in an effort to increase voter turnout among particular races and ethnicities.” Paxton, who is currently running as a Republican in the Texas Senate race against Democrat James Talarico, has recused himself from the investigation, according to a statement from his office.
A federal court in San Antonio has dismissed a lawsuit by three civil rights organizations against Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden and Texas Department of Safety (DPS) Director Freeman F. Martin. The suit, which demanded the state hand over records related to delays in processing more than 500,000 voter registration applications. The lawsuit, which came amid concerns about votes being counted in this year’s unusually competitive statewide elections, was “dismissed without prejudice for lack of standing.” “We’re deeply disappointed by today’s ruling, particularly the Court’s apparent dismissal of the very real harm that Texas’s withholding of voter-registration records is causing to organizations working to protect their members’ voting rights. We sought these records precisely because they would help us determine where Texas’s acknowledged registration failures may still be affecting voters—and where to focus our limited resources before Election Day,” said Bradley Heard, deputy legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which represents the plaintiffs.
The Tarrant County Libertarian Party’s allegations that the county’s election board violated the law fell on deaf ears, with the Second Court of Appeals denying the party’s request Tuesday to even out party membership on the Early Voting Ballot Board. County officials worried the Early Voting Ballot Board, which is in charge of processing mail-in and provisional ballots, would struggle to get through the record-breaking number of ballots received during the early voting period. At a meeting last Thursday, the board added 12 Republicans, three Democrats and three Libertarians to help field the high number of ballots. The court’s opinion, filed Tuesday afternoon, denied Lawrence’s emergency motion for temporary relief and petition for writ of mandamus. The opinion did not explain why the court denied the motion — and “did not state that the county followed the law,” Lawrence wrote. He wrote in an email to The Dallas Morning News that the opinion may not be the end of the Libertarian’s legal fight.
Utah: Five voters filed a lawsuit against Summit County Clerk Malena Stevens on Friday over her decision to disqualify them from voting on the West Hills incorporation, and claimed Stevens’ action fundamentally changed the election without ample time to appeal. Craig Savage, a Wasatch County resident who opposes the West Hills incorporation, previously submitted documents to the Summit County Clerk’s Office with information he said proved 23 registered voters did not actually live within the proposed town boundaries and should be marked as ineligible to cast a ballot on the incorporation question. Last week, the Clerk’s Office issued its first ruling on the challenges, with Stevens informing 17 of 18 voters included in Savage’s initial complaint that they could no longer participate in Tuesday’s election. “Petitioners do not ask the Court to find a motive for any of this, and the Court need not do so,” the filing said. “Petitioners recite this history because it bears directly on the questions the statute presents to the Court: whether the Clerk applied a uniform standard to every challenged voter, whether she afforded a meaningful opportunity to respond and whether her determinations were made in the time and manner the Election Code requires.”
Washington: OneAmerica Votes, Latino Community Fund of Washington State and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union have sued the Trump administration over its demand to set aside ballots from 405 people, alleging in a federal complaint that officials are threatening election workers and putting eligible citizens’ votes at risk. The groups want a judge to block federal officials from directing Washington election workers to withhold or stop counting ballots based on government lists of suspected noncitizens. They also seek to stop threats of prosecution against workers who process those ballots under state law. According to the complaint, federal prosecutors gave Hobbs 48 hours to comply and said they expected to provide more names before Election Day. Their letter acknowledged that some people on the list may have since become citizens. According to the complaint, Hobbs said the department had not explained its sources or how it collected the information. He also said missing identifying details made some entries difficult or impossible to match to voter registrations.
Opinions This Week
National Opinions: Voter education | Trusted elections | U.S. Department of Justice | Ranked choice voting | Federal interference, II, III | Paper ballots | Online voting |
Alaska: Ranked choice voting |
California: Federal interference |
Connecticut: Department of Justice monitors |
Florida: Election workers | Get out the vote, II |
Georgia: Voting system | Voting rights |
Illinois: Democracy |
Indiana: First time voters |
Massachusetts: Election day registration | Election integrity |
Michigan: Poll workers, II |
Montana: Election workers | Poll workers |
Nevada: Voter fraud |
New Hampshire: Election administration |
New York: Ballot counting | Voting equipment |
Ohio: Voter registration |
Pennsylvania: Vote by mail, II |
Texas: Suspended voters | Lines |
Utah: Election interference |
Virginia: Election workers |
Wisconsin: Rejected ballots |
Wyoming: Federal review |
Upcoming Events
After the Vote: What the 2026 Midterms Tell Us: Three political scientists and one election law expert examine what the 2026 midterms mean for the country and for California. What do the results reveal about the last two years of President Trump’s term, and about the country’s direction in 2028 and beyond? Where are voters divided, and where do they agree? What can November’s vote teach us about California voters? Moderated by Rick Hasen of UCLA Law, with Christian Grose (USC), Sara Sadhwani (Pomona College), and Chris Tausanovitch (UCLA). When: November 7, 2pm Pacific. Where: Los Angeles.
Assessing the Fairness and Integrity of the November Elections: The Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA promotes research, collaboration, and advocacy under the leadership of UCLA Law Professor Richard L. Hasen; one of the nation’s leading election scholars. The Safeguarding Democracy Project is built upon the premise that tackling issues of the U.S. election integrity must be collaborative: across ideologies, across scholarly disciplines, and as a bridge between theory and practice. Our events this semester are focused on the 2026 midterm elections. Speakers: Bill Gates, Arizona State University; Guy-Uriel E. Charles, Harvard Law School; Charles Stewart, MEDSL; Susan Stokes, University of Chicago and Tammy Patrick, Election Center. When: November 16, 3:15pm Eastern. Where: Online.
Voter Registrars Association of Virginia Annual Meeting: The Voter Registrars Association of Virginia will hold its Annual Meeting from November 30-December 2 in Roanoke.
2026 Elections Summit: In a time of rapid change and evolving challenges to our electoral processes, collective reflection and forward-looking strategy are more important than ever. Bipartisan Policy Center’s 2026 Elections Summit will convene a diverse group of election practitioners, policymakers, and thought leaders to debrief the November election and chart a course forward for U.S. election administration. Be part of a defining moment for democracy as we gather in Washington, DC, to shape its future together. When: December 7, 9am to 4pm Eastern. Where: Washington, DC.
iGO 2027 Midwinter Conference: The International Association of Government Officials will hold its Midwinter Conference in Denver, Colorado from January 18-22, 2027. Please visit the iGO website for more information and to register.
JELOC 2027: The Election Center will host the 2027 JEOLC conference at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City, Virginia from January 20-22. One CERA course and one renewal class will be offered. Registration is now open.
2027 NASED Winter Conference: Twice a year, National Association of State Election Directors members gather to discuss the latest developments in election administration. Members of the public are welcome to attend at the non-member registration rate. Please refer to the NASED website for information about the 2027 Winter Conference. When: February 14-16. Where: Washington, DC.
Election Center February Workshop: Focusing on interaction and sharing of practices selected by members to receive People’s Choice Awards, the February Workshops formalize those critical conversations that happen at conferences during meals, in the hallways, & the hotel lobby. The agenda augments the award-winning member presentations with applicable research and resources. One CERA core course and one renewal will be held following the workshop. When: February 17-19. Where: Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Job Postings This Week
electionlineWeekly publishes election administration job postings each week as a free service to our readers. To have your job listed in the newsletter, please send a copy of the job description, including a web link to mmoretti@electionline.org. Job postings must be received by 5pm on Wednesday in order to appear in the Thursday newsletter. Listings will run for three weeks or till the deadline listed in the posting.
Account Executive, VotingWorks– We are looking for a trusted sales leader who understands that election administrators don’t buy voting machines, they buy trust, both in the equipment and in the vendor. All 83 of Michigan’s counties will soon open at once, and we are in the running for the state RFP enabling us to sell our voting machines. Incumbents will have to re-earn their contracts, and we’ll be competing on equal footing for the first time. This opportunity is time bound. Trust matters deeply in this market. Your job is to build relationships and earn credibility quickly with state and local election officials. You will own the full Michigan territory. You’re responsible for the entire sales process: building pipeline, running demos, navigating procurement, and closing deals. We want sustainable sales contracts that are technically sound, politically supported, and set up for a clean handoff to Customer Success. For your first demos, you’ll be paired with our Executive Director and our Head of Customer Success to learn the messaging and the product. Once you take on demos on your own, you should still know when to bring in executive support and when to handle things yourself. This is a competitive market with a real window of opportunity. If you want to sell something that actually matters to Democracy, and you’re energized by moving fast when the timing is right, we’d like to meet you. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Administrative Services Director, Seminole County, Florida– Seminole County Supervisor of Elections is a constitutional office which prides itself on ensuring the accuracy and integrity of elections in Seminole County, Florida. The office exists to serve people, facilitate the electoral process, and ensure successful, secure and transparent election administration. The Administrative Services Director is a senior leadership position serving as a strategic advisor to the Supervisor of Elections and a key member of the executive leadership team. The position provides office-wide leadership across administration, finance, budgeting, human resources, organizational development, employee engagement, and executive initiatives. Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, Public Administration, or a related field; advanced degree, CPA, CFE, SHRM/SCP or comparable professional credential preferred. Additionally, seven (7) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in administration, finance, budgeting, human resources, organizational operations or public-sector management, including experience advising executive leadership, is required. Demonstrated experience managing budgets, financial reporting, organizational initiatives and employee engagement; government or election administration experience is preferred. A comparable amount of education, training, or experience may be substituted for the minimum qualifications. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Customer Support Center Consultant Level 1, Hart InterCivic– The Customer Support Center Consultant Level 1 (CSC 1) provides Tier 1–2 support for Hart InterCivic products, helping customers troubleshoot issues and keep election operations running smoothly. The CSC I’s primary responsibilities are to: Resolve and route customer issues via phone, email, and remote tools; Document cases in the CRM and communicate status through resolution; and Use product documentation to deliver clear, customer-friendly solutions. This role researches and resolves issues, supports hardware/software configuration and deployment, and provides training or on-site support as needed. It also documents processes and partners with other departments to improve service delivery. This position follows the Proprietary Information and Intellectual Property Agreement and is responsible for protecting company information, including when working off-site or outside normal hours. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Cybersecurity Assessor (Election Security), Apollo Information Systems: The Technical Assessor conducts in-depth technical and program-level cybersecurity assessments of client environments, identifying risk, measuring control maturity, and producing clear, actionable guidance that advances each client’s security posture. This is an experienced assessor role: the individual independently leads assessments end to end, evaluates complex environments against multiple frameworks, and is a trusted voice in front of both technical teams and executives. The assessor also helps mature Apollo’s assessment method. Salary: $80K – $120K. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Elections Finance Administrator, King County, Washington: This is an amazing opportunity to be engaged in the election process! The Department of Elections is searching for energetic and resourceful professionals who like to “get stuff done”. The Elections Finance Administrator position in the Elections Department combines an exciting, fast paced environment with the opportunity to cultivate talents and apply a variety of skills. The ideal candidate will thrive in an innovative and fast-paced environment and will not hesitate to roll up both sleeves, work hard, have fun, and get the job done. We are seeking an Elections Finance Administrator to join a mission-driven team that supports essential department operations. The Elections Finance Administrator is a self-motivated administrative professional with strong judgment, accuracy, and a customer-focused approach. In this role, you will support a wide range of core administrative functions including accounts payable, purchasing, payroll, process improvement, and records management. Salary: $38.38 – $48.79 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
IT Assistant Manager, Palm Beach County, Florida–The Assistant IT Manager plays a vital and supportive role in ensuring the smooth operation of the IT department, aligning both the technical infrastructure and the team with the organization’s goals. This position involves collaborating closely with the Election Technology Director to oversee the implementation of technology solutions that meet the organization’s needs. The Assistant IT Manager helps maintain an efficient and effective IT environment. The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office is committed to hiring talented individuals with diverse experiences that will enhance the services we provide to the residents of Palm Beach County. We are always looking for dedicated individuals who do all things with Integrity and Accountability, who excel in Customer Service, and believe in Transparent, Secure Democracy. At the Supervisor of Elections Office, we strive to help our employees find passion and purpose. Join us in being the best place to vote. Salary: $85000 to $125000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Marketplace
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