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Clearie Awards

2026 Clearie Winners Announced
46 winners of the 10th Annual U.S. EAC Clearinghouse Awards

This week, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced the 46 winners of the 10th annual Clearinghouse Awards, recognizing best practices in election administration. Also known as the “Clearies,” the awards celebrate programs that took place during the 2025 election cycle. Winning jurisdictions range from those with fewer than 10,000 registered voters to those with over 5.8 million registered voters.

EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland issued the following joint statement: 

“We congratulate this year’s Clearinghouse Award winners for their exceptional programs. We received nearly 200 entries from across the country, and these were the most innovative and creative ways state and local election officials supported voters in 2025. The winning programs also stood out because they can be replicated and scaled to meet the needs of other election offices, regardless of size or resources, for future elections.

This is a special year for the Clearinghouse Awards, not only for the caliber of the winners but also for the 10th anniversary of the awards. Over the past decade, we have seen shining examples of election officials’ creativity, spirit, and drive to serve their communities. This year is no different. The EAC is pleased to provide a national platform and commemorate their hard work.”  

The Clearies play an essential role in fulfilling the EAC’s mission to serve as a clearinghouse for election administration information under the Help America Vote Act. Since their creation in 2016, the categories have expanded to recognize the evolving needs of the election landscape. This year, the EAC introduced a new category to highlight service to assist military and overseas voters. Submissions were judged on innovation, sustainability, outreach, cost-effectiveness, replicability, and the generation of positive results.

This year’s award categories and winners include:

Communications: Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives — Small Jurisdictions

• • Cherokee County Elections & Voter Registration, Georgia — Empowering Voices: A Community Guide to Elections
  • City of White Settlement, Office of the City of Secretary/Chief Governance Officer, Texas — Ask the City Secretary: Interactive Election Q&A Video Series
  • Floyd County Elections, Georgia — Hey Neighbor: A Community-Based Voter Education and Communications Campaign

Communications: Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives — Medium Jurisdictions

• • Polk County Supervisor of Elections, Florida — High School Voter Registration Outreach: 2025-2026
  • Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, Florida — 150 Feet of Clarity: Proactive Outreach for a Positive Voting Experience
  • Wake County Board of Elections, North Carolina — Media Partnership & Transparency Initiative

 Communications: Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives — Large Jurisdictions

• • Cook County Clerk’s Office, Illinois — Defenders of DA’mocracy
  • County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters, California — Go Green: Turning a Mandate into Millions in Savings
  • Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Ohio — Election Integrity Series

 Communications: Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives — State Level

• • Iowa Secretary of State’s Office — Virtual Interactive Polling Site Tour
  • Office of the Idaho Secretary of State — 12 Principles of Idaho Elections: A Statewide Commitment to Secure, Accessible, and Transparent Elections

 Uniformed and Overseas Voters: Exemplary Services to Assist Military and Overseas Voters

• • Arizona Secretary of State — Arizona’s Online UOCAVA Portal: Modernizing the FPCA & FWAB Process for Military and Overseas Voters
  • Durham County Board of Elections, North Carolina — UOCAVA Ballot Distribution Tool
  • Prince William County Office of Elections, Virginia — PWC UOCAVA Connect

 Election Administration: Innovations or New Practices in Election Administration — Small Jurisdictions

• • Arlington County Office of Voter Registration, Virginia — Election-Night Results Validation and Reporting Tool
  • Douglas County Clerk, Kansas — Election Office Workflow Innovation Using Microsoft 365
  • Humboldt County Office of Elections, California — Address Assignment Audit

 Election Administration: Innovations or New Practices in Election Administration — Medium Jurisdictions

• • Ada County Elections, Idaho — Ballot Verifier
  • Henrico Voter Registration & Elections, General Registrar, Virginia — Alternate Ballot County Database (ABCD)
  • Pierce County Elections, Washington — Rebuilding Ballot Drop Box Chain of Custody
  • Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, Florida — The Logic & Accuracy Show: Turning Compliance into Choreography

 Election Administration: Innovations or New Practices in Election Administration — Large Jurisdictions/State Level

• Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, Florida — Clerk’s Election Dashboard
• Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, Florida — Regional Technician Application
• Office of the Idaho Secretary of State — Transparent by Design: Idaho’s Interactive Election Data Initiative

 Accessibility: Best Practices for Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities

• • Guam Election Commission, Guam — Homebound Voting Services
  • Lake County Supervisor of Elections, Florida — Accessible Ballots
  • Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office, New Mexico — Voting Without Barriers: Santa Fe County

 Security: Innovation and New Tools in Election Security and Technology

• • City of Henderson, Nevada — Operation Ballot Box
  • Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, Florida — Real-Time Transmission Oversight for the Modern Election Administration

 Poll Workers: Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers — Small/Medium Jurisdictions

• • Greenwich Registrar of Voters, Connecticut — Poll Worker Training
  • Greenwich Registrar of Voters, Connecticut — Polling Place Food Sponsorship Program

 Poll Workers: Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers — Large and State-Level Jurisdictions

• Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office, Florida — Zelle Yeah! Electronic Pay for Election Workers
• South Carolina Election Commission — Escape the SEC Classroom: A Digital Escape Room for Certified Clerk Training
• South Carolina Election Commission — Setting up the Polling Place — Hands On Activity

 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Grants: Outstanding Use of HAVA Grants in Election Modernization

• Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, South Carolina — Fueling a Future of Civic Engagement: Charleston County Elections’ College Program
• Pierce County Elections, Washington — Bringing Transparency to Elections: A Video Series of the Ballot Process

 Contingency Planning: Exemplary Contingency Planning and Emergency Response Efforts

• Fairfax County Office of Elections, Virginia — No Time to Freeze: Empowering Poll Workers with Clear, Accessible Evacuation Guides    
• Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, California — From Fire Impact to Ballot Access: A Data-Driven Outreach Initiative              
• Maricopa County Elections, Arizona — Coordinated Cross-Agency Partnerships for Election Day Resilience

 “I Voted” Stickers: Creative and Original “I Voted” Stickers — Small/Medium Jurisdictions

• Arlington County Office of Voter Registration and Elections, Virginia — Special Edition Halloween “I Voted” Stickers
• Cowlitz County Elections, Washington — “I Voted” Stickers — Voter Engagement & Outreach
• Fredericksburg Office of Voter Registration and Elections, Virginia — “I Voted” Sticker Contest
• Wyandotte County Election Office, Kansas — “I Voted” Sticker Design Contest

“I Voted” Stickers: Creative and Original “I Voted” Stickers — Large Jurisdictions

• Ada County Elections, Idaho — Ada County’s 2025 Sasquatch “I Voted”
• Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder, Colorado — The Sweet Smell of Democracy
• Snohomish County Elections, Washington — From Shore to Summit: Snohomish County “I Voted” Sticker Series

In addition to the Clearie winners, 37 programs were recognized with Clearie Honorable Mentions.

Winners were selected by independent panels of current and former election officials, EAC Commissioners, and members of the EAC’s advisory boards. 

More information on the Clearies and each awardee is available at eac.gov/clearies.

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Election News This Week

Federal Update: This week, the U.S. Department of Justice released a legal opinion outlining the legal rationale behind its nationwide voter data collection efforts, justifying  an aggressive federal role in vetting voter eligibility, a position courts have repeatedly rejected in related litigation. The memo, released May 12 by the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel, concedes that while election administration is “primarily the purview of the states,” the administration’s efforts are a lawful exercise of federal oversight.  The Justice Department grounds that rationale in a provision of the 1960 Civil Rights Act, requiring election officials to keep voter records for 22 months after an election so it can investigate potential civil rights violations. Under the memo’s reading, that retention rule also gives the Attorney General authority to obtain copies of those records “upon demand in writing.” According to CyberScoop, the memo also cites several other federal election laws – like the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Voting Rights Act – as support for the executive branch’s efforts. It argues that those statutes have long required states to modernize and secure voting systems (including accessibility upgrades) and maintain accurate voter rolls by removing ineligible voters. The memo further argues that the potential presence of one or more non-citizens on state voter rolls is enough to trigger the federal government’s nationwide data collection and sharing efforts with immigration authorities.

2026 Elections: The 2026 election season continued this week with primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia. The biggest news out of Nebraska on Tuesday was the defeat of incumbent Secretary of State Bob Evnen. According to the Nebraska Examiner, as of 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, businessman Scott Petersen led Evnen statewide by more than 16,000 votes, or 55% to Evnen’s 45%. Early results showed a tight race, but Petersen gradually increased his lead as the night progressed. According to the Examiner, throughout his campaign, Petersen largely criticized Evnen’s handling of the state’s elections systems, particularly in vote counting. He has questioned whether the ballot-counting machines the state uses can access the internet and be hacked, has argued that voting by mail should be restricted to only special circumstances and promised to conduct full hand counts of races. Petersen now faces the winner of the Democratic primary, school nutrition director Sarah Slattery, in November’s general election. Slattery said she was “overwhelmed with gratitude” for her win, and said she was prepared to face Petersen in the fall. According to West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, things went very smoothly on Tuesday. “We fielded 196 calls. Those are reports from the field. I would tell you, a majority of those just dealt with human error. Voters going to the wrong precinct. Someone who didn’t update their name or address if they got married since the last election and the name changed and it didn’t match what was in the book,” Warner told West Virginia Public Radio. “We had a couple of situations where the marking machines that used to mark the ballots ran out of battery life. They might not have been completely plugged in, and they were beeping at the poll workers. We had one that got a paper jam, but every one of those calls has already been handled.” Warner noted that the state did not receive one call about issues with new voter ID rules and less than five calls about closed primaries. Overall turnout was about 21 percent.  With early voting already underway for the May 19 primary, this week Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey set an August 11 special election for four of the Congressional races currently on the May 19 ballot. There will be no runoff, as required by legislation passed by the Legislature and signed by Ivey last week.  The special primary is estimated to cost $4.45 million, according to the Legislative Fiscal Office, in reimbursements to the counties affected from the state’s General Fund budget. Secretary of State Wes Allen said at a press conference that the state will count all votes in the coming primary election but will invalidate the votes cast for the party nominees in the districts that were affected by the recent Supreme Court order. Elections officials are warning voters in Louisiana that they could face delays when voting in Saturday’s primary. Under a new law, no-party voters can vote in closed primaries however when signing in at their polling site, no-party voters must declare whether they are voting in the Republican closed primary, the Democrat closed primary or as a no party voter. They also must fill out a one-page form, sign it and get the elections commissioner at the polling site to sign it. “We anticipate a long day and voter confusion,” Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Louis Perret said. “We’re asking the public to be patient.”

New Legal Program: The Center for Election Innovation & Research is launching a new legal program to combat the unprecedented and illegal attempts to interfere with elections. In the past year, the federal government has pursued a sweeping campaign to challenge states’ constitutional authority to set election policy. That campaign has included President Trump’s two executive orders on elections, the Justice Department’s demands and subsequent lawsuits to access states’ sensitive voter data, and the FBI raid of an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia. Without immediate intervention, states’ rights and election integrity could be compromised nationwide, an outcome that threatens the very foundation of American democracy. This ambitious program will be led by Tamar Hagler, CEIR’s new legal program director and former Voting Section Chief at the Justice Department. “I am thrilled to take on this vital new program,” Hagler said. “There is nothing more important today than safeguarding the integrity and security of our nation’s elections, upholding the rule of law, and defending democracy.” In partnership with national law firms like the Washington Litigation Group and local law firms in several states, CEIR will foster and oversee a comprehensive legal strategy that best serves our elections and the professionals who administer them. These efforts will complement the work being done by our network of volunteer lawyers recruited by the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN), a CEIR project that provides pro bono legal assistance to election officials facing threats or harassment because of their work. The legal program’s efforts have already begun, with the filing of two amicus briefs (one in Washington, DC, and the other in Massachusetts) detailing election officials’ concerns about the ramifications of President Trump’s March 2026 executive order on mail voting. Over 50 election officials from 20 states signed on to the briefs, which were filed on Monday, April 27 (D.D.C.), and Monday, May 4 (D. Mass.).

Podcast News:  During this episode of Election Science Office Hours, host R Michael Alvarez speaks with Kim Alexander, president and Founder of the California Voter Foundation. Alvarez and Alexander discuss her long career as a nonpartisan advocate and her specific contributions to California’s voting landscape, the evolution of the “voter experience” in California (and beyond) from the early days of the internet to the complex, multi-channel systems used in 2026 – and what the future may hold. On a recent episode of The Voting Booth from the American Enterprise Institute, co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer were joined by Michael Morley, Sheila M. McDevitt Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Election Law Center at Florida State University’s College of Law to recap the oral arguments in Watson v. RNC. On the May 6 episode of Terms of Engagement hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer spoke with Harvard Law School Professor Guy-Uriel Charles about the recent Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. 

Sticker News: Congratulations to Kylie G of Berthoud High School for winning this year’s “I Voted” sticker contest in Larimer County, Colorado. With nearly 2,500 votes from community members all across Larimer County, Kylie’s sticker will be sent to over 275,000 active registered voters for the 2026 General Election. Other stickers will be available at vote centers across Larimer County while supplies last. For the 2026 “I Voted” contest, community members cast their vote using ranked choice voting. 

Personnel News: Sweetwater County, Wyoming Clerk Cindy Swenson has announced her re-election bid. Congratulations to Stearns County Elections Supervisor Roxanne Gerads who has been recognized with the Minnesota Excellence in Elections Award for her nearly three decades of work administering elections in central Minnesota. Osage County, Kansas Clerk Michelle Morris has resigned. Neva Brody Helm has been appointed director of elections and Travis Wilson has been appointed deputy director of elections for Anson County, North Carolina.

New Research and Resources

Vote-by-Mail Survey: The Engineering for Democracy Institute is currently researching the noise level in the vote-by-mail tabulation process and needs your support. We aim to understand the awareness about noise and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the vote-by-mail tabulation process. The survey will take approximately 8 minutes to complete and includes questions about your election jurisdiction or county you are working in, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in your workplace, perception of noise, training, and the location of the machines in the vote-by-mail facility. Your responses will be strictly anonymous. Here is the survey link: https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4JyIGTIk3sXnRPM The Engineering for Democracy Institute appreciates your time in considering participation in this survey.

Intelligent Mail Barcodes: U.S. Digital Response and the Center for Civic Design are seeking election offices to help shape a free, open-source tool that will generate Intelligent Mail Barcodes for absentee ballot mailings. Designed for offices that handle their own printing and mail prep in-house, the browser-based tool would produce print-ready IMb output with no software to install and no voter data leaving your computer. With new federal and state IMb requirements on the horizon, we’re looking for partners at any level of involvement, from a single discovery call to participating in design sessions. If this sounds like your office, contact slund@usdigitalresponse.org.

Election Safeguards: Issue One has published an analysis on how nine key election safeguards are holding up six months before the November election. These safeguards are ranked from “Stable but Under Stress” to “Critical Condition,” and they reveal that while America’s election system is not breaking, it is actively fighting against the virus of democratic backsliding. In this analysis, Issue One Policy Director Michael McNulty uses his background as a Senior Elections Advisor at USAID to inform his perspective. By leading election and democracy efforts across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and Latin America, he has honed his ability to spot an authoritarian’s playbook in action and understand the current unprecedented threat to U.S. democracy.

Youth Vote: Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, CIRCLE partnered with When We All Vote to release a national survey of 5,549 18- to 29-year-olds. While over 40 million members of Gen Z were eligible to vote in 2024, more than 21 million did not cast ballots. Almost 50 million Gen Zers will be eligible to vote in 2026, prompting this representative survey of youth ages 18-29. Fielded between January 26 and February 12, the survey captured the opinions of over 5,000 young people, oversampling young Black and Latino voters whose voices are often underrepresented. Key findings include: 

• Gen Z is engaged across the political spectrum. Gen Z is not fully represented by the dominant two-party model. While 57% still identify as either a Democrat or a Republican, 43% are without a party affiliation. Issues, not parties, continue to dominate discussion.
• 62% believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. While almost half of respondents are unsure whether their vote matters or do not believe it does, when asked to select multiple choices, 89% reported being willing to vote, 88% are willing to talk to friends and family about issues they care about, 78% will sign petitions, and 57% will protest or boycott. 
• Gen Z’s top issues are the economy, housing, and healthcare — with the economy dominating across demographics and political beliefs. Economic concerns lead overwhelmingly and are a unifying concern – 65% of respondents cite cost of living and inflation, followed by healthcare and housing costs. 
• Access to information is a key barrier between what Gen Z cares about and how they show up at the ballot box. Gen Z faces informational barriers connecting their top issues to candidates (28%) and ballot choices (20%). Black young people — who are as likely as other respondents to value voting/are willing to turnout— report more barriers, including information, transportation, and registration challenges. 

“Young people are sending us clear signals, not only of dissatisfaction with our politics and deep economic concerns, but also of a strong desire to take action and drive change. It’s up to all of us to take those messages to heart and work alongside them, turning both their frustrations and their passion into opportunities for engagement that will strengthen our democracy,” said Leela Strong, Newhouse Director of CIRCLE.

Public Opinion: A recent POLITICO Poll suggests that a notable number of Americans are distrustful of the system heading into November. More than one-third say it is likely the 2026 midterms will be “stolen,” and one in four say they don’t expect the elections to be fair. But both parties clash strongly over what they believe are the core problems with U.S. elections, complicating any path to restoring voter trust. Democrats are concerned about voter intimidation and suppression, with 58 percent of those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris worried that eligible Americans will be prevented from voting, the survey finds. Meanwhile, Republicans remain focused on the possibility of fraud, with 52 percent of Trump voters saying they are concerned that some ineligible people will be allowed to vote. The POLITICO Poll asked respondents about 11 common election concerns, ranging from partisan gerrymandering to impounding ballots, and whether people saw them as legitimate parts of the process or a way to rig elections. Of those, Democrats and Republicans had meaningful disagreement or lacked consensus on six.

Ballot Measures, Legislation & Rulemaking

An Update from the States: States have enacted 236 election-related bills so far this year, 66% more than at this point in 2024 and nearly two-and-a-half times the total from 2022. These figures come from Ballotpedia’s State of Election Policy 2026 Spring Report, which covers election-related legislative activity captured in our Election Administration Legislation Tracker through April 24 of this year.  Those 236 bills were enacted across 34 states. Republican trifecta states enacted the most bills, accounting for 53.4% of all bills enacted. Democratic trifectas accounted for 37.7% of all enacted bills, while 8.9% were enacted in states with divided governments. At this same point in the 2024 session, states had enacted 142 election-related bills. In 2022, 96 election bills had been enacted. As of April 24, legislators had introduced 4,427 election-related bills and resolutions — nearly as many as were introduced in all of 2025. Democratic trifecta states introduced the most legislation, accounting for 42.8% of all bills introduced. Republican trifectas accounted for 36.6% of all introduced bills, while 20.6% were introduced in states with divided governments. At this same point in the 2024 session, states had introduced 2,149 election-related bills. In 2022, legislators had introduced 1,434 election bills.

Alaska: Days after vetoing a bipartisan elections overhaul, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R), introduced his own version — one that looks a lot like the bill he just vetoed, with several key differences in the ballot curing process. “This bill builds on the work of [the vetoed elections bill] by making important changes to Alaska’s election laws while providing the Division of Elections with the time and tools necessary to implement those changes securely and reliably,” Dunleavy said. Lawmakers in the majority aren’t sure they’ll be able to get the job done. “It’s a heavy lift,” Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, told Alaska’s News Source. “The big challenge is the House. You put any election bill on the House Finance Committee or the floor and [there will be] probably 50 amendments and several days [of debate].” Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, who also championed the bipartisan bill sent Alaska’s News Source an opinion piece she plans on publishing which said, in part: “With only two weeks left in the legislative session, Alaskans are right to question why a bill that took nearly ten years to develop was vetoed, only for nearly identical legislation to be introduced immediately afterward. It would be unfortunate if this process was more about providing political cover for the Governor and certain legislators than about delivering real election reform.” 

California Ballot Measure: Political consultant Steve Maviglio filed an application May 8 with state officials that seeks to alter California’s voting system by reverting to a traditional primary. Under the proposal, the top candidates from each party would advance to the general election in November. The current system allows the top two candidates, regardless of party, to move on to the runoff. That has led to instances in which two Democrats or two Republicans have faced off in the general election. The state’s top-two primary system has been in place since California voters passed Proposition 14 in 2010. The state’s major political parties opposed the initiative, while then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger supported it. Maviglio described the ballot measure as a simple repeal of Proposition 14, and said he was inspired by the governor’s race. A news release from Maviglio states that the proposed repeal of Prop. 14 “is fueled by concerns that California’s primaries are disenfranchising a majority of California voters by limiting choice to candidates from one party.” Maviglio’s ballot initiative proposes to appear on the 2028 ballot and take effect in 2030. Talk of changing Proposition 14 has been swirling in Sacramento for months. Secretary of State Shirley Weber told reporters at an unrelated news conference last week that she had voted years ago against Proposition 14. She questioned whether it had actually succeeded in creating more diversity. “I did not like the open primary,” Weber said. “I didn’t think it would solve any problems. They had a list of problems it would solve, and none of those have been solved.”

Georgia: Lawmakers will reconvene in June for a special session to redraw the state’s political maps, Gov. Brian Kemp announced this week. Lawmakers will also be tasked with addressing an upcoming deadline to change the state’s current election system, which relies on a ballot QR code to count votes. Under a state law passed in 2024, QR codes cannot be used for the official ballot count after July 1. In the proclamation announcing a special session, the governor called for redistricting to take place for Georgia’s maps for state Senate and House, Congressional districts and “any other state office elected by district.” Attaching a redistricting proposal to a special session aimed at updating election ballot laws was likely an attempt at saving state money and lawmakers’ time. The special session will begin on June 17, 2026, which is the day after the state’s primary election runoffs. 

Missouri: Legislation making changes to Missouri elections is on its way to Gov. Mike Kehoe. The House passed House Bill 1871 by a 101-47 vote to give it final approval. The proposal is sponsored by State Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, who spent decades overseeing elections in Carroll County. She said the bill will allow provisional ballots to be counted in municipal elections as well as federal and state elections. “Which has been a really good thing for Missouri to allow people whose identity is not clear on election day to be able to vote a provisional ballot,” McGaugh said before the final vote. “The election authorities didn’t want to turn people away in April elections.” The bill would also allow local precincts to ban electioneering within 50 feet of a polling place – instead of the current 25 feet. And it would spare election workers from having to count write-in votes for people not running as write-in candidates.

New Hampshire: New Hampshire’s September primary election has long been one of the latest in the country, but the state primary day will move to June starting in 2028 under a new law signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte. Backers of the change say moving the primary three months earlier will level the political playing field by giving non-incumbent candidates more time to win over voters. Both political parties supported the bill creating an earlier primary. Lawmakers debated the issue for some time before settling on holding primaries on the second Tuesday in June, a month when many other states ask voters to pick party nominees. Supporters of the change in New Hampshire have long complained that a state primary in September gives challengers little time to raise money and attention before the general election in November. Rep. Ross Berry, a Republican on the House Election Law Committee, called the current system an “incumbent protection program.” In 2021, former Gov Chris Sununu vetoed a bill to move primary day to August. Current law requires the state’s candidate filing period to be held in June of even-numbered years. The new law pushes this declaration-of-candidacy window back to March. Secretary of State David Scanlan had favored holding an August primary but has said his office will ensure a June primary is properly executed in 2028.

South Carolina: The Senate rejected a push to redraw the state’s congressional lines just weeks before the primaries, with GOP leaders saying it’s legally unnecessary and wrong for South Carolina.  Senators’ 29-17 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority approval needed to proceed. Officially, senators refused to add redistricting to a resolution setting the rules for what the Legislature can do after the session ends this week. Five Republicans joined all 12 Democrats in voting “no.” But Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said legislators need to stand up for what’s best for South Carolinians. And an overhaul that postpones congressional primaries and discards absentee ballots already cast — especially from military members overseas — to maybe create an all-GOP delegation will ultimately backfire, said the Edgefield Republican. Overall, the confusion will lower voter turnout for a second set of primaries, Massey said. However, later in the week it was announced that Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is expected to announce a special session on redistricting.

Tennessee: A bill to restructure rules for Tennessee’s 2026 U.S. congressional house elections advanced in key committees, despite warnings that the changes could endanger the election’s integrity. Candidates for U.S. congressional house seats have until May 15 to qualify for new districts or bow out of the race, according to the bill. Political parties would have until May 17 to decide whether candidates are qualified to run as a bona fide member of the party, and there would be no process for candidates to appeal that decision. Candidates who have already qualified under the usual March 10 deadline would not need to re-qualify if they wish to run in the same numbered district, even if that district’s lines have been redrawn. While typical election rules require district and precinct boundary changes to be published in newspapers and voters to be notified by mail, this bill appears to allow county election commissions to meet notice requirements solely by posting any changes to the commission’s website, if they have one.  The bill would also give counties an avenue to request reimbursement from the state for extra costs caused by the changes. Sen. Adam Lowe, a Calhoun Republican, said the newly amended bill “is really about the process of qualifying for the office and adjusting the information that’s available to the public prior to August 6.” It will apply solely to the 2026 U.S. House seat election. Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins acknowledged in a letter to county election commissions on May 4 that drawing new districts may require counties to rebuild election templates, reprogram election management systems, update voter registration systems, address new county and precinct splits between districts and retrain poll officials.  If commissions decide to make precinct changes, that could result in voters having different polling places than they’re used to. While precincts may legally contain more than one congressional district, some commissions may choose to adjust precinct boundaries to simplify administration.

U.S. Virgin Islands: The Senate Government Operations, Veterans Affairs, and Consumer Protection Committee tshelved a bill hat would have allowed some Virgin Islands voters to cast hand‑counted paper ballots, leaving the territory’s existing machine‑tabulated voting system unchanged for now. On a 4–2 vote, with one member absent, lawmakers agreed to hold Bill 36‑0187 in committee at the call of the chair after election officials warned the proposal would drive up costs, delay results and complicate polling‑place operations. Senators also cited unanswered questions about logistics and legal authority. Sen. Franklin D. Johnson, who promoted the bill as a “voters’ choice” amendment to the election code, said it would not eliminate the DS200 tabulators or ExpressVote machines now used in Virgin Islands elections. Instead, his revision would allow any voter who asks for one to receive a hand‑marked paper ballot to be placed in a separate, sealed ballot box and counted manually under rules for public observation, chain‑of‑custody logs and written reconciliation before results are certified. Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes and Board of Elections Chair Raymond Williams urged senators to reject or delay the proposal, noting that election officials received Johnson’s revised amendment around 4:45 p.m. the day before the hearing and that the board had not met to review it.

Legal Updates

Alabama: In a 25-page filing, Alabama asked the U.S. Supreme Court  to clear the way for it to use a congressional map that it had adopted in 2023, which has one majority-Black district, rather than a court-ordered map that has two such districts. Alabama Solicitor General A. Barrett Bowdre told the justices that otherwise the state would have to “hold elections under a map that was erroneously ordered at best and unconstitutional at worst. Nothing requires that result,” Bowdre concluded. “Americans, no less in Alabama, deserve a republic free of racial sorting now, and state officials deserve an opportunity to give it to them.” The filing is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute over Alabama’s congressional map. In 2021, in Allen v. Milligan, a divided Supreme Court agreed that the congressional map that the state had adopted in 2021 violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting the votes of Black voters – specifically, by packing many of the state’s Black voters into a single district in central Alabama and then dispersing other Black voters in the region, known as the “Black Belt,” into several other districts, where they did not make up a majority. After the court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan, Alabama adopted a new map. But a federal district court then blocked the use of the 2023 map, which had only one majority-Black district, holding that it discriminated against Black voters. The court ordered the state to use a map with a second majority-Black district. Alabama contends that its “case mirrors Louisiana’s, and they should end the same way: with this year’s elections run with districts based on lawful policy goals, not race.” When it drew the 2023 map, Alabama said, it sought to “achiev[e] the State’s neutral goals (like protecting incumbents) and refus[ed] to let race predominate.” As a practical matter, it asserts, it “compl[ied] with Callais before Callais,” prompting the lower court to strike down the 2023 map. Now, Alabama explains, the state’s Legislature has held a special session and is ready to pass a bill that would reinstate the 2023 map. It should have the chance to do so, just as Louisiana has, the state concludes. On May 11, the Court overturned the 2023 ruling which could open the way for Alabama to use new district lines this year. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in the order, joined by justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying there is no reason to reconsider Alabama’s case. “In addition to holding that Alabama’s 2023 Redistricting Plan violates [Section] 2, the district court held, in one of the three cases before this Court, that Alabama violated the Fourteenth Amendment by intentionally diluting the votes of Black voters in Alabama,” Sotomayor wrote. “That constitutional finding of intentional discrimination is independent of, and unaffected by, any of the legal issues discussed in Callais.”

Colorado: A last-minute lawsuit filed by three Republican candidates for office in Colorado claims allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in the GOP’s upcoming primary election violates their constitutional rights. The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the state’s semi-open primaries violate the 1st and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Colorado Constitution. The plaintiffs want the court to issue an order prohibiting unaffiliated voters from participating in the June 2026 primary election. The new lawsuit comes shortly after a federal judge shot down a similar request from the Colorado Republican Party to block unaffiliated voters from participating in its primary. Plaintiffs in the Denver lawsuit say the federal court did not issue a ruling related to candidate-specific injury. A hearing in the case is scheduled for May 14. County clerks are able to begin giving mail ballots to eligible voters who request one from their office starting on May 16. 

Louisiana: The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated its ruling that the maps of Louisiana’s legislative districts violate the Voting Rights Act following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that took an axe to the law. The 5th Circuit was considering a rehearing in Nairne v. Landry, a lawsuit challenging the state House and Senate district boundaries the legislature adopted in 2022. The appellate court paused the case pending a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which challenged  the U.S. House district maps state lawmakers approved in 2024. Justices ruled on Callais last week, finding legislators had relied too heavily on the race of voters to draw the district lines. In the eyes of suffrage advocates, the Callais decision imploded Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in election laws and practices involving a person’s race, color or language group.  “While the Supreme Court didn’t declare Section 2 unconstitutional and left it in place, it modified what you have to do to win a Section 2 case in ways that will make it much harder or impossible for voters of color to use,” said Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, a voting rights organization. 

Michigan: State election officials must provide unredacted, electronic versions of voter registration lists to the federal government to comply with the Civil Rights Act and maintain election integrity, the federal government argued this week at the Sixth Circuit. According to officials at the Department of Justice, several “irregularities” — including lower than average voter removal and inadequate voter confirmation numbers — raised concerns Michigan might not be in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson handed over the public version of the registration list but denied the government an unredacted copy based on her interpretation of both federal laws. A federal lawsuit followed, and Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou, a Donald Trump appointee, sided with Benson. Jarbou determined the unredacted, electronic version of the voter registration list “was neither a record nor paper that came into the possession of Benson,” which excluded it from disclosure. The case hinges on the interpretation of the phrase “comes into possession of,” found in the Civil Rights Act, and which Jarbou decided does not cover documents created by state election officials. Attorney David Goldman from the U.S. Department of Justice argued Wednesday before the appeals court and told the panel Jarbou “created a carve-out for state-generated records that has no basis in the act.” “So are the words ‘come into’ surplus?” asked Senior U.S. Circuit Judge R. Guy Cole Jr., a Bill Clinton appointee. “What about common sense?” asked U.S. Circuit Judge John Nalbandian, a Trump appointee. “If you say you baked a cake, you don’t say you ‘came into possession’ of a cake.” Assistant Michigan Attorney General Heather Meingast argued on behalf of Benson and criticized the federal government’s overreach. “The Department of Justice seeks the private information of over 8 million registered voters, a request that is unprecedented and unsupported by the law,” she told the panel. The state’s attorney emphasized language in the Civil Rights Act that requires election officials to retain only those documents related to specific elections, not an evolving and updated document like the voter list. No timetable has been set for the court’s decision.

Missouri: Jason Underwood, a former candidate, who narrowly lost the 2024 Adair County sheriff’s race, is now suing the person in charge of that election. Underwood filed a civil suit this week against Adair County Clerk Sandy Collop, accusing her of multiple violations of Missouri’s Open Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law. After a recount of the ballots in 2024, Underwood lost to current Adair County Sheriff Jason Lene by just two votes. According to court documents, Underwood sent multiple Sunshine Requests to Collop seeking access to and copies of all provisional ballot envelopes submitted during the August 2024 primary election for sheriff. The suit claims Collop knowingly and purposefully violated the Sunshine Law by failing to provide Underwood the requested public records. “I had 30 days to contest the election. She (Collop) basically denied me that right,” Underwood told KTVO. The suit seeks to impose a $30,000 civil penalty against Collop and seeks reimbursement for Underwood’s costs and attorney fees incurred while pursuing this litigation.

Montana: District Court Judge Adam Larsen has ordered a temporary halt on a new law aimed at restricting Election Day voter registration and tightening the hours voters can register in the days leading up to it, while upholding a new voter identification law. In a 22-page order Larsen granted a preliminary injunction against Senate Bill 490, a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka. With the ruling, the state’s existing rules stay in place, allowing voters to register to vote on Election Day as long as they are in line by the close of voting hours. Cuffe’s bill had tightened the deadline for voters to register to vote to noon on the day of the election, and eliminated registration on the Monday before an election, but opened it up on the prior Saturday. Cuffe also sponsored Senate Bill 276, which implemented voter ID laws.  Under existing law, anyone in line at the ballot box by 8 p.m. on Election Day could register to vote, which in 2024 led to long lines at some precincts, including voters who waited until after midnight to register and cast their ballots in Gallatin County. Montana Federation of Public Employees sued, pointing to a Montana Supreme Court decision from 2024 that struck down a law passed in 2021 eliminating Election Day voter registration. Larsen cited that decision in his order, writing that “For nearly two decades prior to the enactment of SB 490, Montana voters have utilized election day registration throughout the entirety of Election Day,” and it has become “wildly popular,” and its use has grown over time. “The Supreme Court also found that the number of voters late registering on Election Day is nearly equal to the number of voters who late register during the preceding 29 days combined,” Larsen wrote in his order. “Election Day Registration serves as a critical safeguard for Montana voters who encounter issues with their voter registration.” Larsen also wrote the law as written only applies to voters registering for federal elections, but allows registration for state elections for all of Election Day, creating a “bifurcated system,” which would impose additional burdens on election officials.  He also said that some Montana precincts do not open until noon on Election Day, which means voters in those areas would be wholly deprived of same-day registration. Senate Bill 490 would “disproportionately impact certain groups of voters, including Native American voters and young voters,” the order states. 

North Carolina: Two Black voters challenging two N.C. Senate districts have dismissed their federal lawsuit in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that further weakened the Voting Rights Act.  State Rep. Rodney Pierce (D-Halifax) and Moses Matthews were suing Republican legislators over their decision in 2023 to redraw districts in the eastern and northeastern part of the state, saying they diluted Black voting power in violation of the Voting Rights Act. The lawsuit contended that Republican legislators broke up “Black Belt” counties. The new map prevents Black voters from electing candidates of their choice in Senate District 1 and Senate District 2, the lawsuit said.  Pierce and Matthews appealed to the 4th Circuit Court after U.S. District Judge James Dever ruled in legislators’ favor last year. Dever had earlier denied a request to block the use of the districts in the 2024 election.  Lawyers for Pierce and Matthews filed a notice of dismissal Monday.  In a statement,  Pierce said the U.S. Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision left “no path open to us to protect the voting rights of Black citizens in my part of the state.”

Oregon: A years-old lawsuit accusing Oregon of failing to proactively remove people from the state’s voter rolls is over after state elections officials signaled they would update their practices and agreed to regularly share information with a conservative activist group. Under a settlement finalized last week, Secretary of State Tobias Read committed to send data annually for five years to the plaintiffs of the lawsuit: the national group Judicial Watch, the Constitution Party of Oregon and two individual plaintiffs. In exchange, the parties have dropped their suit. The data that Read has agreed to share largely concern how county election officials deal with voters they suspect may have moved, but who have not confirmed as much. Such voters are labeled “inactive” in the state’s voter database and don’t receive ballots. But under federal law, elections officials are required to cancel them from state voter rolls if they don’t respond to a notice that they have been switched to inactive status, and don’t vote in two subsequent federal elections. The lawsuit pointed to a 2023 report that showed 19 of Oregon’s 36 counties had not removed any voters from November 2020 to November 2022, and that 10 other counties had removed 11 or fewer people in that time.

South Carolina: The South Carolina Republican Party announced plans to file a federal lawsuit seeking partisan voter registration in South Carolina, arguing the change is needed to protect Republican primary elections. The party said the lawsuit follows years of unsuccessful legislative efforts to change South Carolina’s open primary system. According to the SCGOP, the party has supported partisan voter registration through legislation, party resolutions and its official platform. Party leaders also said Republican primary voters have consistently backed the proposal in internal party polling. South Carolina currently operates under an open primary system, which allows voters to participate in either party’s primary without formally registering with a political party. “The United States Supreme Court has been clear that political parties have a First Amendment right to freedom of association, and that constitutional right should mean something,” SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick said. “Since the legislature has refused to act, we are now taking this fight to federal court to protect the integrity of South Carolina’s Republican Primary.”

Tennessee: The NAACP’s Tennessee chapter filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the state’s new congressional map, redrawn so a majority-Black voting district was eliminated. NAACP Tennessee President Gloria Sweet-Love filed an emergency petition to stop the map from going into effect in Davidson County Chancery Court. The lawsuit was filed less than three hours after Gov. Bill Lee signed the new map into law. The Tennessee Legislature’s Republican supermajority passed the map — carving up a historic Democratic-held district in Shelby County — during a whirlwind special session called at President Donald Trump’s behest days after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a key section of the Voting Rights Act. Protesters opposing the redistricting flooded the Capitol for the three-day session’s entirety. When Lee called the special session, the lawsuit argues, he did not specifically state that its purpose included repealing or suspending a Tennessee law prohibiting mid-decade redistricting. The General Assembly passed a bill nullifying that law during the session, and Lee signed it into law shortly before the final vote on the new map.  The Tennessee Constitution stipulates that the General Assembly “shall enter no legislative business except that for which they were specifically called together,” and the map therefore violates “clear and unambiguous Tennessee statutory law and the mandates of the Tennessee Constitution,” the lawsuit states.  The suit also challenges a provision that suspends residency requirements for candidates in the newly drawn districts. 

Virginia: Virginia Democrats asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive the voter-approved redistricting amendment struck down last week by the Supreme Court of Virginia, escalating the fight over the state’s congressional map to the nation’s highest court with the 2026 midterms inching closer. In an emergency application filed with Chief Justice John Roberts, attorneys representing House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and the commonwealth of Virginia asked the court to pause the state ruling while the appeal moves forward. “The irreparable harm resulting from the Supreme Court of Virginia’s decision is profound and immediate,” the lawmakers’ filing reads. “By forcing the Commonwealth to conduct its congressional elections using districts different from those adopted by the General Assembly pursuant to a constitutional amendment the people just ratified, the Supreme Court of Virginia has deprived voters, candidates, and the Commonwealth of their right to the lawfully enacted congressional districts.” The filing comes three days after Virginia’s high court ruled 4-3 that the constitutional amendment authorizing mid-decade redistricting violated procedural requirements in the Virginia Constitution and therefore could not take effect, despite being approved by voters April 21. 

Wisconsin: A Wisconsin appeals panel affirmed the conviction of a former high-ranking Milwaukee elections official who fraudulently requested absentee ballots to highlight what she saw as flaws in the statewide system. A jury convicted Kimberly Zapata, 49, in March 2024 of misconduct in public office and making false statements to obtain or vote an absentee ballot after she requested three military absentee ballots using made up names and directed them to the home of Janel Brandtjen — a Republican member of the Wisconsin Assembly who frequently made false assertions of fraud in the 2020 election. Her attorney framed her during oral arguments in March as a whistleblower looking to draw attention away from election conspiracy theories and shine a spotlight instead on very real flaws in the absentee system. The appellate panel affirmed her conviction and found there is no constructive difference between having the fake ballots delivered to her own home or someone else’s. The panel interpreted “obtain” broadly to include actual and constructive obtainment. Zapata didn’t have to physically hold the false ballots in order to have illegally obtained them. “The evidence demonstrates that by requesting the ballots, Zapata set off a series of actions she knew the ballots would be subjected to,” Judge Sara Geenen wrote for the panel. “In other words, Zapata controlled both the names under which the ballots would be generated and the destination to which those ballots would be sent. In our view, directing the creation and designation of the false ballots is exercising control over them.”

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting Rights Act, II | Same day registration | Voting rules | U.S. Supreme Court, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII | Electoral assault | Polling place hours | Early voting | Critical infrastructure

Alaska: Election integrity 

California: U.S. Supreme Court | San Luis Obispo County  

District of Columbia: Ranked choice voting   

Florida: Vote by mail  

Louisiana: Get out the vote | Primaries

Michigan: Polling places

Minnesota: Trust in elections  

Nevada: Primaries  

New Hampshire: Voting Rights Act  

North Carolina: Voting Rights Act 

Pennsylvania: U.S. Supreme Court 

Tennessee: Voting rights  

Utah: Vote by mail 

West Virginia: Vote by mail 

Wisconsin: Voting rights 

Wyoming: Secretary of state 

Upcoming Events

2026 IIMC Annual Conference: The International Institute of Municipal Clerks will be holding its Annual Conference from May 17-21 in Reno, Nevada. When: May 17-21. Where: Reno.

CERA Courses (Auburn): The Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) certification is the original professional certification for election administrators in the United States. The following courses will be available in Auburn in May: Course 5 – Ethics in Election Administration and Voter Registration; Course 8 – Implementation of New Programs in Election Administration and Voter Registration; Course 11 – History of Elections Part I: Antiquity to 1781; and Course 12 – History of Elections Part II: 1781 to Civil Rights Era 1960. When: May 18-23. Where: Auburn, Alabama

Elections à la Carte: The Journal of Election Administration Research & Practice invites you to join us for another lunchtime conversation on innovative funding solutions for election administration. This edition of Elections à la Carte will focus on strategies for creating new sources of revenue from the local, state, and federal levels. Our panel will include: Mary Hall – the auditor for Thurston County, Washington – who will share information about a ballot real estate model under which local, state, and federal governments provide funding for election costs based on the ballot races at each government level, Joseph Anthony – an assistant professor of political science at the State University of New York, Cortland – who proposes designating local election jurisdictions as special districts with the ability to receive a defined share of local revenue or to levy taxes themselves, and Lana Goitia-Paz – senior Georgia campaign manager with All Voting is Local and a student in Auburn University’s master of public administration program – who advocates for states to create an endowment fund for elections as a source of sustainable funding. Our panel will offer a brief explanation of their ideas, which will be followed by an in-depth discussion of revenue creation for election administration. Before the webinar, attendees are encouraged to submit questions they would like the panel to discuss to Brandon Fincher at finchrb@auburn.edu. The panel will try to address as many questions as time permits. When: May 20, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

Building Disaster Resilience for Community Leaders: Disaster Preparedness for Election Offices: Join Ready for Tuesday for this Natural Disaster Awareness for Community Leaders course and increase your understanding of disasters, risk assessment in the context of disaster management, prevailing emergency management procedures and operations, and the different vulnerability factors that exist within your local community. Become familiar with the available resources for natural disaster preparedness and planning. Learn how to recognize and define the roles and responsibilities that may be expected to be assumed by a community leader and understand the roles that first responders and other support personnel are likely to assume to ensure assistance in the response and recovery phase of an emergency event. This course will use election office events as a series of case studies to help connect emergency management challenges to election administration. Feel free to invite your local emergency management partners to join this no-cost training. This course is hosted by Ready for Tuesday, Advance Elections and Portland State University’s Elections & Voting Information Center. The four-hour course is offered at no-cost to participants, and upon successful completion of the course a certificate will also be issued. When: May 28, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online.

What Comes After Callais: Join The Center for Election Innovation & Research for the next installment of our “Trust Elections” webinar series, “What Comes After Callais.” Justin Levitt, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the DOJ Civil Rights Division, will join CEIR Executive Director David Becker and CEIR Legal Program Director Tamar Hagler to discuss the ramifications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The discussion will cover the ruling’s significant impact on the Voting Rights Act and states’ last-minute efforts to redraw their congressional maps ahead of the midterm elections. Justin, David, and Tamar will also touch on the Court’s expected decision in Watson v. RNC, which centers on whether states should be allowed to accept mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. This event is part of CEIR’s “Trust Elections” project, a webinar series exploring the state of US democracy and offering insight on how voters can help protect free and fair elections. It is open to anyone. When: May 28, 3pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

ESRA Summer 2026: The Election Science, Reform, & Administration Conference (ESRA) features insightful and cutting-edge research, as well as networking opportunities between academics, election administrators, practitioners, and other experts. The 10th Annual Summer Conference will take place from Monday, June 1 through Thursday, June 4 2026 at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference will be held at the Beus Center for Law and Society in downtown Phoenix. A notional agenda is available on our website; more detailed information about this year’s program will be available to registered attendees closer to the date of the conference. When: June 1-4. Where: Phoenix. 

CERA Courses (Austin): The Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) certification is the original professional certification for election administrators in the United States. The following courses will be offered in Austin in June: Course 1 -Election Administration and Voter Registration as a System; Course 4 – Contingency and Continuity of Operations Planning; Course 5 – Ethics in Election Administration and Voter Registration; Course 11 – History of Elections Part 1: Antiquity to 1781; and Course 12 – History of Elections Part 2: 1781 to Civil Rights Era 1960. When: June 8-13. Where: Austin, Texas. 

NMC Annual Conference: New Mexico Association of Counties- Clerks Affiliate will hold its annual conference from June 15-18 in McKinley County.  

AAMCA Summer Conference: The Alabama Association of Municipal Clerks and Administrators will hold its summer conference from June 24-26 in Fairhope. 

CERA Courses (Milwaukee): The Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) certification is the original professional certification for election administrators in the United States. The following courses will be offered in Milwaukee in July:  Course 5 – Ethics in Election Administration and Voter Registration; Course 6 – Communications and Public Relations in Election Administration and Voter Registration; Course 7 – Enhancing Voter Registration and Participation in Election Administration and Voter Registration; Course 8 – Implementation of New Programs in Election Administration and Voter Registration; and Course 9 – History in Elections Part 3: 1960 to Modern Era. When: July 11-18. Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

2026 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition: The National Association of Counties will hold its 2026 Annual Conference & Exposition on Orleans Parish, Louisiana from July 17-20. When: July 17-20. Where: New Orleans. 

NASED 2026 Summer Conference: The National Association of Directors of Elections will hold its summer conference from July 20-22 in Boston. When: July 20-22. Where: Boston. 

iGO 9th Annual Conference: The International Association of Government Officials will hold its 9th Annual Conference from July 25-28 in Reston, Virginia. When: July 25-28. Where: Reston, Virginia. 

2026 NCSL Legislative Summit: The 2026 NCSL Legislative Summit takes place in Chicago July 27-29, bringing together state legislators and legislative staff from all 50 states and U.S. territories for three days of collaboration, innovation and bipartisan dialogue. When: July 27-29. Where: Chicago. 

SCARE 2026 Annual Conference: The South Carolina Association of Registration and Election Officials (SCARE) will hold its annual conference from July 27-30 in Isle of Palms. 

Oregon Association of County Clerks: The Oregon Association of County Clerks will hold its annual conference from August 10-13 in Burns. 

WMCA 46th Annual Conference 2026: The Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association will hold its annual conference from August 18-21 in Green Bay. 

Election Center 41st Annual Conference: The National Association of Election Officials (Election Center) will hold its 41st Annual Conference in Kansas City, Missouri from August 19 to 21. CERA classes will be offered August 22 and 23. When: August 19 to 21. Where: Kansas City, Missouri. 

UAC Annual Convention: The Utah Association of Counties will hold its annual convention from September 8-10. 

2026 WACO Conference: The Wyoming Association of County Officers-County Clerks will hold its annual conference from September 22-24 in Laramie. 

2026 MACO Annual Conference: The Montana Association of Counties will hold its annual conference from September 27-30 in Helena.

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.

Absentee Voting Elections Specialist, Onslow County, North Carolina– Performs intermediate skilled administrative support work facilitating all aspects of the absentee voting process, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the close supervision of the Elections Director. Our core values—Resilience, Excellence, Accountability, Customer Service, and Honesty—are the foundation of our work and the standard by which we operate. As a member of our team, you are expected to demonstrate these values in every aspect of your role. This means delivering high-quality work, taking responsibility for your actions, providing exceptional service, and maintaining integrity in all interactions. Your commitment to these principles is essential to fostering a positive workplace culture and ensuring the success of our organization and the community we serve. Salary: $20.95 – $27.23 Hourly. Deadline: May 21. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

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 Specialist (Elections Specialist–Russian), 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 Administrative Specialist II positions in the Voter Services Department combines an exciting, fast-paced environment with the opportunity to cultivate talents and apply a variety of skills.  The ideal candidate will have a desire to help ensure the democratic process through public service.  They will thrive in an innovative environment and will not hesitate to roll up both sleeves, work hard, have fun, and get the job done. King County Elections (KCE) manages voter registrations and elections for more than 1.4 million voters in King County, one of the largest vote-by-mail counties in the United States. KCE’s mission is to conduct accessible, secure, and accurate elections.  As a leader in providing inclusive elections, KCE is focused on core values of accuracy, equity, integrity, service, teamwork, and transparency. The team at KCE is committed to ensuring all King County voters can get registered, cast their ballot, and make their voices heard. Salary: $29.46 – $37.47 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Commissioner of Elections Department, Boston–Under general policy direction from and at the will of the Mayor, the Commissioner of the Elections is responsible for municipal, state, and federal elections within the City of Boston. This position also oversees the annual census of residents aged 17 and older. The Commissioner of the Elections serves as chair of the Board of Election Commissioners, which ensures compliance with election laws and the equitable delivery of services. As a public and senior official responsible for a key government function, the Commissioner will embody character and impartiality as an election administrator. The Commissioner is responsible for managing, directing, and integrating the functions, programs, and activities of the Elections Commission. The Commissioner communicates effectively to senior City management, community partners, regulatory authorities, and other department stakeholders to ensure City elections are accessible, fair, and administered effectively in accordance with all applicable laws. The Elections Commissioner is responsible for managing the 30+ full-time employees of the Election Department, part-time seasonal employees, and approximately 2,000 part-time poll workers. The Commissioner will work with staff to document policies, practices, and procedures. The Commissioner will practice continuous improvement related to the complex operations of the Department. Salary: $145,000. Deadline: June 30. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Customer Success Manager, VotingWorks: VotingWorks currently supports risk-limiting and post-election audits in 12 states with our software, Arlo. Support varies greatly from state to state and is a combination of general risk-limiting audit education, software training, and support of both during the conduct of audits. Risk-limiting audits vary by state and are constantly evolving, requiring updates to the software. The Arlo/RLA Customer Success Manager is responsible for the strategic oversight and successful delivery of services for Arlo, our post-election audit product. This role will optimize and maintain the systems, tools, and processes for managing auditing projects and support. They act as the primary liaison for Product and Engineering alignment for customer success. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Director of Voter Services, Chester County, Pennsylvania– The Director of Voter Services plans, organizes, supervises, and manages the activities of voter registration, campaign finance, and elections for the County of Chester in compliance with all federal, state, county, and local laws. Essential Duties: Election operations, Department leadership and administration, Communications and public engagement and other. Salary: $119,043.06 Annually. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Election Assistant, Olmsted County, Minnesota–Under supervision, assists with Olmsted County’s election process. Provides customer service to voters in person and via mail. Answers phone calls, directs the public to polling places, monitors supplies, and answers questions. Supports a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace. Examples of Work: Assists voters with the absentee voting process; Performs clerical duties including customer service, filing, answering phone calls and data entry to support the election process; Assists on Election Day by answering questions, monitoring supplies, and directing traffic; Processes absentee records on a statewide system; Prepares equipment and supplies for Election Day; Assists with election judge training; and Performs other related job duties as assigned. Salary: $21.30 – $35.59 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Election Operations Team Lead, Illinois State Board of Elections– Subject to administrative direction, the Election Operations Team Lead (EOTL) acts as a subject matter expert and will be responsible for implementing and managing day-to-day operational processes and systems. The EOTL will strive to ensure a high level of efficiency and accuracy in Divisional processes through review and supervision of daily activities. Executes directives and coordinates the activities of personnel engaged in implementing and executing division procedures and policies. Salary: $7,500-$11,667 per month. Deadline: May 19. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Administrator, Hood County, Texas–Provides customer assistance necessary in structuring, organizing and implementing the voter registration process and the county election process. Examples of Important Responsibilities and Duties: Oversee voter registration duties and the duties of organizing and conducting elections for the county; Hire, supervise and train department employees and election workers; Custodian of election equipment and all election records; Effectively manage public relations for the Election Administrator office by providing election information, issuing press releases, conducting interviews and participating in interviews with the media; Prepare and present annual department budget for approval of the County Elections Commission; Make reports to and work closely with the County Election Commission as well as the County Commissioners Court; Provide the clerical assistance needed by the Commissioners’ Court in canvassing precinct election returns; Responsible for filing of petitions, determining their validity and any other matters preceding the ordering of the election; Be willing to work and possibly contract with other political subdivisions in the county for their election needs; Follow legislative sessions to stay abreast of new and changing laws; Maintain office supply, polling location supplies, and forms inventory; Create and maintain a department procedures manual; Revise all Continuity of Operations and Emergency Plans as necessary; Attend annual Texas Secretary of State Election Law Seminar and any other functions deemed necessary; Represent the county in an honest and professional manner. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Specialist, Palm Beach County, Florida– The Vote-by-Mail Specialist position involves, but is not limited to, the daily processing of applications and other VBM related paperwork and customer service. Election period duties would include signature verification, supervised voting, ballot processing, signature cure applications, and monitoring secure ballot intake stations (SBIS). Responsibilities include: Data entry of vote by mail requests received via phone, email, and website; Customer service with voters in office for VBM related issues; and Coordination of election specific programs such as Supervised Voting and SBIS boxes. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Supervisor, San Bernardino County, California– Under general direction, performs supervisory duties of elections staff responsible for specific programs related to the Registrar of Voters; ensures quality of work and adherence to established policies and procedures and performs the more complex tasks relative to the elections process. Position perform related duties as required. Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Supervises the work of assigned staff; evaluates work performance, prepares, and signs performance evaluations. Participates in personnel decisions, including hiring and disciplinary actions and assists in resolving employee grievances; approves leave requests. Plans, organizes, schedules, and assigns work and related support duties; develops process workflow, priorities, deadlines, and work standards; makes recommendations on staffing needs; supplies and equipment. Assists in developing, revising, and implementing new or revised procedures, forms and office systems, coordinates services and work products with other departmental operations. Review and interprets legislation to determine the impact on division and makes recommendations to management to address impacts. Identifies training needs and plans training programs; may develop training curricula and prepare training materials. Provides supervision of election support staff, performing necessary duties related to the department. Collaborates with other departments to coordinate logistical, operational, administrative, and/or technical matters. Monitors assigned division(s) to ensure safety principles/protocols and procedures are being followed to regulations.Prepares a variety of reports, records, and other documents related to assigned division(s) within the department. Provide vacation and temporary relief as required. Salary: $68,536.00 – $94,203.20 Annually. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.  

General Registrar, Hanover County, Virginia–Executive-level position serving as the County’s General Registrar/Director of Elections. Under the authority of the County Electoral Board and in accordance with Title 24.2, State Board of Elections guidance, and the General Registrar and Electoral Board (GREB) Handbook, administers voter registration and directs the conduct of all federal, state, and local elections in the locality. Appointed by the Electoral Board for a four-year term. Appointed by and reports to the Electoral Board; leads the Voter Registration Office and supervises permanent and temporary staff. Performs duties required by law and duties delegated by the Electoral Board under Va. Code § 24.2-114.18. Works with the Electoral Board, Department of Elections/State Board, election officers, and county departments (e.g., finance, IT, facilities, HR, public safety) to deliver lawful, accessible, and secure elections. Salary: $91,791 – $156,044. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

GIS Specialist, Palm Beach County, Florida– Help power accurate, well-run elections through smart mapping and rock-solid data. As a GIS Specialist II with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, you’ll own core geospatial datasets, turn complex information into clear maps and insights, and improve the workflows teams rely on to plan and execute election operations. Your work helps ensure precinct, polling place, and district data is accurate and easy to use—supporting operational readiness, transparency, and timely decision-making. You’ll maintain and enhance GIS databases, produce print and web-ready map products, perform quality control and spatial analysis, and keep GIS synchronized with the Voter Registration System. You’ll collaborate with both technical and non-technical teams, document standards and changes, and provide training and troubleshooting support. Salary: $72,800 to $87,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Poll Worker Assistant Department Manager, Palm Beach County, Florida– The primary responsibility of the Poll Worker Department Manager is to oversee the planning and the completion of various projects, administrative functions, operations, and specialized tasks in the Poll Worker Department. The work involves knowledge and application of departmental operations, planning, assigning responsibilities, monitoring election worker classes, maintaining records, evaluating performance, and the ability to review work for accuracy. This position requires initiative and sound independent judgement in the application of office policies, election laws, and procedures. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Program Coordinator, Dallas County, Texas– Plans and coordinates the fiscal, administrative and operational activities for programs, projects, services or contracts to ensure that goals and objectives are accomplished in accordance with established priorities, time limitations, funding limitations or other specifications. May supervise staff. Responsibilities: 1. Assesses program needs; and develops, implements and facilitates daily program activities in accordance with established priorities, time limitations, funding limitations and other specifications. 2. Ensures the service delivery network meets the needs of the intended population, reflects the objectives and intent of the program or project, and meets applicable federal guidelines. 3. Coordinates program activities with staff, other departments and public/private resources to ensure optimum efficiency and compliance with appropriate policies, procedures and specifications. 4. Assists in evaluating program effectiveness and developing/implementing improvement and evaluation methodology; analyzes results; and recommends and takes appropriate action. 5. Provides consultation and technical assistance to supervisory and line staff through meetings, training and daily troubleshooting; and recruits and supervises volunteers. 6. Develops and edits grants, proposals, promotional materials, newsletters, brochures and other training materials. 7. Collects and analyzes data; prepares schedules and special reports; and maintains program/project records and statistical information. 8. Performs other duties as assigned. Salary: $4806.34-$5997.58. Deadline: May 22. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Program Manager, California Voter Foundation– CVF seeks an experienced and accomplished program manager who is passionate about voting rights and advocacy, election reform, support for election officials, and is able to work in a nonpartisan manner. This position will be instrumental in supporting the day-to-day operations of CVF, assisting with communications, and supporting important programmatic initiatives. Candidates must be eager to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and be able to balance and prioritize competing demands. This is a remote, part-time position, with the potential to transition to a full-time position, who reports to the president of CVF. Responsibilities: Manage and coordinate projects and research related to election funding, the vote-by-mail process and improving California ballot processing; Assist with communications and management of a nationwide network of election administration leaders and stakeholders; Assist with grant writing, funder reports, and identifying funding opportunities; Write news releases, web page copy, meeting agendas, and compile meeting notes; Respond to emails in a timely and professional manner; Help manage and expand CVF social media accounts: (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook); Assist with meeting scheduling and event planning; Attend webinars and monitor election news and events; Assist with legislative and budget work advancing CVF’s program goals; and Support other CVF projects and administration as needed. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Sales Engineer I, Hart InterCivic–The Sales Engineer I is responsible for assisting the Sales Team in generating sales of Hart’s products and services, focusing on expanding existing accounts and developing new accounts, while partnered with other Sales or Hart team members. The Sales Engineer I will have an assigned territory(ies) and/or sales team member(s) and an assigned team quota. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Vote-by-Mail Manager, Sarasota County, Florida– This position is responsible for the supervision, management and coordination of vote-by-mail personnel and activities in accordance with Florida Statutes. Primary focus is the management of staff, the oversight of all vote-by-mail functions, promoting excellent customer service, and assisting to facilitate successful elections. Key Responsibilities: Manages all vote-by-mail activities including but not limited to petition processing, mailing ballots, correspondence with voters, supervised voting, phone bank operations, records management and all vote-by-mail procedures related to the VBM drop box program during early voting and VBM election day activities; Supervises vote-by-mail personnel including regular and temporary employees; Works to plan, organize, and implement effective programs and projects for the vote-by-mail aspect of the department; Communicates vote-by-mail information, policies and procedures to employees and the entire organization; Maintains a working knowledge of all election laws, districts and precinct boundaries; Responds to inquiries by the public in person, by phone and/or by email in a courteous manner; Communicates changes and updates in procedures or laws to office staff; Works in concert with the Public Information Officer to process applicable public records requests; and Generates letters, forms, lists and reports as needed or assigned. Salary: $61,734 – $104,978 a year. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Voter Services Manager, King County, Washington–The Voter Services Manager (Elections Program Manager) provides leadership to a dynamic, highly skilled team of supervisors and staff who manage the voter records of over 1.4 million registered voters in King County. This position works closely with their team and department leadership to develop and deliver on the workgroup’s goals, priorities, and the department’s vision. The ideal candidate will articulate a compelling vision for voter services that inspires the team, emphasize collaboration, clear communication, and thoughtful problem-solving in compliance with election laws, and play a vital role in election planning and operational coordination. Salary: $138,964.18 – $176,145.84. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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