America’s County Governments: A Primer on County-Level Election Administration

The United States has a decentralized system of election administration, where states and local governments share the responsibility of overseeing election administration.1 The organization of local election systems can vary such that states allow several local offices or authorities to supervise election administration.2 In certain states, election administration responsibilities are divided between a local election official, who may be elected or appointed, and a board or commission of elections.3

County governments play a crucial role in upholding our nation’s democracy by administering and overseeing most local, state and federal elections.4 This includes managing voter registration, coordinating poll workers and managing polling places. During each election cycle, counties oversee over 100,000 polling places and manage over 630,000 poll workers.5 More than 200 million people typically register and are eligible to vote in jurisdictions where counties play a significant role in election administration.6

This research brief highlights the county role in administering elections. It discusses the scope of responsibilities, variations in local election systems and canvassing procedures, and funding for election costs.

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