Training & Resources

For this briefing, the first of a series examining election reform issues, electionline.org and The Constitution Project surveyed election administrators in all 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding provisional voting. The research revealed no national standard; indeed, no two states implement this safeguard in exactly the same way. The survey discovered a collection of practices as varied as the states themselves.

What changes need to be made and what upgrades states opt to make will determine how much voting will be reformed around the country. This Election Reform Briefing explores where states stood as of February 2003 in their readiness to meet the mandates of HAVA. The Briefing provides an indication – from the top state election officials themselves – of where state governments believe they are now that federal election reform has become a reality.

In this seventh edition of our Election Reform Briefing series, electionline.org examines voting security, the most controversial aspect of election reform since the passage of the Help America Vote Act.

An in-depth look at the “business of elections” – the market for election goods and services that is both the cause and effect of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002.

In this ninth Election Reform Briefing: The 2004 Election, electionline.org seeks to offer an early analysis of what happened – good and bad – on November 2.

They weren’t quite the “hanging chad” of 2004, nor quite the safeguard envisioned by voting rights advocates. But regardless of how they were perceived, provisional voting was one of the most controversial aspects of post-Florida election reform around the country.

Bloated rolls, lost records, duplicates, registered dead people, eligible house pets and citizens rendered ineligible by faulty list purges. All have plagued voter registration rolls around the country in recent years. By January 1, 2006, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), will require that each state have a centrally-controlled voter list that would eliminate the litany of registration related problems that prevented many from voting in years past – and perhaps allowed others to vote when they should not have.

In this 12th election reform Briefing, electionline.org examines the rules in each state governing recounts, with a particular focus on the impact of voter- verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs), absentee and provisional ballots. As with most election issues, federalism has produced a variety of rules governing the same process.

This, the 13th electionline.org Briefing, explores the user end of the registration process: how would-be voters obtain forms, complete them, and how much time they have before an election to do so.

In this, the 14th Election Reform Briefing, electionline.org explores the impact of the Language Minority Provision, not only on the growing electorate, but also on the administration of elections.

In this, the 15th Electionline Briefing, “Election 2006 In Review,” we take an early look at what went wrong – and right – in the 2006 midterm election, with particular focus on voting machines, new procedures and preparation. The first general election since the final deadlines of the Help America Vote Act, this year’s vote saw polling places greatly changed – from new voting machines in an estimated one-third of all precincts to accessible machines, one per polling place nearly nationwide, to new requirements including mandatory voter ID in a number of states.

This, the 17th electionline Briefing, explores the issue of post-election audits in a number of states. Like so many other issues in election administration, the study finds that rules governing the practice vary greatly across borders as does the size of the sample, public access and scrutiny and response to disparities between vote counts and audit findings. While one state might require that 5 percent of all precincts audit ballots by hand, another might require a review of election-related procedures, including polling-place activities logged on machines, “zero tapes” from the start of the day and final tallies to make sure the counters tabulated results correctly.

electionline.org examined partnerships between states and universities. Specifically, the 18th electionline Briefing details the nuts and bolts, implications and criticism of existing partnerships. The prospects for future partnerships between state and local election offices, universities and, citizens’ groups are also explored.

“Election Reform Briefing 20: Poll Workers” examines a number of facets of America’s one-day workforce, including training requirements, compensation, specialization and absenteeism, attitudes and what innovations are underway in states and localities to recruit, train and retain poll workers.

In this, the 21st electionline.org Briefing , the process of overseas and military voting is examined, from the federal laws that govern the process to the innovations underway to streamline it to the difficulties anticipated in the 2008 primary season.

To determine the current state of election reform, the Election Reform Information Project surveyed election reform activity across the country since November 2000. The Election Reform Information Project looked at developments in Congress and the federal government, in the states, in the courts and in the dozens of public- and private-sector task forces and study groups formed to study the issue.

electionline.org is pleased to bring you this report, the second look at the state of play of election reform in Washington, state capitals, county seats and city halls across America.

electionline.org’s third annual report seeks to give readers a national overview of the scope and progress of changes to elections around the country. With a presidential election looming in the fall, 2004 provides the best opportunity since the Supreme Court stopped the protracted Florida recount more than three years ago to look at how elections have changed, how they haven’t and why – and what that could mean this year.

This was supposed to be the year–and the election–when the voting process nationwide was more secure, more technologically advanced and more trusted by the citizens and candidates participating.

The goal is to set the “state of play” immediately before Election Day. By now machines have been purchased, laws and regulations set and registration closed in many states. In many parts of the country and abroad voting has already begun.This report is intended to serve as both retrospective and reference on “Election Reform 2004: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t and Why” two weeks before Americans go to the polls on November 2.

Eight years after the 2000 election exposed some limitations of the American voting process – and six years after passage of a federal law intended to address those limitations – voters return to the polls to choose a president and thousands of other elected officials across the country. When they do, they will encounter an election system that, while significantly changed since 2000, is in many respects no less settled after nearly eight years of debate and change.

Despite arguments in the halls of Congress that the nation’s election system is teetering on the verge of collapse, state and local election officials say they are more than ready for the 2002 elections, without new federal standards or money, without increased budgets and without new technology.

In this report, electionline.org and The Century Foundation examined national election reform issues around the country that will have an impact on the 2004 primary election season. It also specifically examines changes to voting procedures – and potential voting problems – in the 22 early primary states that will be the key battlegrounds as the Democratic contenders seek to secure their party’s presidential nomination.

Like any child, HAVA has changed as it has grown — changes that those of us who have been following election reform since 2000 may have missed in the daily back and forth of life in the field of elections. Thus, as HAVA reaches its fifth birthday, we here at electionline.org pull out the equivalent of the baby book and look back at HAVA’s first five years to see what these crucial early years of development might mean for elections in HAVA’s next five years and beyond.

Advancing Justice | AAJC is the voice for the Asian American community – the fastest-growing population in the U.S. – fighting for our civil rights through education, litigation, and public policy advocacy. We serve to empower our communities by bringing local and national constituencies together and ensuring Asian Americans are able to participate fully in our democracy.

Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content

While finding solutions is never easy, the Bipartisan Policy Center believes the American answer will always rest in harnessing the best ideas from both parties, seizing pragmatic consensus, and holding steadfast to our commitment to sustaining the institutions and traditions that enable cohesion, freedom, and opportunity in a diverse nation.

The Brennan Center is at the center of the fight to preserve and expand the right to vote for every eligible citizen. Through innovative policy solutions, litigation, advocacy, and communications, the Brennan Center works to ensure that voting is free, fair, secure, and accessible for all Americans.

The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working through research, oversight, outreach and demonstration projects to improve the election process so that it better serves the needs and interests of voters.

We bring civic design skills in research, usability, design, accessibility, and plain language to improve the voting experience, make elections easier to administer, and encourage participation in elections. Through our work, we have helped hundreds of election officials build their skills and capacity, and touched millions of voters in small but important ways.

Our work is aimed at addressing key election cybersecurity issues, such as election official training, technical volunteer capacity building, social media disinformation campaigns, and robust post-election auditing.

CEIR is an innovative nonprofit with a proven track record of working with election officials from around the country and from both sides of the aisle. We seek to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation, and improve the efficiency of election administration.

CIS® (Center for Internet Security, Inc.) is a non-profit entity that uses the global IT community to safeguard private and public organizations against cyber threats. CIS is home to both the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), which partners with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide resources for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities, and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center™(EI-ISAC™), which supports the cybersecurity needs of U.S. State, Local and Territorial elections offices. To learn more, visit CISecurity.org Twitter: @CISecurity.

CTCL is a civic tech nonprofit based in Chicago, IL. Their mission is to increase everyone’s access to official voting information and improve the tech resources available to election officials.

Our Constitution demands that every citizen have an equal voice and vote in determining the future for our families, communities, and country. We’re working to ensure that every eligible citizen has the freedom to vote and that their votes are accurately counted.

Democracy Works is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the idea that voting should fit the way we live. They’re a team of software developers, public policy wonks, and civic organizers building the tools needed to upgrade the infrastructure of our democracy and improve the voting experience for voters and election officials alike.

EVIC is a nonpartisan, academic research center based at Reed College. Professor Paul Gronke and his team conduct research on early voting and election reform, predominantly in the United States.

The Election Academy program promotes modernization and professionalization of the American election administration through education, research, and outreach.

The law and the politics of law: election law, campaign finance, legislation, voting rights, initiatives, redistriscting, remedies, and the Supreme Court. Rick Hasen’s Blog.

The Election Law Program seeks to provide practical assistance to judges called upon to resolve difficult election law disputes.

The United States Elections Project is an information source for the United States electoral system. The mission of the project is to provide timely and accurate election statistics, electoral laws, research reports, and other useful information regarding the United States electoral system.

New research, analysis and commentary on election reform, voting technology, and election administration.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is a non-profit organization with the sole mission of assisting states to improve the accuracy of America’s voter rolls and increase access to voter registration for all eligible citizens.

FairVote is a nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms that give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans. Today it prioritizes work on ranked choice voting to address problems with partisan elections, primary elections and local elections, and in tandem with multi-winner legislative districts, a means to essentially eliminate gerrymandering.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) works to ensure Service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to successfully do so – from anywhere in the world.

Fors Marsh Group (FMG) is a deliberate shift away from the research norm. It is a new way of thinking—customized and focused on providing a more vigorous approach to problem solving. We work with institutions and organizations that want to disrupt markets, understand or influence behavior, drive action on a national or global scale, and create a positive impact on the world.

Future of California Elections (FoCE) is a collaboration between election officials, civil rights organizations and election reform advocates that work together to expand voter participation and modernize elections in California.

Historically, the committee has had a hand in shaping legislation that touches on any and all aspects of federal elections. Issues concerning corrupt practices, contested congressional elections, campaign finance disclosures, and credentials and qualifications of House Members also fall under its purview.

IFES is the global leader in democracy promotion, advancing good governance and democratic rights by providing technical assistance to election officials; empowering the underrepresented to participate in the political process; and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle.

iGO provides professional training, networking, and leadership development for Election Officials, Clerks, and Recorders. iGO offers members opportunities to exchange ideas, elevate standards through education, encourage legislative awareness, develop efficient ways to serve the public, and promote the ethics of public service internationally.

Since 1965, the Lawyers’ Committee has been at the forefront of the legal struggle to advance and protect the right to vote and to ensure that the right is afforded equally to all. Through coordinated and integrated programs of litigation, voter protection, advocacy, and education, the Voting Rights Project has had a tremendous positive impact on communities of color, low-income communities, youth, people with disabilities, and other traditionally disenfranchised populations.

Since 1920 we have been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that voters should play a critical role in democracy. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public.

MALDEF has a proud history to protect the rights of all voters and making a difference on election day for historically disenfranchised populations. MALDEF advocates at all levels of the government for U.S. citizens to have unimpeded access to the polls, regardless of national origin or language ability.

The MIT Election Data & Science Lab supports advances in election science by collecting, analyzing, and sharing core data and findings. We also aim to build relationships with election officials and others to help apply new scientific research to the practice of democracy in the United States.

Election Law @ Moritz is a nonpartisan research, education, and outreach program of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and a national resource for lawyers, journalists, policymakers, civic leaders, election administrators and citizens. Through its web site and programs, EL@M provides information and analysis of election laws, election litigation and election news from around the nation, focusing primarily on election administration – laws dealing with voter registration, voter ID, early and absentee voting, provisional balloting, poll workers and polling place procedures, recounts and election contests, and other related issues.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) unites America’s 3,069 county governments.  Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public’s understanding of county government, and exercise exemplary leadership in public service.

NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, cybersecurity, state business services, and state heritage/archives.

The National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) promotes accessible, accurate, and transparent elections in the United States and U.S. Territories.  NASED is a nonpartisan professional organization that disseminates election administration best practices and information across the states.

NCSL’s elections & redistricting program strengthens state election administration by providing state legislatures with information and research on election and redistricting policies across the country. NCSL operates on a bipartisan basis and does not advocate for policy positions.

The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) provides legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals who might otherwise go without adequate representation. In 2015, NARF started the Native American Voting Rights Coalition to gather voting rights advocates, lawyers, civil rights experts, and tribal advocates into one room to discuss current problems with voting in Indian Country and begin to develop solutions to these problems.

Now in our 35th year, the National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization that supports
democratic institutions and practices in every region of the world. NDI and its local partners help strengthen political and civic organizations, safeguard elections, and promote citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. Our mission is working for democracy and making democracy work.

U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) and its Overseas Vote initiative work toward the realization of a singular mission: “Every Citizen is a Voter”. US Vote uses civic tech to simplify-out the complexity of voting across all states for all voters – domestic, overseas and military. US Vote and Overseas Vote websites serve millions of voters. The foundation is sustained through licensing of its Civic Data API, Hosted Systems Solutions and Overseas Vote Widget.

The Carter Center, in partnership with Emory University, is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

The Election Center, also known as the National Association of Election Officials, is the only organization in the United States that focuses exclusively on the elections profession. Its membership includes the largest number of state and local voter registration election administrators in the United States. The organization exists to promote, preserve, and continuously improve the electoral process.

The Voting Information Project (VIP) is a partnership of Democracy Works and the states to provide official information to voters about where to vote and what’s on their ballots where they look for it most—online. VIP ensures that voters have the official information they need to answer basic questions like: “Where is my polling place?”, “What’s on my ballot?”, and “How do I navigate the voting process?” VIP uses an open format to make election data available and accessible, using technology to ensure that all eligible Americans have the information they need to cast a ballot.

TurboVote is an online service to help every American vote in every election—local, state, and national. TurboVote provides help registering to vote, applying for an absentee ballot, and sends notifications via text or email, so you never miss an election.

NPPD’s vision is a safe, secure, and resilient infrastructure where the American way of life can thrive.  NPPD leads the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of the nation’s physical and cyber infrastructure.

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, created in 1957 by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin.

The EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds.

Committee on Rules and Administration, to which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to federal elections including the election of president, vice president and members of Congress.

U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) and its Overseas Vote initiative work toward the realization of a singular mission: “Every Citizen is a Voter”. US Vote uses civic tech to simplify-out the complexity of voting across all states for all voters – domestic, overseas and military. US Vote and Overseas Vote websites serve millions of voters. The foundation is sustained through licensing of its Civic Data API, Hosted Systems Solutions and Overseas Vote Widget.

VerifiedVoting.org is a non-partisan non-profit organization that advocates for legislation and regulation that promotes accuracy, transparency and verifiability of elections. We believe the integrity and strength of our democracy relies on citizen’s trust that each vote be counted as cast.

An update of previous research on those who are prohibited from voting due to a current or previous felony conviction.

This report identifies recurring barriers to voting accessibility for people with disabilities.

This report follows up on recommendations made in 2014 by the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and highlights issues related to voter registration (including online voter registration), access to voting, polling place management, and voting technology.

Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia allow some form of Internet voting, generally by overseas and military voters. Most states that allow this have these voters sign a waiver of their right to a secret ballot. The authors of the report believe this erodes the right to a secret ballot while noting the Internet can be used for other voting-related activities such as online voter registration, transmitting blank ballots to voters, and allowing voters to track their own ballots.

Using phone calls received by the Election Protection coalition during the 2016 primary season, challenges faced by voters in 10 states are described.

This publication will explain the role of the assistant in helping an individual with a disability before, during, and after the voting process.

This report addresses three areas related to election administration including the benefits and challenges of collecting and sharing voter registration information electronically; the effect of policies such as same day registration and vote by mail on voter turnout; and the costs of elections.

A new analysis finds that California could be better served if the way election administration is paid for in the state is changed, moving from the current “mandate reimbursement” process to a system where the state contributes for costs associated with the election of state officials and statewide ballot measures.

This article examines the continuing problems people with disabilities face in the voting process and notes that in working to solve problems faced by these voters, this will help improve the process for all voters.

This new report finds that more than 875,000 Latino voters in 19 states may find it more difficult to cast ballots in 2016 than in 2012.

Pew funded research into the changes since the implementation of the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act of 2013.

This report compares the quality of elections around the world. The evidence gathered by the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) compares elections and any problems diagnosed across all eleven components of the electoral cycle. The full dataset allows comparison from mid-2012 to end-2015 in 180 nation-wide parliamentary and presidential contests held in 139 sovereign nations (excluding micro-states with populations below 100,000).

This report looks to start answering questions about voting technology, including how governments around the world can use technological innovation to better serve more and more tech-savvy voters and how to do so in a way that is transparent, efficient, and trusted by the public.

This paper analyzes the details of the legal challenge Wandering Medicine v McCulloch which was brought under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It describes why satellite election offices need to be established in Reservations in Montana and the challenges faced by American Indians living on Reservations with election offices – where people can register to vote and cast in-person absentee ballots – that are currently great distances away.

Whether in jurisdictions covered by the VRA for language assistance or in a jurisdiction that has a language community with a need for assistance, this report details how community leaders can engage with their local jurisdiction or their state legislature to help ensure community members get the language assistance they need to meaningfully participate in our elections.

This report describes currently-applicable federal and state language assistance requirements, and concludes by suggesting legislative and administrative initiatives that policymakers can advance in order to secure the deeper engagement in civic affairs of Americans who are not yet fully fluent in English.

This report begins by reviewing evidence of the benefits of conducting linguistically accessible elections and exploring the federal standards and requirements for language access. It identifies best practices that can be implemented by elections officials to expand language access in their jurisdictions.

The CEIR has released a new report based on a survey of 26 states conducted between June and July of 2018 to assess the current state of security around voter registration databases (VRDBs).

This report assesses minority voter access and evaluates the Department of Justice’s enforcement of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) since 2006, focusing on the time after the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision which held that provisions of the VRA unconstitutionally determined which jurisdictions needed federal government preclearance to change voting procedures.

This report to the Governor and General Assembly of Virginia evaluated the operation and performance of the state Department of Elections.

Written by a committee of experts from a variety of fields, this report recommends several actions federal, state, and local officials can take to improve election security.

In its most recent biennial Overseas Citizen Population Analysis (OCPA), FVAP estimates there were three million U.S. citizens of voting age living abroad in 2016.

An updated Elections Performance Index from the MIT Election Data & Science Lab evaluates the 2016 election

The report reveals how states use map technology to manage elections.

This report focuses on progress made on studying lines at polling places and tools can be used to measure and mitigate them.

This report focuses on voting equipment used during the 2016 general election; what factors jurisdictions consider when replacing voting equipment; and perspectives on federal voting system guidelines.

The report provides an assessment of FVAP’s activities supporting the special elections for federal office in 2017 — and FVAP’s preparations for the 2018 election cycle.

In 2016 Pew commissioned a survey of almost 3,000 citizens in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio as they left motor vehicle agencies to ask how and whether their experience complied with the National Voter Registration Act.

This report s the result of two years of studying all things related to elections and costs, addressing questions such as: What are the costs associated with running elections? What state policy choices relate to costs? What funding mechanisms are in use in the states? Can money buy security?

This report examines election security and preparedness in each state, looking specifically at state requirements and practices.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) released the EAVS Data Interactive, a new data visualization tool that allows users to pull data most relevant to them from the 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), the most comprehensive nationwide data on election administration in the United States.

In examining 27 ballot questions in 2017, the average ballot question required a graduate school-level of education to read and comprehend.

Using data from the 2016 Election Administration and Voting Survey, the EAC examined polling places and poll workers.

This report focuses on the 2016 election and its vote composition, turnout, and party support rates by demographic group.

A survey of of local government officials in Michigan about election administration.

A practical guides to the most applicable cybersecurity best practices in elections.

Per a Congressional request, the GAO examined access for people with disabilities at early voting and Election Day polling locations for the 2016 general election. Of the 178 polling places observed, 60 percent had one or more potential impediments outside the locations, such as steep ramps outside buildings, lack of signage for accessible paths, and poor parking.

This report updates a survey of 2,961 experts related to perceptions of electoral integrity. It includes 161 countries holding 260 national elections from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2017.

FVAP continues to make progress in reducing obstacles to absentee voting for active duty military and has expanded outreach initiatives for voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

Recent research about automatic voter registration (AVR) in Oregon, in place since January 2016, found 44 percent of those who were automatically registered voted in the November 2016 election.

Analyzing a survey about the attitudes and experiences of unregistered voters.

The Council of State Governments’ Overseas Voting Initiative recently published recommendations, as well as a corresponding final report, to improve Section B of the Election Administration and Voting Survey, or EAVS, which tracks military and overseas voter behavior.

The biennial Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) to collect state-by-state data on the administration of federal elections.

A demographic and geographic portrait of how Oregon’s Automatic Voter Registration system has worked to register hundreds of thousands of eligible citizens to vote.

A new report finds that during the November 2016 election California election officials met and exceeded federal requirements in Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act related to providing translated ballots and bilingual poll workers to serve minority language communities.

This report examines the impact of voter ID laws on voter turnout.

This report provides an overview and analysis of the current state of the election technology industry and vendors in the market.

This report examines voter turnout in the 2016 presidential elections. The report also looks at the impact of same day registration on turnout, youth turnout, reasons for non-voting, and the how competitive races were for the U.S. House.

This report focuses on ways to improve the integrity of elections.

GAO examined a nongeneralizable sample of 178 polling places during early in-person voting and on Election Day 2016. At these polling places, GAO examined a number of features outside and inside the voting area. Outside the voting area, GAO was able to examine features at all 178 polling places and found that 60 percent (107) had one or more potential impediments.

The OSCE/ODIHR assessed the compliance of the election process with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with domestic legislation.

The United States has a highly decentralized election system so the process of preparing for an election varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but there are commonalities. There are common process steps that every election official in the country takes.

Get an inside look at the complex and often confusing landscape of election administration. Find out which specific areas to study when covering state or local elections.

Since 2011, election administrators, voting system certification specialists, testing laboratory professionals, and members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission have gathered annually to discuss ways to improve the reliability of voting systems in order to uphold the integrity of the vote for the American electorate.

Defending Digital Democracy Project aims to develop strategies, tools, and technology to protect democratic processes and systems from cyber and information attacks.

Envelope design can impact delivery of ballots to, and from, voters. Effective design ideas available here.

Whether you are creating a new language program, adding an additional language, or simply revisiting your existing materials, this guide can provide insight in serving limited-English proficiency communities.

The official United States Postal Service page for election mail–all of your needed resources in one place!

The official United States Postal Service page for mailing to UOCAVA voters.

Repository of election-related icons and images for use in voting instructions, education, and material creation.

Estimating lines IS a science! There are tools to help.

Estimating lines IS a science! There are tools to help.

Knowing how long it may take voters to complete the ballot is a critical data point in line managment, this tool will help you with that calculation.

All polling places should be surveyed to ensure compliance with the ADA. The official DOJ checklist provides you with the architectural features and provisions to assess.

Defending Digital Democracy Project aims to develop strategies, tools, and technology to protect democratic processes and systems from cyber and information attacks.

Report of the status of postal delivery and services with corresponding recommendations of what election officials, legislatures, USPS, and voters should know.

Best practices for expanding voter registration and supporting accurate voting rolls.

How to create strong passwords.

A one-stop guide to many of the resources available to state and local elections officials to protect their election infratstructure.

What are best practices in election websites and other voter education?

Design guidelines that election officials can really use, base on solid research and best practices.

Meeting voters’ language accessibility needs.

Designing job aids and other materials that help poll workers run a good election.

How do we make remote ballot markign systems both secure and accessibile?

What is needed to ensure the usability and accessibility of next generation elections?

An analysis of what makes an electronic poll book usable to poll workers, election staff and voters.

A flurry of research and guides have been published to assist state and local government officials as they strive to fully protect their election systems. This guide provides a list of some of those resources, including a brief summary of each and links to reports or organizational websites that contain helpful information.

The Election Management Guidelines and Quick Starts Guides were created to assist state and local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections. These guidelines complement the technical standards for the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines for voting equipment.

The Quick Start Guides are created to assist state and local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections. Each Quick Start Guide offers concise and easy-to-read tips on a wide range of timely topics impacting the field of elections.

The Voting Assistance Guide is a reference guide for everything you need to know about absentee voting in all 55 States, territories and the District of Columbia.

Four things to know about election cybersecurity.

This report reviews the evolution of language assistance requirements under the VRA. Starting from existing procedures in place to implement language assistance, we explore successes and gaps as reported in the literature and interviews with key stakeholders.

CIS offers a variety of tools, memberships, and services to help organizations around the world start secure and stay secure. Use the guide below to explore our offerings and find the best options for your cybersecurity needs.

Membership in the Elections Infrastructure ISAC is open to all state, local, tribal, and territorial government organizations that support the elections officials of the United States of America, and associations thereof. This is always a free and voluntary membership for these eligible organizations.

The EAC is committed to helping state and local election officials get answers to their questions, as well as helping DHS think through the best way to implement this designation in order to protect the accessibility, accuracy and security of elections. This webpage is the online hub for this EAC effort.

An EAC portal to toolkits on just about every topic from voter registration to military and overseas voters to polling place calculators.

Because elections technology is now on the radar for legislators in a way it hasn’t ever been before, NCSL has developed this elections technology toolkit. It is a compilation of “tech notes” describing the technology in use at each step of the election process.

The Voting Information Project helps voters find information about their elections with collaborative, open-source tools.

A civic engagement toolkit for elections officials.

Election administrators face many challenges planning for and running elections. This website offers tools based on the expertise of election administrators, business managers, and social science researchers that can help election administrators plan and conduct elections.

Analysis on the current state of language services options, with insight from work at the federal level.

In this course, you’ll get exposed to fresh ideas for effectively recruiting, training, and coordinating poll workers.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides online training modules that allow for you to complete training at your own pace.

America’s election system faces an urgent need for professionals who are well-trained in the latest technology and techniques in the field and well-versed in the legal and policy challenges facing our voting system. The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is responding to this widespread need with a pioneering, online program to prepare professionals in election administration.

The CSG Overseas Voting Initiative is charged with developing targeted and actionable improvements to the voting process for the 1.3 million members of the uniformed services and Merchant Marines stationed away from home, their approximately 700,000 eligible family members, and the 4.3 million U.S. citizens living, studying and working overseas.

An overview of what vote-by-mail is, how it works, and what states allow it.

The next big issue in election administration in the U.S. will revolve around technology: voting equipment, electronic poll books, election management systems, and other hardware and software designed to serve voters and election administrators.

An overview of funding election technology, especially in light of the recent security concerns.

This database contains state legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2018.

An overview of online voter registration, what states allow it, where legislation is pending and how it’s been implemented.

An overview of post-election audits, how they work, what states are doing them, pending legislation and what are the advantages to conducting one.

An overview of vote centers, how they work, what states are using them, pending legislation and case studies.

The Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) was developed by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) in 2009 to address an aging voting system and an increasingly large and complex electorate. The project seeks a collaborative approach to voting system design that will put voters at the center and maximize stakeholder participation.

In September 2013, CSG launched a four-year, $3.2 million initiative with the U.S. Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) to improve the return rate of overseas absentee ballots from service members and U.S. citizens abroad.

The event convened state and local election officials, advocates and stakeholders from language communities to discuss critical issues of language accessibility. Speakers shared experiences and observations on efforts to serve voters with language needs.

While Election Day marks the end of voters casting ballots, state and local election officials still have a long to-do list to go through after the election. These include the many states that conduct post-election audits of voting systems as well as recounts that may occur in close races.

An overview of the role the Department of Homeland Security plays in securing elections at the state and local level.

Local and state election officials may use this form to report past or current issues with official Election Mail processed by the United States Postal Service. This form is intended as a supplement to official reporting, and should not replace communication with your local post office.

Celebrating awesome civic design with before-and-after examples and the story of the project.

Election officials like you play a vital role in making democracy work, and like all professionals, you need professional development to grow and learn. Our courses help you advance while learning practical skills to provide greater service to your communities.

This section has three parts: (1) planning process information; (2) illustrations of one-language voter information design best practices; and (3) illustrations of two-language voter information design best practices

The Professional Education Program is the only program of continuing professional education which specializes in voter registration and elections administration. Participants receive continuing education units (CEUs) from Auburn University and Election Center credit towards the achievement of the profession’s highest designation.

The Certificate in Public Leadership (CPL) is specifically designed for all public officials, elected or appointed, and their staff. The courses are developed and conducted by faculty members of the George Washington University, Center for Excellence in Public Leadership.

At BestColleges.com, we’re encouraging college students to get out the vote. We’ve created a comprehensive voter’s guide replete with everything you need to know about voting in an election. Our state-by-state directory explores voter eligibility criteria, residency requirements, registration deadlines, and other voting guidelines in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our key issues guide takes a bipartisan look at the major talking points of this election, and reviews each candidate’s stance. Our voting rights manual outlines the registration process for college students in all circumstances. Finally, our voting resources list includes links to campus organizations, registration portals, and other sites geared toward college voters.

The Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center is a non-advocacy, education focused group which provides a compilation of best practices and firsthand experiences from jurisdictions that have used ranked choice voting. The comprehensive website and other tools serve as resources for election administrators, policy makers, voters, candidates, and others to allow jurisdictions to implement ranked choice voting effectively and efficiently.

CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, focuses on young people in the United States, especially those who are marginalized or disadvantaged in political life. CIRCLE’s scholarly research informs policy and practice for healthier youth development and a better democracy.

Election dates are set by state statute and, with the exception of special elections that may crop up from time to time, are usually set according to a longstanding schedule. Election officials spend months planning an election, including what would happen if there were to be an emergency on Election Day. And yet, they can’t possibly predict the natural disasters or emergencies that could disrupt an election. For their part, state legislatures have adopted laws that could apply to floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, active shooters or even military invasions and cyberattacks.

The following chart provides an overview of the state canvassing timeframes and recount thresholds in each state. State laws vary on the specific procedures for canvassing election results. In general, local officials (often a county canvassing board) meet within a specified timeframe to canvass and certify election results from precincts within the jurisdiction. Results for offices canvassed at the state level (e.g. statewide and multi‐county offices) are then transmitted to the state. State officials (often a state canvassing board) meet within a specified timeframe to canvass and certify those results.

Low voter participation among young people is a persistent challenge to a healthy republic, which requires broad engagement by citizens from diverse backgrounds. We believe these young people are
“opportunity youth”: individuals who, when given the chance for meaningful civic and political engagement, can make a significant positive impact in their lives and their communities. To address the critical knowledge gap about how best to increase their participation in democracy, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) partnered with Opportunity Youth United (OYU) to conduct a study focused specifically on this question.

Compared to when they first started, most of the local election officials we surveyed say that it is easier today for people to register and vote, and easier for them as election officials to administer registration and voting processes. An overwhelming majority of local election officials enjoy educating voters and demonstrate a commitment to conducting voter education and outreach. Local election officials feel constrained by time and resources when planning for voter education and outreach activities and express the need for more funding.

This report provides security recommendations for the current practices surrounding electronic blank ballot delivery and voted electronic ballot return within U.S. states and jurisdictions. These recommendations aim to be actionable for election officials, related intragovernmental agencies, and other related stakeholders. The recommendations contained here are not solely technical recommendations, as many procedural and operational safeguards are also suggested that can be implemented by election officials to help secure the election process.

The Elections Administration Research Database contains elections administration reports published between 2000 and the present. The reports span a range of topics from election costs to voter ID to online voter registration and reflect a variety of perspectives, ranging from election administrators to nonprofit organizations to academic researchers. Each report has been coded by subject, title, author, publication, date and state and can be searched by one or a combination of these features. Coding for subjects was inclusive; that is, we included all subjects that applied.

During 2018, the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center™ (EI-ISAC®) evolved from an idea to a formalized collective of dedicated election officials. Elections staff members, associations, technology vendors, federal partners, and cybersecurity experts worked tirelessly to help secure the U.S. elections infrastructure. From sharing information about the threat landscape to creating educational opportunities and implementing technical cybersecurity controls, the EI-ISAC’s members, staff, and partners made substantial strides toward ensuring the security and integrity of our elections.

Electoral Vote Map is an interactive map to help you follow the 2020 presidential election. The site also features a series of explainers about how presidents are actually elected in the United States.

Recorded on December 14th, 2018. Learn how the common data format can you modernize your voter registration systems.

The Uniform Military and Overseas Voter Act (UMOVA) simplifies the process of absentee voting for United State military and overseas civilians by making the process more uniform, convenient, secure and efficient. UMOVA covers all military personnel or their dependents, as well as U.S. citizens residing outside the United States who are unable to vote in-person. This latter catebory includes a class of voters not covered by the federal law in this area: U.S. citizens born overseas who have reached voting age without having resided in the United State. UMOVA applies to all statewide and local elections as well as to all federal elections, both primary and general (and also special and run-off elections).

Members of the United States armed forces and their families face unique challenges to participating in our elections. If their votes are to count and their voices are to be heard, these citizens must overcome hurdles not faced by most Americans. They deserve better: the nation should make it a priority to remove barriers to political participation for those who dedicate themselves to defending our democracy.

A new survey of nearly 3,000 active-duty servicemembers, veterans and others in the military community showed higher levels of election participation than their civilian counterparts and confidence in the absentee voting process, but a wide engagement gap between active-duty members and their spouses. Only about 27 percent of military spouses who responded to the survey – “Military Families Voting: Perceptions, Challenges, and Barriers to Voting Participation and Absentee Voting,” a partnership between MOAA, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), and the Democracy Fund – reported feeling encouraged to vote, compared with 70 percent of active-duty respondents.

EAC hosted a two day election data summit to discuss how good data can help elections run better. Attendees included a broad spectrum of election researchers, state and local government election officials and representatives from leading non-profit election organizations.

Knowing It’s Right, Part One: A Practical Guide to Risk-Limiting Audits provides a higher level overview of the field of risk-limiting audits for state and local stakeholders who want to know more about risk-limiting audits before moving on to the implementation phase.

Knowing It’s Right, Part Two: Risk-Limiting Audit Implementation Workbook provides soup-to-nuts information on how election officials can conduct a ballot-comparison audit and a complementary workbook to the overview of the field provided in Part One.

Nearly every state uses a similar system for casting and counting votes—voters select one candidate per race on a ballot and the candidate that receives the most votes wins. This is known as plurality voting or winner-take-all. Plurality voting isn’t the only option, though. In November 2016, the state of Maine became the first in the nation to enact a different system for most elections, one called Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV). The citizens’ initiative called for RCV to be used in U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state senator and state representative races. For many, the question soon became: What is RCV?

This model implementation plan provides a broad map of the start-to-finish process of ranked choice voting – from the introduction of legislation to approve this voting method to the certification of election results. Designed as a living document, this plan will develop as the use of RCV grows, technology expands, and more resources and information are gathered.

Though there are recommended federal voting system standards, each state voting system configuration is unique and administration laws vary. Some states have multiple voting systems manufactured by different vendors. Some use one vendor, but have different models of voting equipment. Having varying configurations creates several scenarios for implementation. This document outlines the different implementation scenarios and defines processes for each configuration.

The RCVRC and Bright Spots are pleased to offer the Universal RCV Tabulator: free, open source software for tabulating ranked choice voting elections. This tabulator can take in data from any voting machine capable of exporting a cast vote record and can tabulate a single-winner or multi-winner ranked choice voting election according to the rules used in any current RCV city in the United States. The tabulator outputs results and an audit file for RCV elections in seconds.

The Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center launched its RCV webinar series on May 31. On this page, you can find links to videos and resources for each of our past webinars. We’d love to hear from you if you have questions or comments about any of our webinars, or suggestions for future webinars.

On December 7 and 8, 2018, The Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project (VTP) hosted the Multidisciplinary Conference on Election Auditing, or “Election Audit Summit,” for short, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The conference was organized by a small group of academics and practitioners from across the United States. Inspired by the groundswell of interest in risk-limiting audits and other rigorous methods to ensure that elections are properly administered, the conference assembled an eclectic mix of academics, election officials, and members of the public to explore these issues. The essays in this report briefly summarize many of the presentations made at the Audit Summit, while the first chapter ties together the themes of the Summit into one package.

Stewards of Democracy: The Views of American Local Election Officials covers the 2018 survey results of more than 1,000 elections officials nationwide regarding their opinions about election administration, access, integrity, and reform. The goal of the survey, conducted in partnership with Reed College, is to help understand the issues local election officials face and elevate their voices in efforts to modernize and secure American elections. By Natalie Adona, Paul Gronke, Paul Manson and Sarah Cole.

We’ve been talking about common data formats for years, but what are they really? We will discuss the history of their development, benefits and potential use cases. We’ll also provide resources for implementation and how to get started.

This paper highlights the election systems manufacturer’s voluntary efforts to establish an industry framework that identifies, assesses, and mitigates potential vulnerabilities in election systems. This joint industry initiative will serve as the evolutionary basis for a Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) program, assuming that its goals can be adapted and synchronized with state and federal testing and certification programs. This paper considers and explores:
● How a coordinated vulnerability disclosure program can help ensure the security of voting systems.
● How voting system testing and certification processes can support the voluntary adoption of CVD.
● Steps the industry will take to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the program.

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Does America’s electoral system know where each voter resides? By and large, yes. But not nearly well enough to correctly place every voter in the right voting district and avoid election errors. Integrating GIS in elections increases election accuracy and efficiency; however, few states and other election authorities have fully geo-enabled their elections. NSGIC partnered with states and subject matter experts to develop five best practices for implementing GIS in elections.

Many folks put sensitive data on their computers, cellphones and other devices. In fact, someone browsing through one of your devices might quickly find your bank account numbers, email passwords and your child’s Social Security number. This type of vulnerability is a tradeoff you may make for convenience, but there are ways to minimize the risks you open yourself up to. Of course, your device doesn’t have to be borrowed, lost or stolen for sensitive data to be accessed. Hackers, whether they live down the street or on the other side of the world, know their stuff. They are continually learning and adapting. The good news is that you, too, have the ability to refine your data storage techniques and to keep the sensitive aspects of your life private from hackers.

This cybersecurity resource guide is an initiative of the Cybersecurity Committee of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). The committee is comprised of all NASS members and is dedicated to information sharing of policies and practices across states. The committee focuses on cybersecurity as it relates to all facets of offices of Secretaries of State. The primary audience of this handbook is Secretaries of State and their staffs. It is also likely to be useful to local election officials as Secretaries of State work closely with local election officials in their states and regularly share resources. Additionally, other state government offices may find this a useful guide.

By implementing motor voter registration upgrades, Colorado transformed an inefficient multi-step paper-based system into a modern streamlined electronic automatic voter registration system that complies with the National Voter Registration Act in just five years.

By implementing motor voter registration upgrades, Colorado transformed an inefficient multi-step paper-based system into a modern streamlined electronic automatic voter registration system that complies with the National Voter Registration Act in just five years.

The Logical Election Policy report is a roadmap for legislators—particularly at the state level—to understand their policy options and highlight the upstream and downstream effects of policy reforms. The recommendations include: ways to meet voter expectations for more modern, integrated, and secure voter rolls; updated and more efficient methods of casting ballots; and better ways to count votes that increase public confidence in the integrity of elections.

The Best Practices for Mail Screening and Handling guide is designed to provide mail center managers, their supervisors, and an organization’s security personnel a framework for understanding and mitigating risks posed to the organization by the mail and packages it receives and delivers on a daily basis. A wide range of potential threats can be introduced into an organization by way of the mail center. Threats that involve chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive substances (CBRNE) are both dangerous and disruptive. Some threats,such as white powder hoaxes and threatening letters, are merely designed to disrupt the activities of an organization or to express dissatisfaction with a particular individual or policy. The mail center screening and handling processes must be able to identify threats and hoaxes and eliminate or mitigate the risk they pose to the organization, its employees, and daily operations. This guide provides an introduction to and understanding of the most efficient and effective processes and procedures to handle and screen mail entering an organization’s mail processing facilities.

A guide to help identify and report suspicious packages/mail.

How best to secure your mail room and what to do in the event there is suspicious mail or package.

A printable poster to place in your mailroom to help identify suspicious mail and/or packages.

CISA developed the Elections Cyber Tabletop Exercise Package (commonly referred to as “tabletop exercise in a box”) as a resource for state, local, and private sector partners. The package includes template exercise objectives, scenario, and discussion questions, as well as a collection of cybersecurity references and resources. Partners can use the exercise package to initiate discussions within their organizations about their ability to address the potential threats to the election infrastructure.

Foreign actors are increasingly sophisticated at using cyber tools and social media to probe and penetrate electoral infrastructure, manipulate public opinion, and cast doubt on the integrity of the election process. On the eve of another presidential election, vulnerabilities in our election systems remain unaddressed. This handbook provides a list of steps that local election officials can implement at relatively little cost to fortify their elections systems.

A new snapshot provides insights into existing opportunities for election administrators to educate and work with young people. The snapshot shows how state code permits, allows and sometimes requires local education and election officials to engage and support teenagers’ participation in elections. This new resource comes from CIRCLE, a part of Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life, and provides an overview of which state code references a variety of opportunities to engage young people, including as poll workers.

Things can go wrong on Election Day: voting machines malfunction, polling places lose power or flood, voting equipment is inadequate to handle the volume of voters, or a state’s voter registration database becomes inaccessible, rendering it difficult to check-in voters, among many other potential issues. No matter the cause, each potential issue risks tilting a polling place or an entire jurisdiction into crisis that results in longer lines to vote. In order to effectively address problems on Election Day, administrators must be able to receive communications from the field about issues affecting voting, assign remedies, and track their resolution.

This guide, published by the Center for Internet Securuty, is meant to assist individuals and organizations in securing commodity routers, modems, and other network devices. Securing these devices is important as there are serious cybersecurity considerations surrounding the usage of network devices.

A sample vote-by-mail ballot request form. You can also find an editable/downloadable form here: https://civicdesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VBMBallotApplicationTemplate_v3.1_fillablefriendly.docx

A sample vote-by-mail ballot request envelope. You can also find a downloadable/editable version here: https://civicdesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/VBM_Request_Envelope_templateFolder.zip

At the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, part of Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, we’ve spent nearly two decades researching how best to grow, inform and mobilize young potential voters. Our findings reveal several key actions that parties, campaigns, advocacy organizations, educators and journalists can take to help ensure that all young people are prepared and motivated to vote in the 2020 election and beyond

Empowering Communities at the Ballot Box: How to Increase Voter Participation describes what prevents people from voting, and outlines an action plan for individuals on how they can address voter turnout and voter rights issues.

Voting is a right for all U.S. citizens. But it is often threatened by state laws and complex voting procedures. Your rights matter. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. FindLaw.com has the resources you need to vote on Election Day and get help if anything stands in the way.

Most states offer at least one method for any eligible voter to cast a ballot before Election Day. While some states provide early in-person voting, this webpage addresses absentee voting and all-mail voting.

Modifying election plans to account for coronavirus is understandable and essential. However, drawing on pre-existing election funding to address these modifications presents a particular dilemma: ahead of the presidential election, our nation’s election infrastructure is not yet fully secure, while America’s adversaries continue to possess the capabilities to exploit technical deficiencies and to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions. In March, the federal government allocated $400 million to help states bolster their efforts to ensure the integrity of the upcoming 2020 elections in response to the coronavirus—an important first step.

The best way to learn how a risk-limiting audit (RLA) works is through hands-on experience. Conducting an RLA pilot provides an opportunity for everyone involved to become familiar with the terms and procedures. It is a great first step for states that are considering RLAs, or those that have recently passed RLA legislation, to learn how an RLA might work in practice on a smaller scale. This document is a guide for state and local officials who wish to collaborate on planning and conducting an RLA pilot program. The material provided is focused as much on the pre-pilot preparation as the pilot audit itself. Consider using this as a working document that will guide you through the initial planning stage, preparing for the pilot, conducting the pilot, and recording information to aid in making recommendations for future pilots or official RLAs. In other words, think of this as a detailed road map for developing a pilot program for your state.

In November 2018, state and local officials in New Jersey took part in the Garden State’s first-ever pilot risk limiting audit (RLA) of voting equipment. A risk-limiting audit is nationally recognized as a reliable method to validate the integrity of the voting equipment and verify the accuracy of election results with a high degree of certainty. This innovative audit has a specified chance of confirming a correct outcome—or alternately, of correcting an incorrect outcome, if original results were wrong.

The document reports on the survey process and results of the NSGIC Geo-Enabled Elections State Representatives Baseline Survey.

This resource highlights the importance of a Geographic Information Office (GIO) within state government.

The report contains findings from a first-ever survey of the nation’s state election directors, seeking to determine the current status of the implementation of GIS in elections.

This resource highlights the experience of the state of Utah as they integrated GIS in elections about a decade ago.

This resource highlights the experience of the state of Wisconsin as they integrated GIS in elections in 2011.

This resource highlights the experience of the state of Washington as they recently integrated GIS in elections in 2014.

This resource highlights the experience of the state of North Carolina as they began using GIS data to help their boards of elections audit their district assignments for state jurisdictions.

This resource highlights the experience of the state of Hawaii as they integrated GIS in elections for redistricting in 2010 and 2011.

This resource, Raising Election Accuracy and Efficiency with GIS is aimed at decision-makers in elections management across the nation to assist them in integrating GIS into elections. Executive Summary.

Election data can be stored in a variety of file types, such as Excel spreadsheets, CSVs and XML. The Common Data Formats (CDFs) use XML, which might appear daunting at first, but once you learn a few core concepts, it’s easy to understand. This webinar familiarizes you with these concepts and how they are used in the NIST and VIP CDFs.

This resource, Best Practices for Geo-Enabling Elections is aimed at decision-makers in elections management across the nation to assist them in integrating GIS into elections. Detailed Guidance.

This resource, the Pilot Study Summaries, provides detailed information about the pilot projects held in five states: Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Nebraska.

This page provides resources to election administrators for utilizing HAVA Funds for GIS tools and technology.

This page provides information for election administrators to encourage and help them to begin conversations with their state GIO.

Getting voters the information they need about elections when they need it is a constant challenge. Clear and focused communication will be essential as election officials like you accommodate increased mail ballot requests from voters wanting to vote safely at home this November. Less than 5% of election offices have dedicated communications staff, though we think most of you would agree that getting these messages to voters as effectively and efficiently as possible is a high priority. This Election Official Communications Toolkit is for all election officials, but particularly those of you who are looking to add more tools to your box. Whether you have no communications capacity or a large budget, you can find something useful to include in your elections communications plan.

Whether they’re staffing the polls, processing ballots, or fielding voter phone calls, your temporary election workers are invaluable. But many jurisdictions struggle to recruit enough, even without a global pandemic! That’s why we’re rounding up your success stories. Elections aren’t one-size-fits-all, so steal ideas you like and ignore the rest.

The threat of Influence Operations (IO) strikes the core of our democracy by seeking to influence hearts and minds with divisive and often false information. Although malicious actors are targeting the whole of society, the upcoming “The Election Influence Operations Playbook” focuses on a subset of influence operations—the types of disinformation attacks and misinformation incidents most commonly seen around elections, where election officials are best positioned to counter them.

This Playbook includes guides that aim to provide election officials with resources and recommendations on how to navigate information threats targeting elections. It offers an introduction to Election Influence Operations: what they are, how they work, and why they can impact our elections. It also includes recommendations for reporting, responding and countering mis and disinformation incidents around elections.

This Playbook is meant to be a starting point and can be adapted for a jurisdiction’s needs. We hope it will be a useful resource for state and local election officials working to protect our elections and democracy from these evolving threats.

We investigate options for college students to register and vote in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thedisruptions from COVID-19 have hit individuals across all walks of life. But with regard to electionsthe pandemic might have an especially large effect on college students who are not able to return to campusbecause their school has shifted exclusively to online learning or because they are not comfortable being inclose contact with large numbers of people. We explain where students can register and vote for five sets ofcircumstances, focusing on two groups: (1) students who are presently registered to vote in their collegetown but are temporarily away; and (2) students who are not yet registered but have lived in their collegetown and are temporarily away. Our overall conclusion is that despite disruptions to their living arrange-ments, students generally have an option to register and vote in their college town.

The spread of COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the accessibility and safety of voting for tribal communities in New Mexico. This study aims to identify barriers confronting Native American voters during the pandemic, determine what information/support would encourage Native American voter participation and recommend strategies to ensure voting systems are accessible in future elections.Drawing on research from Native American advocacy organizations nationwide, this report will explain current obstacles to voting experienced by tribal communities and how the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to further disenfranchise Native American voters.

A mail ballot goes through a lot by the time an election is certified. Many hands touch the ballot, taking it from an election office, through the postal service, to a voter’s home, and then back again. A quick and easy way to keep track of a ballot as it travels and make sure it is counted in an election is through ballot tracking, a process that exists in some form or another in most states. Why is ballot tracking important?

With the 2020 presidential election right around the corner, millions of newly eligible voters across the country are preparing to cast their ballot for the very first time. As one of the most important groups to turn up on Election Day, first-time voters make up 21% of the voting population in the U.S. However, these voting newcomers are also the group least likely to register to vote and to cast their ballot come election time. There are many things to figure out if it’s your first-time voting, including your eligibility, timing, logistics, candidates, and more. Maybe you’re turning 18 and you’re not sure where to start, or maybe you’re eager to get involved in the electoral process. From researching candidates and picking your party to registering and casting your ballot, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know to exercise your right to vote.

The resources offered on this website are free, easy to use, and implementable by local election officials. Covering the election process from start to finish, the resources represent the work and effort of election experts from across the country to support local election officials in providing a safe, secure, and inclusive process for voters.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) play a crucial role in our elections. This report seeks to raise the level of recognition of the agency’s role – among policymakers, state agency officials, advocates, and the public – to improve their partnerships and the functioning of our democracy.

This guide for election technology providers continues our approach of providing best practices for specific problem areas identified to CIS by the election community. It contains recommendations and best practices to address that need for cybersecurity risks, and refers to these other CIS documents to describe a holistic, consistent approach to risk management.

The 2020 election presents a paradox. Despite dramatic changes to the election process due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly complex threats since the 2016 election, 2020 is widely regarded as “the most secure [election] in American history.”1 Operationally, it was also one of the smoothest.2 State and local election officials overcame unprecedented challenges and scarce resources to administer an election with fewer incidents of cyber compromises, technical failures or long lines than anticipated. After Election Day, recount procedures functioned as designed. Yet, amidst these successes, officials from both parties faced a barrage of mis- and disinformation about the election process that served to undermine confidence in the result. Though the election security ecosystem survived the triple threat of cybersecurity, physical security, and mis- and disinformation in 2020, this success will prove to be hard to replicate in future election cycles without proper investment and reinforcement.

The Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions issued by the IEOM on 4 November concluded that the elections “were competitive and well managed despite legal uncertainties and logistical challenges. In a highly polarized political environment, acrimonious campaign rhetoric fuelled tensions. Measures intended to secure the elections during the pandemic triggered protracted litigation driven by partisan interests. Uncertainty caused by late legal challenges and evidence-deficient claims about election fraud created confusion and concern among election officials and voters. Voter registration and identification rules in some states are unduly restrictive for certain groups of citizens. The media, although sharply polarized, provided comprehensive coverage of the campaign and made efforts to provide accurate information on the organization of elections. Arrangements put in place by the election administrators, including for early and postal voting, together with committed civic engagement, allowed for high voter participation despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic”. The Preliminary Statement underscored that “counting and tabulation is ongoing and should continue in accordance with the law and OSCE commitments. Baseless allegations of systematic deficiencies, notably by the incumbent president, including on election night, harm public trust in democratic institutions.”

States and localities make most decisions about the voting systems used in U.S. elections, from what equipment to acquire to how to pay for it. Since 1990, however, the federal government has issued voluntary guidance states and localities may use to inform their choices. This Insight examines the current iteration of that guidance, the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG).

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is pleased to announce the publication of research into how timing of ballot requests and modes of transmission influence ballot return for military and overseas voters. The amendments to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) passed in 2009, allow military and overseas voters to choose an electronic option for receiving blank absentee ballots and require election offices to transmit ballots no later than the 45th day prior to an election for federal offices. While FVAP continues to gather 2020 information, 2018 data from the report titled “Data Standardization Helps Assess Congressional Reforms for Military and Overseas Voters” reveals: Ballot return rates are higher among voters who used the Federal Post Card Application rather than a state application to request their ballots; UOCAVA voters are more likely to return the ballot, the later they place their request up to the ballot deadline; Voters who requested their ballot within the 45-day period before the election, were more likely to return their ballot if they received it electronically rather than by mail; Active duty military (ADM) personnel tended to request their ballots earlier, and were more likely to request that their absentee ballot be mailed to them compared to overseas citizens who were more likely to request that their ballot be sent to them electronically.

Knowing It’s Right Part Four: Ballot Accounting Audits Best Practices Guide, intended for election officials and administrators, is part of Democracy Fund’s series on election auditing by Jennifer Morrell. Ballot accounting is an important element of a well-run election and plays a critical role in valid, post-election audits, and this guide presents best practices for designing a ballot accounting process that ensures forms are filled out completely, reconciliation happens correctly, and an audit of the ballot accounting, reconciliation, and chain-of-custody logs occurs. While the gravity and significance of ensuring and proving the validity of election results is now more important than ever after the 2020 Election, these in-depth processes and mindset are a longtime trait of the election administration field.

The Toolkit is designed to augment the security programs of election offices with free operational tools and guidance that have been selected and curated to implement the recommendations in the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Handbook for Elections Infrastructure Security.

Our most successful project of 2020 Election season was the design and facilitation of a satellite office on campus for the Ann Arbor City Clerk. Grounded in behavioral science research, the project sought to increase civic engagement on the University of Michigan campus by providing education about and access to voting. We designed the City Clerk’s office experience to be welcoming and reassuring for new college-age voters. Throughout the process, students could ask questions of peer volunteers, read explanatory materials and interact directly with city clerk staff. The office, visible in the center of campus life, made it possible for students to register, request and receive an absentee ballot, vote and return their ballot all in one visit. Over six weeks, the satellite office registered 5,412 voters and collected 8,501 ballots!

The 2020 presidential election was called the most secure in U.S. history, largely due to efforts to protect the nation’s different physical and cyber infrastructure. This was a triumph considering the physical, cyber, and even human assets that make up the election infrastructure have been and continue to be susceptible to threats. In 2020, many states adopted measures to mitigate threats to physical and cyber election assets like voting equip- ment, ballots, and facilities, as well as computer services and databases that store voter information. For example, states with close results in the 2020 presidential race had paper records of each vote, which gave them the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary. Other measures such as pre-election testing, state and federal cer- tification of voting equipment, and increased collaboration between election officials and their security partners helped provide additional assurance that the 2020 election results were legitimate.

This resources is developed from “A Guide to Building Cross-Sector Collaborations to Strengthen Democracy,” which focuses on building cor0ss-sector networks to advance election administration practices that serve our nation’s diverse electorate. Successful cross-sector networks are flexible, adaptable, and reflect the communities served. This supplemental resource provides key questions to consider while building cross-sector collaboration and is designed for practitioner use in planning and execution phases.

This white paper highlights the success — and learnings — of the Future of California Elections model and best practices for those interested in building cross-sector collaborative networks in other states. Beyond just finding more inclusive solutions to today’s election administration issues, a cross-sector network like this can help create a community of support between election officials and nonprofit organizations to better defend our democratic process against those who wish to usurp it. Additionally, this model can help election officials and voter advocates rebuild public trust and enhance participation in the democratic process by having a diverse group of election advocates and administrators at the table together to develop and advocate for inclusive elections policies and practices.

In this report, we outline three exigent threats tot he election process following the events of the 2020 general election. Then, we provide 11 targeted recommendations to best address these threats in preparation for the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. The report reflects months of interviews with election officials from around the country and across the political spectrum.

Lisa J. Danetz has released an updated case study of Colorado’s administrative and legislative motor voter process improvements and voter registration systems. An instructive resource for states that may consider or choose to upgrade motor voter technology and/or adopt an automatic voter registration system, the updated case study explores the impact resulting from the state’s transition to a “back end” automatic voter registration system, which occurred subsequent to the case study’s initial release in 2019.

American citizens enjoy many rights and freedoms, but they also have a responsibility to be active in local, state, and federal issues. At a minimum, every eligible person should vote in every election. Ideally, Americans of all ages would also become involved in causes they are passionate about. Some believe that civics education can only come through experience.

Although Americans’ knowledge of the operations of their government remains low, improvements in the last 4 years suggest that active engagement brings measurable gains. Clearly, Americans need to be taught foundational civics concepts, but combining education with action is needed to help Americans become more responsible citizens. This article offers insight into the current state of civic knowledge and resources that can help promote civic engagement.

Disinformation actors use a variety of tactics to influence others, stir them to action, and cause harm. Understanding these tactics can increase preparedness and promote resilience when faced with disinformation.

While this series discusses open-source examples of disinformation attributed by others to foreign governments, it does not represent the U.S. government confirming the accuracy of any such attribution.

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) can present risks to the election infrastructure community, its owners and operators, and the public. MDM can spread quickly, causing rumors to undermine facts.

This document was created as part of the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and Subsector Coordinating Council’s Joint Mis/Disinformation Working Group. This document is intended to be used by state, local, tribal, and territorial election officials and industry partners as part of a larger mis-, dis-, and malinformation (MDM) response strategy.

State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) election officials can take proactive steps to prepare for and respond to the threats of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM). This guide is intended to help election officials understand, prepare for, and respond to MDM threats that may impact the ability to conduct elections.

This document was created as part of the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and Subsector Coordinating Council’s Joint Mis/Disinformation Working Group. This document is intended to be used by state, local, tribal, and territorial election officials, and industry partners as part of a larger mis-, dis-, and malinformation (MDM) response strategy. SLTT election officials should consult with their legal officer and other necessary officials in their jurisdiction prior to creating an MDM response program.

This “State of Reform” white paper provides a landscape analysis of four structural political reforms, when and where they have been enacted, and the financial costs and electoral results of recent legislative and ballot campaigns.

Our democracy is under real and urgent threat, from rampant disinformation and a surge in voter suppression legislation to politicians deliberately showing distrust in election outcomes in order to maintain their own power. And while the state of California and counties in California have adopted various pro-democracy voting practices and procedures, reforms such as vote-by-mail ballots and ballot drop boxes are only beneficial if voters receive election materials in a language they understand.

This report explores four key aspects of language access in California elections: the voting experience, federal and state laws, the importance of in-language materials, and data limitations for identifying populations in California who use non-English languages.

The report, the first of its kind, provides a roadmap to ensure that all voters, regardless of their English language proficiency, can vote fairly and equally.

Experts agree that the health of U.S. democracy has declined in recent years—but what does that mean? The United States is experiencing two major forms of democratic erosion in its governing institutions: election manipulation and executive overreach.

Most obviously, after the 2020 election, the sitting president, despite admitting privately that he had lost, attempted to subvert the results and remain in office. But democratic erosion in the United States is not synonymous with Donald Trump. Since 2010, state legislatures have instituted laws intended to reduce voters’ access to the ballot, politicize election administration, and foreclose electoral competition via extreme gerrymandering. The United States has also seen substantial expansions of executive power and serious efforts to erode the independence of the civil service. Against these pressures, the gridlocked and hyperpartisan Congress is poorly equipped to provide unbiased oversight and accountability of the executive, and there are serious questions about the impartiality of the judiciary.