Resources

This report analyzes another Maryland risk limiting audit (RLA) bill, including audit models, local board impacts, and references to practical RLA research.

This video highlights three areas of emerging research that can strengthen trust, communication, and professional practice in election administration. Presenters also highlight results of their recent survey examining election official needs related to ethics training and support. They also explore a new training model for local election officials.

In this paper, authors utilize "policyscape" and "policy drift" as lens to conceptualize stability and change in election administration. More specifically, policy drift helps to explain a disconnect between the current service expectations from these offices and existing models of staffing and workforce development. These conclusions were reached through interviews with local election officials in Oregon.

This brief provides a current overview of post-election tabulation audits, state requirements, audit types, and policy considerations.

The 2024 Local Election Official (LEO) Survey provides insight into the challenges and successes facing election administrators, including job satisfaction, experience with threats and harassment, and hiring and funding challenges. It also highlights LEOs’ perspectives on the performance of U.S. elections and their role in voter education and engagement.

This report analyzes a Maryland bill that would require risk-limiting audits after statewide elections, including fiscal and administrative implications.

This paper introduces Bayesian/low-variance risk limiting audit approaches using marginal mark recording to reduce variability and sample requirements.

Using an original dataset spanning all 50 states, authors also analyze the experience levels of current and incoming election officials and variations in turnover by several jurisdiction and office characteristics. The report also provides recommendations for policymakers to help mitigate turnover and promote workforce resiliency.

This paper examines the demographic characteristics and professional profiles of election officials in the U.S. They find that, even amidst disruptions in politics and elections, the "typical" local election official remains the same: mid-50s white females earning just under $50,000 a year. They then explore potential reasons for the heavily female makeup of the elections workforce.

This report supports automated independent audits as a complement or alternative to other post-election audit methods. It may be useful for administrators or policymakers in comparing auditing approaches.

This report uses data from the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) Threats and harassment Database (THD) to identify and discuss trends in threats and harassment against election officials between 2022 and 2024. BDI found that election officials faced an elevated risk of threats around election time during the period studied. BDI publishes updated analyses of the THD every month.

This reports provides an introductory guide to post-election tabulation audits, designed primarily for election officials who want to begin, improve, or better understand post-election audit practices.