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Who runs elections in the United States? (2024)
Election administration in the United States is largely decentralized. Administrators at the state and local level are responsible for running elections, from maintaining voter registration records to counting ballots. As a result, election laws and procedures vary widely among states and localities.[1]
Each state has an agency that manages elections. Responsibilities of the state-level office often include training local elections officials, maintaining a voter registration database, and offering guidance on the testing of voting machines. Each state also has a head elections official. In 31 states, the chief elections official is an elected secretary of state. In other states, the chief elections official is appointed by the governor, state legislature or election board or commission.[1]
At the local level, county governments are most commonly responsible for election administration, rather than city or town governments. According to one estimate, more than 10,000 local entities administrate elections in the U.S. In many municipalities, elections are managed by a clerk, recorder, or registrar, who has other duties in addition to running elections. Larger counties may have several officials dedicated to managing elections.[1]
A Congressional Research Service report described the states' role in setting elections administration policy in the following way:
| “ | States and localities share responsibility for most election administration duties. Exactly how responsibilities are assigned at the state and local levels varies both between and within states, but there are some general patterns in the distribution of duties. States typically have primary responsibility for making decisions about the rules of elections (policymaking). Localities typically have primary responsibility for conducting elections in accordance with those rules (implementation). Localities, with varying contributions from states, typically also have primary responsibility for paying for the activities and resources required to conduct elections (funding).[2][3] | ” |
On the national level, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is responsible for enforcing federal campaign finance laws. Established in 1975, the FEC manages public funding of presidential campaigns. It also oversees limits on campaign contributions and publishes information on how campaigns raise and spend money. The FEC regulates campaigns for the presidency, vice presidency, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House.[4]
Congress has also passed several laws that set national standards for elections administration. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 provided for the creation of a national voter registration form and expanded the range of ways in which people can register to vote. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 provided funding for states to update voting equipment and created the Election Assistance Commission, which offers guidance on elections administration to state agencies.[5]
See also
- Voting in 2024
- Who can I contact with questions about voting?
- Why do states have different election rules?
- Can I register to vote online?
- Does my state have same-day voter registration?
- Do I need voter ID?
- Do I have to vote for everything on my ballot?
- What happens if I mark outside the lines or use the wrong pen/pencil?
- Can I take a ballot selfie?
- Is my employer required to grant me time off to vote?
- Can I vote if I have a felony conviction?
- Can I vote if I am not a citizen?
- How are candidates ordered on the ballot?
- What is a provisional ballot?
- What does it mean to challenge a voter's eligibility, and who can do it?
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Election Administration at State and Local Levels," December 22, 2023
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures," March 4, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Mission and history," accessed September 16, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Election Assistance Commission, "About the EAC," accessed September 16, 2024
