The Center for Election Innovation & Research

There’s still time to support the people who make our democracy work. This #GivingTuesday, join our community of donors helping to protect election workers and strengthen election administration nationwide. Your support means election officials can focus on what matters most: running secure, transparent elections that voters should—and do—trust. Donate here: https://loom.ly/O5w8aY4

This election season, millions ballots were processed securely and transparently by dedicated election workers across America. But this success story goes deeper than numbers. When Nevada County Clerk Natalie Adona faced harassment and threats, she needed immediate support. Within 24 hours, our Election Official Legal Defense Network connected her with expert legal counsel. Today, she continues to serve her community. This #GivingTuesday, you can help protect the people who protect our democracy. Your gift to CEIR supports: ✓ 10,000+ pro bono attorneys protecting election officials nationwide ✓ A wide variety of research on voter registration, mail ballot processing, election security and more ✓ Guidance to protect election workers while maintaining public trust Help us ensure election officials have the support they need, when they need it most. Donate here! https://loom.ly/O5w8aY4

Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday! A quick look at CEIR's 2024 impact: → Protected election officials across all 50 states through the EOLDN → Published 16 research reports driving election administration improvements → Named "Unsung Hero of Democracy" by the American Bar Association → Informed 300+ major media stories → Reached millions with accurate election information Together, we're ensuring elections voters should—and do—trust. Join us tomorrow. https://loom.ly/O5w8aY4

When election officials face harassment and threats, they shouldn't have to face them alone. That's why we built the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN). In 2024, our network of 10,000+ pro bono attorneys grew to cover all 50 states, ensuring every eligible election official who needed help got it. Tomorrow on #GivingTuesday, you can help us continue this vital work.

Did you know voting options vary significantly by state? This year, CEIR mapped voter registration methods and early voting options across America, creating interactive resources to help: → Voters understand their options → Officials explain local processes → Journalists report accurately Knowledge = participation

Knowledge is power. This year, CEIR published 16 research reports helping states: ✓ Upgrade voter registration ✓ Protect election workers ✓ Implement secure mail ballot processing The result? Millions of votes protected in 2024. Check out our research here: https://loom.ly/2o04uzQ

The NC legislature, about to lose their gerrymandered GOP supermajority in weeks, is engaged in some troubling extreme partisanship, dropping some major structural and procedural changes to NC elections in a "hurricane relief" bill during their lame duck session. The voters just overwhelmingly elected Gov-elect Josh Stein, who currently has the power to appoint a majority of the 5-member state board of elections. The legislature now seeks to give that power to the state auditor, about to be a Republican for the first time in over 15 years. The state auditor has NEVER held this power in NC, and the voters did not expect him to hold that power when they voted for this office. In fact, there's not a SINGLE STATE where the state auditor has power over elections. In addition, for no apparent reason and with virtually no notice to the actual election officials in NC, this bill would drastically reduce the time voters had to fix administrative errors on ballots, and put inexplicable burdens on election officials of both parties. It's already fairly difficult to vote by mail in NC. It's one of the few states where voters need a witness signature in addition to their own. If there's a problem with that, voters will have less time to fix it, meaning valid votes by eligible voters will likely go uncounted. It's one thing if these changes, radical as they are, were brought up in regular session, with adequate notice, allowing ample debate. Here, the bill is scheduled to move through both houses, apparently, in less than 48 hours after being published, in a bill that has nothing to do with elections. The NC legislature has acted with some disregard for the voters in the past. Just a few years ago, they sought to maintain extreme gerrymanders in contravention of state court rulings, by applying an extreme "Independent State Legislature" theory. The US Supreme Court rejected their efforts. There are legitimate debates to be had about election procedures, in the open, with adequate notice, and with full participation by election officials of both parties. It would be wise if the legislature hit the "pause" button here, and reconsidered in the regular session next year. https://lnkd.in/eDQsVxWE

I am still receiving inquiries and seeing claims from people wondering why there was a drop-off in the number of ballots cast in 2024, compared to 2020. Some have even been tempted by conspiracies about "millions of missing ballots." Other than the fact that turnout changes between elections, there's another easy explanation here -- there WASN'T a significant drop-off in turnout in 2024. As I've said many times, ballots are still being counted. As I write this, there are still over 1.8 million ballots being processed in California alone. According to the UF Election Lab (my go-to site for turnout data), there are over 155 million ballots counted so far in 2024, with a few million left to count. It's likely that overall voter turnout will be between 158-159 million ballots when all are counted. When all the ballots are counted, 2024 will likely see the second most ballots ever cast, coming close to the 2020 record of nearly 160 million ballots. This year will also see the second-highest turnout rate in the last 100 years (again, second only to the record 2020 turnout). And in the battleground states, 2024 turnout is set to EXCEED the record 2020 turnout in every single one of the seven swing states! There are no missing ballots. It's completely normal for supporters of the losing candidate to be extremely disappointed. It happened in 2020, and it's happening in 2024. But our elections are secure and transparent, and the outcomes are verified by the audited paper ballots that 97% of voters cast (including in all of the swing states). We must resist the allure of conspiracy theories, often spread by our foreign adversaries, which seek to create doubt about our election processes, and the public servants who facilitate our democracy. https://lnkd.in/eJzYVvVM

There is an essential process behind every vote. Once ballots are cast, there’s a meticulous process to ensure accuracy. From the local level to state certification, each step is designed to safeguard the integrity of election results. Transparency, accuracy, and security are the foundation of every election. Dive into the steps that take place after Election Day in our new interactive tool "What Happens After We Vote." https://loom.ly/tiYrA8w #elections #voting #democracy

What happens after you cast your ballot? In every election, a thorough, time-tested process begins after voters cast their ballots. In every state, teams of trained volunteers and professionals work together at the state and local level to ensure that all valid votes are counted transparently, securely, and accurately. Multiple redundancies, including audits and recounts, verify the accuracy of results as ballots are counted. In statewide and federal elections, state officials canvass the work of local officials, providing another check before certifying the official results. While the exact order and details of these steps may vary from one state to the next, every state follows this time-tested process to make sure that election results are accurate, secure, and trustworthy. The key steps of this process are explained in our new interactive tool "What Happens After We Vote." Research by April Tan, Kira Flemke, and Kyle Yoder, with assistance from Research Interns Carly Pyles, Jordan Phan, and Jane Wright. https://loom.ly/tiYrA8w