The Center for Election Innovation & Research

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

While we focus understandably on the political triumph of Pres. Trump and the GOP, we should also appreciate the triumph of public service of all the election workers across the country, who managed a safe, secure, and legitimate process, in which the people's voice was heard, loud and clear. Election workers around the nation have endured lies, abuse, harassment and threats for over four years. And yet they continue to ensure our elections are convenient, transparent, and verified, every time. That they also overcame unprecedented disinformation, bomb threats, and attacks, often from foreign powers, only makes their achievement all the more inspiring. Shortly after the 2016 election, I confirmed publicly that Trump had legitimately won that election. Similarly, in 2020, I confirmed that Biden won that election. And now, make no mistake, Trump won the 2024 election legitimately. There is again no evidence of any significant problems that could affect the outcome, and he has earned the right to take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2025. Nearly half the country wakes up this morning disappointed in the outcome, as was the case in 2020 and 2016. This is understandable, but it's not an excuse to deny the legitimate results. There'll be another federal election in 2 years, and another presidential election in 4 years.

Are you an election official who needs assistance or advice from a licensed, qualified pro bono attorney free of charge? The Election Official Legal Defense Network stands by to help.

What do the terms used during election news coverage really mean? The hours after poll close on election night can feel like a frenzy of numbers and jargon, and it can be hard to catch exactly what everything means. Some important concepts include: -Calling the race – When news outlets feel sufficiently confident that they know who will win, they make a “call” about the winner of a race. However, a call is still an unofficial prediction by the news outlet. No election results are official until they are certified by election officials—often days or even weeks after the polls have closed. -Exit poll results – Exit polls are optional surveys given by the news media to randomly selected voters after they have voted. Voters say who they voted for and answer other questions about the election. -Expected turnout – This is the news outlet’s estimate of how many total votes will be cast in this election, generally based on the number of eligible voters and turnout in past elections. This estimate may be off, and news outlets will change it as they get more actual vote information. -Percent of vote – This figure is a news outlet’s estimate of how close an election is to having all votes counted. It is a proportion calculated by dividing the number of votes election officials have counted so far by the expected turnout. -Percent of precincts reporting – This figure is part of how news outlets track the progress that election workers are making as they count votes. It is a proportion calculated by dividing the number of voting locations (called “precincts”) that have begun to report results by the total number of precincts. A precinct is considered to be “reporting” once it has reported at least one vote, but this number does not tell you how many votes are left to be counted. -Race spread (or race margin)– This figure comes from unofficial results, usually reported from ongoing counting efforts by election officials. It tells you the difference between the number of votes counted so far for each leading candidate. This number does not mean that either candidate is “ahead”—all the votes have already been cast, so this number is only a snapshot of where the tally stands at a given point in the counting process. Remember, regardless of what news outlets are reporting, no election results are official until they are certified by election officials—often days after the election.

Tonight after the first #polls close, people turn to the news for updates. Maps and numbers fill screens, changing every few minutes as commentators discuss developments. Remember: These are unofficial estimates. Learn how news outlets come up with them: https://loom.ly/9VLcwCo #elections #voting #democracy #vote

How can I be sure my vote is accurately and securely counted? There are many safeguards in place before, during, and after an election to ensure all valid votes cast in person and by mail are counted accurately and securely. Election officials work year-round to plan for every possibility and make sure your vote is secure and counted accurately. Here are some of the safeguards in place to make sure every vote is accurately and securely counted. BEFORE AN ELECTION: -Voting and ballot counting machines in every jurisdiction are tested before each election to make sure they work properly. These tests are often called “logic and accuracy tests.” -Election workers are trained to perform their duties securely, accurately, and transparently in accordance with the law. DURING AN ELECTION: -Nearly every jurisdiction creates a paper record of each voter’s ballot. (Only Louisiana and a few counties in Texas do not!) Paper records let voters and officials confirm that votes were counted accurately. -Voting machines are not connected to the internet to prevent hacking attempts and other possible disruptions. -Election workers follow strict chain of custody procedures to securely transport and store ballots and voting machines. These procedures prevent unauthorized access to election materials and ensure that ballots are always accounted for. - If there’s ever any problem with a voting machine, election workers follow state laws to make sure all ballots are counted correctly. -If a natural disaster, power outage, bad weather, or other issue comes up, election officials follow plans put in place long before the election to make sure every voter gets to vote and every vote is counted. AFTER AN ELECTION -Election officials in every jurisdiction conduct a canvass to review materials and make sure vote counts are accurate and complete. Any possible errors in the initial vote count are checked and resolved during the canvass. -Election officials conduct post-election audits in nearly every state. Audits verify that votes were counted accurately and provide another check that voting and ballot-counting machines worked properly during the election.

Are you an election official being targeted for doing your job? Contact the Election Official Legal Defense Network for free legal advice or assistance from our network of qualified attorneys at EOLDN.org. #eoldn #elections #electionadministration #electionofficials