A community of support focusing on the fundamentals of election administration
Americans have long imagined our democracy on a pedestal – a model for the world – but that cornerstone is crumbling. Attempts to improve elections via legislation or litigation can often fall short or are stymied by politics. Meanwhile, there are thousands of local election departments across the country that are responsible for administering elections, and when they don’t have the resources and support they need, voters and our democracy pay the price.
Introducing the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence
Designed by local election departments, for local election departments
The Alliance is a nonpartisan collaborative that is bringing together election officials, designers, technologists, and other experts to help local election departments improve operations, develop a set of shared standards and values, and obtain access to best-in-class resources to run successful elections.
The Alliance is designed by local election departments, for local election departments because they know how challenging it has become to lead fair, voter-centric, and trustworthy elections. Our goal is to alleviate pressure, celebrate local election departments, and provide support to those supporting our democracy.
“Regardless of size or location, local election offices and their staff benefit from being connected and learning from each other. I appreciate how the Alliance is centering local election departments – and voters – in their work.”
Al Schmidt, former Philadelphia city commissioner
During the first year of the program, we identified local election departments who wanted to join the Alliance and serve as a support system for each other and for other election departments across the country. These offices are recognized as U.S. Centers for Election Excellence.
The Centers were selected based on their:
Excitement and willingness to participate in the program
Commitment to improve upon practices and procedures aimed at enhancing the voter, poll worker, and staff experiences
Commitment to being part of a learning cohort, sharing materials among cohort members, and providing input into the future of the program