Ensuring that our elections function smoothly is hard work. In the United States, Local Election Officials (LEOs) are primarily responsible for administering fair, efficient, and secure elections nationwide. Though many other countries administer elections through their national governments, the United States. is different. In the U.S., election administrators are distinctively local: whether elected, appointed, or hired, they always serve in their particular jurisdiction.
The Elections & Voting Information Center (EVIC) Local Election Official Survey project allows LEOs to be heard in local, regional, national, and international discussions about electoral integrity, administration, and reform in America. The LEO Survey is a vital resource for election administrators, policymakers, and researchers to understand local election administration in the U.S. and the dedicated officials who deliver democracy to hundreds of millions of eligible voters.
The 2023 LEO Survey was administered by EVIC in collaboration with our survey partner, SSRS, and fielded from July 11 to August 16, 2023. We greatly appreciate the thoughtful responses we’ve received from so many LEOs as we continue to analyze our most recent results to share with the public.
The 2023 Survey was generously supported by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL) with additional survey communications support from the Election Trust Initiative. The inaugural LEO Survey of 2018 through the 2022 Survey was funded by our collaborative partner on those efforts – Democracy Fund – without whose support this idea would not have become a reality. EVIC thanks Reed College for its ongoing support of our research.
The LEO Survey project is led by Paul Gronke, EVIC Director and Professor of Political Science at Reed College and Paul Manson, EVIC Research Director and Research Assistant Professor at the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University.
We hope this webpage informs you about our work and provides resources for you and other stakeholders to learn more about America’s Stewards of Democracy.
