Introduction

This is a code book for the Democracy Fund/Elections & Voting Information Center at Reed College Local Election Official Survey for 2022.

The 2022 Survey is the fourth survey of local elections officials. Previous surveys were conducted in 2018, 2019, and 2020. We are using this survey to lift up local election officials’ voices in national, regional, and state conversations about election administration, integrity, and conduct. The survey provides local officials with an important, timely, and respectfully brief opportunity to weigh in on issues of concern in the profession.

We appreciate the thoughtful responses that we are receiving from so many LEOs. More details on the 2022 survey, past surveys, and more detailed methodological information can be found at the Early Voting Information Center webpage and by contacting EVIC.

Survey Methodology

The study sample used a sampling frame based on a national list of LEOs, their jurisdiction, and the number of registered voters in each jurisdiction. A sample of n=3118 was drawn in proportion to the number of registered voters, and targeting the chief election official in each jurisdiction.

The survey was administered by SSRS, working in close collaboration with EVIC. The survey questionnaire was developed at Reed College, in consultation with an advisory board consisting of academic researchers and elections officials. SSRS provided feedback and help clarify wording, question order, and other issues in order to maximize response rates, reliability, and validity.

The survey was fielded from June 21, 2022 to September 22, 2022, using a self-administered web and hard copy instrument as a backup. An invitation letter was sent to all LEOs, inviting them to participate in the survey and providing a URL and unique passcode to log into the study. Email invitations were also sent to the full sample. Nine days after the survey opened, any LEOs who had not responded by that point were sent a second invitation letter and a hard copy questionnaire.

A total of n=912 local election officials completed the survey, including n=652 web completes and n=260 hard copy completes, for a final response rate of 30.4%.

Survey Weights

Survey weights were created using a plan similar to past LEO surveys, in which the final weights are first based on design weights from the sampling method, trimmed to ensure that small jurisdictions do not end up with too large a weight, and then post-stratified to ensure that the proportion of the jurisdiction categories within the survey match those proportions in the overall LEO population.

Types of Items in the Codebook

Three types of questions are reported in this codebook:

  1. Single Choice: Items that provided one option for the respondent
  2. Multiple Choice: Items that provided multiple choices for the respondent. These items have been collapsed into a single table
  3. Open text responses: We have reported the top 9 responses for some open text items (e.g. TITLE, position title)
  4. Single choice “long”: Single choice items with many responses (e.g. CURPOS_LEN, length of time served in current position) we have reported the top 9 responses for these items

Note: Some items in the survey are reported in the codebook as “single choice” items but form portions of “response scales” or a “importance/performance” matrix. An example of a response scale are the “Job Satisfaction” items. An example of the “importance/performance” matrix items are the “TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE” and “TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFACTION” items.

We are developing supplementary materials that will provide better visualizations and tabular presentations of these importance/performance and index items.

Opening Questions

SCREENER. Are you the chief election official in your jurisdiction?

SCREENER n %
Yes, I am the chief local election official. 821 90.1%
No, but my office has determined I am the right person to answer this survey. 90 9.9%

911 out of 911 responding (100.0%)

TITLE. What is your title? (verbatim responses)

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

TITLE_1 n %
Town Clerk 126 13.9%
Clerk 116 12.7%
Township Clerk 50 5.5%
County Clerk 45 5.0%
City Clerk 44 4.9%
Director 21 2.3%
County Auditor 19 2.1%
Elections Administrator 19 2.1%
Director of Elections 14 1.6%
All other responses 456 50.0%

909 out of 909 responding (100.0%)

CURPOS_LEN. How many years have you been in your current positions?

Response set were originally individual years, these have been categorized

CURPOS_LEN n X.
1 129 14.2
2 116 12.8
3 35 3.8
4 52 5.8
5-9 187 20.5
10-15 168 18.4
>15 223 24.5

911 out of 911 responding (100.0%)

CURPOS_TENORLESS. Including yourself, how many people have served as the chief election official in this jurisdiction over the past ten years?

CURPOS_TENORLESS n %
1 10 1.9%
2 308 59.3%
3 133 25.5%
4 36 6.9%
5 9 1.8%
Greater than 5 15 2.8%
I don’t know 9 1.7%

556 out of 557 responding (99.8%)

SELECTTYPE. Were you elected, appointed, or hired?

SELECTTYPE n %
Elected 515 56.6%
Appointed 247 27.1%
Hired 138 15.2%
Contractor 0 0.0%
Other 10 1.1%

911 out of 911 responding (100.0%)

CIVSRVC. Does your position have civil service protection (or merited), or do you serve at the will of the individual or board who appointed you?

CIVSRVC n %
My position has civil service protection or is merited. 20 5.1%
My position is an at will position. 296 75.7%
Other 8 2.1%
I don’t know. 67 17.1%

501 out of 506 responding (99.0%)

ELECTTYPE. You indicated you were elected to your position, what type of election was that?

ELECTTYPE n %
Partisan election 256 50.5%
Non-partisan election 251 49.5%

400 out of 404 responding (99.0%)

ELECTCONTEST. You indicated you were elected to your position. Was your most recent election contested or were you unopposed (in the general election)?

ELECTCONTEST n %
Contested 90 17.8%
Uncontested 416 82.2%

398 out of 404 responding (98.5%)

FTPTCUR. Is your current position full-time or part-time?

FTPTCUR n %
Full-time 616 67.8%
Part-time 276 30.3%
Other 17 1.9%

906 out of 911 responding (99.5%)

Career Trajectory, Workload, Staff Size

PREVIOUSJOB. We are interested in how people became engaged in election administration. What were you doing just before you were first employed in an elections office? Private business

PREVIOUSJOB n % of LEOs selecting
Private business 301 33.1%
Non-elections related local govt 242 26.6%
Other 210 23.1%
Elected Official 70 7.7%
Non-elections related state or federal govt 60 6.6%
Employed with a non-profit organization 50 5.4%
Enrolled in high school, college, or graduate school 41 4.5%
Volunteered or served in an unpaid capacity 36 4.0%
Employed in higher education 25 2.7%
Political campaign party, or organization 18 2.0%
Web blank 11 1.3%

STARTWORK. How were you first employed in election administration?

STARTWORK n %
I was hired to work in an election office or in some other office that also handled election administration. 400 44.0%
I was elected as a chief local election official. 197 21.7%
I was appointed as a chief local election official. 139 15.3%
I was hired as a contractor to work with an elections office. 4 0.4%
Other (please specify) 168 18.6%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

WORKLOAD. Which of the following best describes your job for the year 2022? Election related matters constitute:

WORKLOAD n %
All or almost all of my workload. 161 17.8%
The majority of my workload, but I have other duties not related to elections as well. 321 35.3%
Less than half of my workload. 426 46.9%

908 out of 911 responding (99.7%)

FTE. Including yourself, how many permanent FTE (full-time equivalent) staff work in your office?

FTE n %
No full-time staff, including myself 278 30.5%
1 160 17.6%
2 to 5 368 40.5%
6 to 10 60 6.6%
11 to 20 28 3.1%
21 to 50 11 1.3%
More than 50 5 0.6%

908 out of 911 responding (99.7%)

ELECTIONCOUNT. How many elections will your office administer from January through December 2022?

ELECTIONCOUNT n %
2 or less 302 33.2%
3 323 35.6%
4 218 24.0%
5 39 4.3%
6 or more 28 3.0%

908 out of 911 responding (99.7%)

OTHERLEO. Have you ever worked in another jurisdiction as a local election official?

OTHERLEO n %
Yes 139 15.3%
No 771 84.7%

909 out of 911 responding (99.8%)

OTHERLEOCOUNT. How many other jurisdictions have you served in as a local election official?

OTHERLEOCOUNT n %
1 85 61.6%
2 43 30.8%
3 9 6.5%
4 0 0.3%
5 or more 1 0.8%

148 out of 149 responding (99.3%)

Training for Self and for Staff

TRAINING_ONGOINGWHY. Considering all the ongoing or regular training for elections that you have received in the past year, please indicate which of the statements apply.

TRAININGONGOING_WHY n % of LEOs selecting
My state mandates training for election officials. 638 70.0%
I voluntarily enroll in ongoing or regular training. 494 54.3%
I participate in training to maintain certification… 264 29.0%
I have not participated in ongoing or regular training… 27 2.9%
Web Blank 2 0.2%

ONGOING_WHEN. How frequently do you receive ongoing training as an election official?

ONGOING_WHEN n %
Never 4 0.4%
Less than once a year 58 6.3%
Once a year 247 27.1%
More than once a year 601 66.1%

908 out of 911 responding (99.7%)

Training Mode

Please indicate your preference for receiving elections training and additional education through each of the following modes (assuming cost is not an issue).

TRAINING_MODEa. Online training or course with an instructor

TRAINING_MODE_a n %
Least preferred 142 16.1%
Somewhat preferred 195 22.0%
Moderately preferred 294 33.2%
Most preferred 255 28.7%

890 out of 911 responding (97.7%)

TRAINING_MODEb. Online training or course that is self-directed

TRAINING_MODE_b n %
Least preferred 197 22.8%
Somewhat preferred 183 21.1%
Moderately preferred 264 30.5%
Most preferred 222 25.6%

883 out of 911 responding (96.9%)

TRAINING_MODEc. In-person training or courses offered in your state or region

TRAINING_MODE_c n %
Least preferred 95 10.6%
Somewhat preferred 134 15.0%
Moderately preferred 188 20.9%
Most preferred 479 53.4%

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

TRAINING_MODEd. On-site training or courses offered at your jurisdiction

TRAINING_MODE_d n %
Least preferred 132 15.2%
Somewhat preferred 206 23.7%
Moderately preferred 236 27.2%
Most preferred 295 34.0%

886 out of 911 responding (97.3%)

TRAINING_MODEe. Technical assistance offered at your jurisdiction

TRAINING_MODE_e n %
Least preferred 107 12.1%
Somewhat preferred 179 20.4%
Moderately preferred 292 33.3%
Most preferred 300 34.2%

888 out of 911 responding (97.5%)

TRAINING_MODEf. One-on-one training offered at your jurisdiction

TRAINING_MODE_f n %
Least preferred 228 26.1%
Somewhat preferred 229 26.2%
Moderately preferred 209 23.9%
Most preferred 208 23.8%

887 out of 911 responding (97.4%)

Training Topics: Importance and Satisfaction

In general, how important are the following types of training for your office to optimize your election operations?

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_a. Introductory Elections Topics (Elections 101)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_a n %
Extremely important 407 45.4%
Very important 215 23.9%
Important 181 20.1%
Somewhat important 73 8.1%
Not at all important 22 2.4%
Not applicable 8

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_b. Voter Registration and List Maintenance

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_b n %
Extremely important 483 54.2%
Very important 226 25.4%
Important 148 16.6%
Somewhat important 23 2.6%
Not at all important 10 1.1%
Not applicable 14

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_c. Administration: Election Day Polling Places

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_c n %
Extremely important 459 51.9%
Very important 238 26.9%
Important 151 17.1%
Somewhat important 27 3.0%
Not at all important 10 1.1%
Not applicable 19

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_d. Administration: Early Voting and Vote Centers

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_d n %
Extremely important 357 44.1%
Very important 231 28.6%
Important 130 16.0%
Somewhat important 67 8.3%
Not at all important 24 3.0%
Not applicable 92

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_e. Voting By Mail / Absentee Ballot Administration

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_e n %
Extremely important 487 54.1%
Very important 245 27.3%
Important 122 13.5%
Somewhat important 23 2.6%
Not at all important 22 2.5%
Not applicable 5

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_f. Post-Election Canvassing and Certification

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_f n %
Extremely important 343 40.2%
Very important 250 29.3%
Important 160 18.8%
Somewhat important 81 9.5%
Not at all important 20 2.3%
Not applicable 41

892 out of 911 responding (97.9%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_g. Physical Security

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_g n %
Extremely important 326 37.3%
Very important 235 26.9%
Important 206 23.5%
Somewhat important 82 9.4%
Not at all important 25 2.8%
Not applicable 32

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_h. Cybersecurity

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_h n %
Extremely important 422 47.7%
Very important 218 24.7%
Important 182 20.5%
Somewhat important 48 5.4%
Not at all important 15 1.7%
Not applicable 21

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_i. Continuity of Operations Planning

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_i n %
Extremely important 295 34.3%
Very important 217 25.2%
Important 220 25.5%
Somewhat important 101 11.7%
Not at all important 29 3.3%
Not applicable 38

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_j. Communications

TRAINING_TOPICS_IMPORTANCE_j n %
Extremely important 385 43.0%
Very important 243 27.2%
Important 193 21.5%
Somewhat important 46 5.2%
Not at all important 27 3.0%
Not applicable 7

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

In general, how satisfied have you been with the following types of training for your office?

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_a. Introductory Elections Topics (Elections 101)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_a n %
Extremely satisfied 261 29.1%
Very satisfied 248 27.6%
Satisfied 275 30.6%
Somewhat satisfied 77 8.6%
Not at all satisfied 9 1.0%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 28 3.1%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_b. Voter Registration and List Maintenance

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_b n %
Extremely satisfied 240 26.7%
Very satisfied 260 28.9%
Satisfied 268 29.8%
Somewhat satisfied 80 8.9%
Not at all satisfied 12 1.3%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 40 4.4%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_c. Administration: Election Day Polling Places

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_c n %
Extremely satisfied 240 26.7%
Very satisfied 278 30.9%
Satisfied 269 29.9%
Somewhat satisfied 75 8.4%
Not at all satisfied 10 1.1%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 27 3.0%

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_d. Administration: Early Voting and Vote Centers

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_d n %
Extremely satisfied 213 23.7%
Very satisfied 230 25.6%
Satisfied 247 27.5%
Somewhat satisfied 74 8.3%
Not at all satisfied 17 1.9%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 117 13.0%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_e. Voting By Mail / Absentee Ballot Administration

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_e n %
Extremely satisfied 251 27.9%
Very satisfied 272 30.3%
Satisfied 256 28.5%
Somewhat satisfied 89 9.9%
Not at all satisfied 19 2.1%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 11 1.3%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_f. Post-Election Canvassing and Certification

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_f n %
Extremely satisfied 176 19.7%
Very satisfied 221 24.7%
Satisfied 303 33.9%
Somewhat satisfied 88 9.9%
Not at all satisfied 18 2.0%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 89 9.9%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_g. Physical Security

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_g n %
Extremely satisfied 166 18.4%
Very satisfied 213 23.7%
Satisfied 297 33.0%
Somewhat satisfied 120 13.3%
Not at all satisfied 26 2.8%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 78 8.7%

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_h. Cybersecurity

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_h n %
Extremely satisfied 175 19.6%
Very satisfied 225 25.2%
Satisfied 340 38.1%
Somewhat satisfied 97 10.9%
Not at all satisfied 11 1.2%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 45 5.0%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_i. Continuity of Operations Planning

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_i n %
Extremely satisfied 136 15.2%
Very satisfied 194 21.7%
Satisfied 336 37.6%
Somewhat satisfied 101 11.3%
Not at all satisfied 24 2.7%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 102 11.4%

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_j. Communications

TRAINING_TOPICS_SATISFIED_j n %
Extremely satisfied 171 19.1%
Very satisfied 232 25.9%
Satisfied 337 37.7%
Somewhat satisfied 67 7.5%
Not at all satisfied 19 2.1%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 68 7.6%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

Training Team: Importance and Satisfaction

Considering all topics in general, how important is it for the following team members to receive elections training?

TRAINING_TEAM_IMPORTANCE_a. Myself

TRAINING_TEAM_IMPORTANCE_a n %
Extremely important 692 76.7%
Very important 141 15.7%
Important 53 5.8%
Somewhat important 9 1.0%
Not at all important 7 0.7%
Not applicable 2

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

TRAINING_TEAM_IMPORTANCE_b. My regular/permanent staff

TRAINING_TEAM_IMPORTANCE_b n %
Extremely important 520 68.6%
Very important 166 21.9%
Important 64 8.5%
Somewhat important 8 1.0%
Not at all important 0 0.0%
Not applicable 147

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

TRAINING_TEAM_IMPORTANCE_c. My temporary staff, such as poll workers

TRAINING_TEAM_IMPORTANCE_c n %
Extremely important 481 56.7%
Very important 250 29.5%
Important 101 12.0%
Somewhat important 13 1.6%
Not at all important 3 0.3%
Not applicable 56

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

Considering all topics in general, how satisfied are you with the elections training for the following team members?

TRAINING_TEAM_SATISFIED_a. Myself

TRAINING_TEAM_SATISFIED_a n %
Extremely satisfied 295 32.7%
Very satisfied 303 33.5%
Satisfied 223 24.6%
Somewhat satisfied 62 6.8%
Not at all satisfied 13 1.5%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 8 0.9%

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

TRAINING_TEAM_SATISFIED_b. My regular/permanent staff

TRAINING_TEAM_SATISFIED_b n %
Extremely satisfied 199 22.0%
Very satisfied 249 27.6%
Satisfied 222 24.6%
Somewhat satisfied 57 6.3%
Not at all satisfied 15 1.6%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 162 17.9%

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

TRAINING_TEAM_SATISFIED_c. My temporary staff, such as poll workers

TRAINING_TEAM_SATISFIED_c n %
Extremely satisfied 209 23.0%
Very satisfied 246 27.2%
Satisfied 267 29.5%
Somewhat satisfied 79 8.7%
Not at all satisfied 24 2.6%
Not applicable/No experience with this training 81 8.9%

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

Membership Groups, meetings, State Associations

MEMBER. Are you a member of any of the following professional election organizations?

MEMBER n % of LEOs selecting
I am not a member of any professional election organization 432 47.4%
My state association of local election officials 424 46.5%
My regional and/or local association of election officials 239 26.2%
Election Center (National Association of Election Officials) 66 7.2%
International Association of Government Officials (iGO) 29 3.2%
Item NOT selected 6 0.7%
MEETING n %
Yes 427 90.7%
No 44 9.3%

680 out of 684 responding (99.4%)

MEETING_HOWMANY. How many meetings have you traditionally attended, or would you plan to attend, in a normal year?

MEETING_HOWMANY n %
0 0 0.1%
1 38 9.0%
2 118 27.6%
3 99 23.2%
4 or more 170 40.1%

647 out of 650 responding (99.5%)

MEETING_WHY. Why don’t you regularly attend or plan to attend professional meetings?

MEETING_WHY n % of LEOs selecting
I am not a MEETING_WHY of any professional election organization 27 60.5%
My regional and/or local association of election officials 19 42.6%
Election Center (National Association of Election Officials) 11 25.2%
International Association of Government Officials (iGO) 2 4.4%
My state association of local election officials 1 1.7%
Item NOT selected 0 0.0%

Effectiveness of state associations

Now we’d like you to think about your state association of election officials. How effective is your state association in the following areas?

STATE_ASSOCIATIONa. Influencing bills and policy changes proposed by the state legislature

STATE_ASSOCIATION_a n %
Very effective 234 26.6%
Somewhat effective 386 44.0%
Not very effective 62 7.1%
Not at all effective 45 5.2%
Not active in this area 151 17.2%

884 out of 911 responding (97.0%)

STATE_ASSOCIATIONb. Representing the interests of jurisdictions like mine

STATE_ASSOCIATION_b n %
Very effective 235 26.7%
Somewhat effective 336 38.2%
Not very effective 108 12.3%
Not at all effective 66 7.5%
Not active in this area 134 15.3%

884 out of 911 responding (97.0%)

STATE_ASSOCIATIONc. Building a positive and supportive community among election administrators

STATE_ASSOCIATION_c n %
Very effective 360 40.6%
Somewhat effective 309 34.8%
Not very effective 51 5.7%
Not at all effective 32 3.6%
Not active in this area 136 15.3%

889 out of 911 responding (97.6%)

STATE_ASSOCIATIONd. Helping me recruit new members of my staff

STATE_ASSOCIATION_d n %
Very effective 84 9.6%
Somewhat effective 212 24.1%
Not very effective 207 23.6%
Not at all effective 92 10.5%
Not active in this area 283 32.2%

885 out of 911 responding (97.1%)

STATE_ASSOCIATIONe. Helping me develop and advance my skills as an effective administrator

STATE_ASSOCIATION_e n %
Very effective 291 33.0%
Somewhat effective 353 40.0%
Not very effective 79 9.0%
Not at all effective 35 4.0%
Not active in this area 124 14.0%

888 out of 911 responding (97.5%)

STATE_ASSOCIATIONf. Helping my staff develop and advance their skills

STATE_ASSOCIATION_f n %
Very effective 212 24.3%
Somewhat effective 355 40.6%
Not very effective 90 10.3%
Not at all effective 52 5.9%
Not active in this area 165 18.9%

885 out of 911 responding (97.1%)

Retirement and Separation from the profession

RETIREMENTELIG. Will you be eligible to retire from your work as a local election official within the next two years (any time prior to the November 2024 presidential election)?

RETIREMENTELIG n %
Yes 283 31.1%
No 548 60.3%
I don’t know 78 8.6%

908 out of 911 responding (99.7%)

RETIREMENTPLAN. Are you considering retiring?

RETIREMENTPLAN n %
Yes, I am considering retirement before the November 2022 election. 7 2.5%
Yes, I am considering retirement before the November 2024 election. 105 37.0%
No, I am not considering retirement. 92 32.7%
Other 17 6.1%
Retiring after 2024 election/in 2025 2 0.7%
I don’t know. 59 20.9%

279 out of 281 responding (99.3%)

RETIREMENTREASON. What factors are influencing your considerations of retirement?

RETIREMENTREASON n % of LEOs selecting
I have served long enough to retire now. 87 51.0%
I do not like the changes in my work environment that occurred during and after the November 2020 election. 72 42.1%
I do not enjoy the political environment. 63 37.1%
I want to do something else with my time. 30 17.6%
Personal, family, or other changes unrelated to my work environment 28 16.3%
Other 28 16.6%
My spouse or partner is retiring. 26 15.3%
I no longer enjoy the position. 21 12.5%
I can afford to retire earlier than expected. 14 8.4%
I want to do something else for work. 8 4.7%
Stress/burned out/long hours/workload 2 1.4%
Don’t plan to retire 0 0.0%
Age 0 0.0%
Item NOT selected 0 0.0%

LEAVELEO. Are you considering leaving your work as a local election official within the next two years (any time prior to the November 2024 presidential election)?

LEAVELEO n %
Yes 41 6.8%
No 411 68.8%
Other 3 0.5%
Depends on opportunities/other job 1 0.2%
Depends on political climate 0 0.0%
I don’t know 141 23.6%

601 out of 630 responding (95.4%)

LEAVEREASON. What reasons motivate you to consider leaving your work as a local election official?

LEAVEREASON n % of LEOs selecting
Changes in how elections are administered make the work unsatisfying. 19 47.6%
I can earn more in another position or career. 19 46.9%
I no longer enjoy the position. 15 37.4%
I do not enjoy the political environment. 15 37.7%
I want to do something else with my time. 12 28.9%
I have concerns about my health or personal safety, aside from COVID-19 concerns. 11 28.1%
Other 10 24.3%
I can move to another position where I can earn the same, but the workload is more balanced. 7 16.5%
I want to do something else for work. 4 8.6%
I do not believe I will be re-appointed or re-elected 0 0.0%
Retirement 0 0.0%
Stress/burned out/long hours/workload 0 0.0%
Item NOT selected 0 0.9%

Job Satisfaction

To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment.

JS_a n %
Strongly agree 451 50.1%
Somewhat agree 286 31.8%
Neither agree nor disagree 132 14.7%
Somewhat disagree 17 1.9%
Strongly disagree 14 1.6%

904 out of 911 responding (99.2%)

My workload is reasonable.

JS_b n %
Strongly agree 140 15.5%
Somewhat agree 297 33.0%
Neither agree nor disagree 160 17.7%
Somewhat disagree 185 20.6%
Strongly disagree 119 13.2%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

*Our office has enough physical space to do our job well.**

JS_c n %
Strongly agree 244 27.1%
Somewhat agree 261 28.9%
Neither agree nor disagree 112 12.4%
Somewhat disagree 166 18.4%
Strongly disagree 119 13.2%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

My work is respected by other county or local officials.

JS_d n %
Strongly agree 342 38.0%
Somewhat agree 325 36.1%
Neither agree nor disagree 151 16.8%
Somewhat disagree 51 5.7%
Strongly disagree 31 3.5%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

My work is respected by citizens.

JS_e n %
Strongly agree 282 31.2%
Somewhat agree 351 38.9%
Neither agree nor disagree 165 18.3%
Somewhat disagree 78 8.6%
Strongly disagree 27 2.9%

907 out of 911 responding (99.6%)

I am satisfied with my pay.

JS_f n %
Strongly agree 137 15.2%
Somewhat agree 287 31.8%
Neither agree nor disagree 122 13.5%
Somewhat disagree 194 21.5%
Strongly disagree 163 18.0%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

A lack of sufficient funding often prevents me from doing my job well.

JS_g n %
Strongly agree 58 6.4%
Somewhat agree 203 22.4%
Neither agree nor disagree 283 31.3%
Somewhat disagree 187 20.7%
Strongly disagree 173 19.1%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

I do not feel I can balance my work and home priorities.

JS_h n %
Strongly agree 58 6.4%
Somewhat agree 130 14.4%
Neither agree nor disagree 287 31.8%
Somewhat disagree 185 20.5%
Strongly disagree 243 26.9%

906 out of 911 responding (99.5%)

I would encourage my own child to pursue a career in local election administration.

JS_i n %
Strongly agree 60 6.7%
Somewhat agree 170 19.0%
Neither agree nor disagree 366 40.8%
Somewhat disagree 112 12.5%
Strongly disagree 189 21.0%

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

My county or local government does not consult me on policy or budget decisions.

JS_j n %
Strongly agree 74 8.2%
Somewhat agree 145 16.1%
Neither agree nor disagree 225 25.0%
Somewhat disagree 233 25.9%
Strongly disagree 223 24.8%

904 out of 911 responding (99.2%)

My state legislature does not consult my community on election policy decisions.

JS_k n %
Strongly agree 260 28.9%
Somewhat agree 195 21.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 266 29.6%
Somewhat disagree 109 12.2%
Strongly disagree 68 7.6%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

In my job I am able to fully utilize my skills, abilities, and knowledge.

JS_l n %
Strongly agree 432 48.4%
Somewhat agree 332 37.2%
Neither agree nor disagree 86 9.6%
Somewhat disagree 23 2.6%
Strongly disagree 20 2.3%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

I am proud to tell people that I work for my department.

JS_m n %
Strongly agree 502 55.6%
Somewhat agree 271 30.0%
Neither agree nor disagree 94 10.4%
Somewhat disagree 17 1.9%
Strongly disagree 19 2.1%

907 out of 911 responding (99.6%)

I am able to leave problems at work.

JS_n n %
Strongly agree 115 12.7%
Somewhat agree 253 28.1%
Neither agree nor disagree 173 19.2%
Somewhat disagree 230 25.5%
Strongly disagree 130 14.5%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

JS_OVERALL. All things considered, what is your level of overall satisfaction with your job?

JS_OVERALL n %
Very satisfied 259 28.6%
Satisfied 449 49.5%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 135 14.9%
Dissatisfied 51 5.6%
Very dissatisfied 14 1.5%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

Job Satisfaction: Three Adjectives Why You Are Satisfied

JOB_SATISFIED_1. Verbatim responses

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

JOB_SATISFIED_1 n %
Service 17 2.8%
Accomplishment 12 1.9%
integrity 10 1.6%
service 10 1.6%
community 9 1.5%
democracy 9 1.4%
Integrity 9 1.4%
Proud 9 1.5%
Voters 9 1.5%
All other responses 525 84.9%

637 out of 637 responding (100.0%)

JOB_SATISFIED_2. Verbatim responses

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

JOB_SATISFIED_2 n %
Integrity 15 3.2%
Community 14 3.0%
Pride 14 3.0%
fair 13 2.7%
Accomplishment 12 2.6%
Accurate 11 2.3%
accomplishment 8 1.8%
honesty 8 1.8%
dedication 7 1.6%
All other responses 355 77.8%

465 out of 465 responding (100.0%)

JOB_SATISFIED_3. Verbatim responses

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

JOB_SATISFIED_3 n %
Integrity 13 2.9%
people 10 2.3%
valued 10 2.2%
public service 9 2.1%
fair 8 1.8%
Community 7 1.7%
honesty 7 1.5%
Satisfaction 7 1.6%
Successful 7 1.5%
All other responses 363 82.5%

450 out of 450 responding (100.0%)

Job Dissatisfaction: Three Adjectives Why You Are Dissatisfied

JOB_DISSATISFIED_1. Verbatim responses

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

JOB_DISSATISFIED_1 n %
overworked 7 3.8%
Cheating. 6 3.5%
Complicated, disorganized, overruling. 6 3.5%
Constant scrutiny 6 3.5%
Interrogation, harassing, regulations 6 3.5%
Long hours, dissatisfied residents. 6 3.5%
Mistrust and changing laws. 6 3.5%
Never ending paperwork, big time. 6 3.5%
Responsibilities, pay, hours. 6 3.2%
All other responses 122 68.5%

196 out of 196 responding (100.0%)

JOB_DISSATISFIED_2. Verbatim responses

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

JOB_DISSATISFIED_2 n %
underpaid 6 17.5%
dead people still on the rolls 4 11.8%
Accusations 1 3.1%
Finding Poll Workers 1 2.9%
I am very satisfied with my job and my duties - I love my job and what I do 1 3.0%
lack of qualified and trained election workers 1 2.5%
Low wages 1 3.9%
People today all believe there are conspiracies and that “all” government officials are crooked 1 3.2%
Workload 1 2.6%
All other responses 16 49.5%

48 out of 48 responding (100.0%)

JOB_DISSATISFIED_3. Verbatim responses

Open ended question; top 9 responses shown

JOB_DISSATISFIED_3 n %
lack of appreciation 6 18.3%
Permament AV voters who go online and request a ballot 4 12.3%
Consuming 1 2.7%
ignored 1 4.0%
People want instant gratification no matter what and at times that can not happen 1 3.4%
Salary 1 3.0%
Stress 1 4.4%
time 1 2.5%
voters believing fraud without understanding the system 1 2.6%
All other responses 15 46.7%

46 out of 46 responding (100.0%)

Threats and Harassment

THREAT_CONCERN. How concerned, if at all, are you about the reports of abuse, harassment, or threats directed at some elections officials?

THREAT_CONCERN n %
Very concerned 264 29.0%
Somewhat concerned 332 36.5%
Neither concerned nor unconcerned 148 16.2%
Not very concerned 90 9.9%
Not concerned at all 76 8.3%

909 out of 911 responding (99.8%)

How serious do various organizations take threats?

How seriously do you think the members of each of the following organizations take elections-related abuse, harassment, and threats?

THREAT_SERIOUSa. Local media

THREAT_SERIOUS_a n %
Very seriously 130 14.7%
Somewhat seriously 321 36.1%
Not too seriously 197 22.1%
Not at all seriously 81 9.1%
I don’t know 159 17.9%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

THREAT_SERIOUSb. The national media

THREAT_SERIOUS_b n %
Very seriously 158 17.8%
Somewhat seriously 281 31.6%
Not too seriously 195 22.0%
Not at all seriously 118 13.3%
I don’t know 136 15.3%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

THREAT_SERIOUSc. My state legislature

THREAT_SERIOUS_c n %
Very seriously 159 17.9%
Somewhat seriously 265 29.8%
Not too seriously 205 23.1%
Not at all seriously 113 12.7%
I don’t know 147 16.5%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

THREAT_SERIOUSd. Federal law enforcement

THREAT_SERIOUS_d n %
Very seriously 230 25.7%
Somewhat seriously 265 29.7%
Not too seriously 154 17.2%
Not at all seriously 64 7.2%
I don’t know 180 20.1%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

THREAT_SERIOUSe. Local law enforcement

THREAT_SERIOUS_e n %
Very seriously 249 28.0%
Somewhat seriously 291 32.7%
Not too seriously 168 18.8%
Not at all seriously 69 7.8%
I don’t know 115 12.8%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

THREAT_SERIOUSf. My state’s chief election official

THREAT_SERIOUS_f n %
Very seriously 394 44.1%
Somewhat seriously 237 26.5%
Not too seriously 130 14.6%
Not at all seriously 30 3.4%
I don’t know 102 11.4%

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

THREAT_SERIOUSg. The United States Congress

THREAT_SERIOUS_g n %
Very seriously 107 12.0%
Somewhat seriously 223 25.1%
Not too seriously 202 22.6%
Not at all seriously 154 17.3%
I don’t know 204 22.9%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

THREAT. In the past two years, have you experienced any instances of abuse, harassment, or threats as part of your work as an election official?

THREAT n %
Yes 225 24.9%
No 681 75.1%

905 out of 911 responding (99.3%)

THREATTYPE. What types of abuse, harassment, or threats have you experienced, if any?

THREATTYPE n % of LEOs selecting
I have not experienced any of these in the past two years 588 64.5%
Confrontation in your workspace 168 18.4%
Verbal or physical abuse, harassment, or threats directed at yourself or family members 115 12.6%
Confrontation in other public spaces 93 10.3%
Online harassment 90 9.8%
Other 66 7.2%
Email threats 55 6.1%
Item NOT selected 33 3.7%
Physical hate mail 28 3.1%
Doxing, that is unwanted release of personal information on the internet 17 1.8%
Unwanted visitors at your home 12 1.3%

THREATTARGET. Were any of the threats targeted in a particular way?

THREATTARGET n % of LEOs selecting
Politically based threats 182 62.9%
Other targeted threats 77 26.7%
Item NOT selected 29 10.1%
Racially or ethnically based threats 20 6.9%
Gender based threats 9 3.0%

Election Preparation: Importance and Satisfaction

Election Day Polling Places Preparation

Thinking about Election Day polling places, how important do you think each is to your office’s ability to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in November 2022?

PREP_IMPORTANCE_a. Obtaining a sufficient number of poll workers

PREP_IMPORTANCE_a n %
Extremely important 586 66.7%
Very important 221 25.1%
Important 68 7.8%
Somewhat important 3 0.3%
Not at all important 0 0.0%
Not applicable 19

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

PREP_IMPORTANCE_b. Obtaining a sufficient number of bilingual poll…

PREP_IMPORTANCE_b n %
Extremely important 109 18.9%
Very important 76 13.1%
Important 118 20.5%
Somewhat important 140 24.3%
Not at all important 134 23.1%
Not applicable 307

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

PREP_IMPORTANCE_c. Obtaining poll workers who have already been train

PREP_IMPORTANCE_c n %
Extremely important 363 41.4%
Very important 266 30.3%
Important 131 14.9%
Somewhat important 89 10.2%
Not at all important 28 3.2%
Not applicable 20

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

PREP_IMPORTANCE_d. Finding enough physical polling places

PREP_IMPORTANCE_d n %
Extremely important 265 36.3%
Very important 199 27.3%
Important 123 16.9%
Somewhat important 50 6.8%
Not at all important 93 12.7%
Not applicable 168

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

PREP_IMPORTANCE_e. Obtaining a sufficient number of accessible…

PREP_IMPORTANCE_e n %
Extremely important 286 38.0%
Very important 193 25.6%
Important 134 17.9%
Somewhat important 71 9.4%
Not at all important 68 9.1%
Not applicable 146

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

Thinking about Election Day polling places, how satisfied are you with your office’s abilities in each, in order to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in November 2022?

PREP_SATISFIED_a. Obtaining a sufficient number of poll…

PREP_SATISFIED_a n %
Extremely satisfied 260 29.4%
Very satisfied 238 26.9%
Satisfied 201 22.7%
Somewhat satisfied 127 14.3%
Not at all satisfied 58 6.6%
Not applicable 19

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

PREP_SATISFIED_b. Obtaining a sufficient number of biling…

PREP_SATISFIED_b n %
Extremely satisfied 65 14.7%
Very satisfied 60 13.6%
Satisfied 143 32.6%
Somewhat satisfied 102 23.4%
Not at all satisfied 69 15.8%
Not applicable 452

892 out of 911 responding (97.9%)

PREP_SATISFIED_c. Obtaining poll workers who have already…

PREP_SATISFIED_c n %
Extremely satisfied 212 24.5%
Very satisfied 253 29.2%
Satisfied 256 29.6%
Somewhat satisfied 107 12.4%
Not at all satisfied 38 4.4%
Not applicable 37

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

PREP_SATISFIED_d. Finding enough physical polling places

PREP_SATISFIED_d n %
Extremely satisfied 246 34.4%
Very satisfied 180 25.1%
Satisfied 182 25.5%
Somewhat satisfied 85 11.9%
Not at all satisfied 23 3.2%
Not applicable 186

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

PREP_SATISFIED_e. Obtaining a sufficient number of access…

PREP_SATISFIED_e n %
Extremely satisfied 321 41.5%
Very satisfied 235 30.5%
Satisfied 175 22.7%
Somewhat satisfied 34 4.3%
Not at all satisfied 8 1.0%
Not applicable 131

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

Early Voting Preparation

Thinking about in-person early voting, how important do you think each is to your office’s ability to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in November 2022?)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_a. Finding enough early voting locations

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_a n %
Extremely important 204 38.0%
Very important 121 22.5%
Important 138 25.8%
Somewhat important 29 5.4%
Not at all important 45 8.3%
Not applicable 362

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_b. Staffing early voting locations

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_b n %
Extremely important 253 42.5%
Very important 147 24.7%
Important 119 20.0%
Somewhat important 30 5.1%
Not at all important 47 7.8%
Not applicable 303

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_c. Having adequate time to conduct…

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_c n %
Extremely important 269 39.7%
Very important 191 28.2%
Important 159 23.4%
Somewhat important 42 6.2%
Not at all important 17 2.6%
Not applicable 222

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_d. Having adequate time to process…

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_IMPORTANCE_d n %
Extremely important 300 45.8%
Very important 177 27.1%
Important 125 19.1%
Somewhat important 37 5.6%
Not at all important 16 2.4%
Not applicable 244

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

Thinking about in-person early voting, how satisfied are you with your office’s abilities in each, in order to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in November 2022?

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_a. Finding enough early voting loc…

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_a n %
Extremely satisfied 208 36.7%
Very satisfied 168 29.6%
Satisfied 151 26.7%
Somewhat satisfied 26 4.6%
Not at all satisfied 13 2.3%
Not applicable 340

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_b. Staffing early voting locations

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_b n %
Extremely satisfied 185 29.8%
Very satisfied 191 30.7%
Satisfied 168 27.0%
Somewhat satisfied 46 7.4%
Not at all satisfied 32 5.1%
Not applicable 285

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_c. Having adequate time to conduct…

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_c n %
Extremely satisfied 216 31.5%
Very satisfied 190 27.8%
Satisfied 173 25.3%
Somewhat satisfied 78 11.3%
Not at all satisfied 28 4.1%
Not applicable 220

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_d. Having adequate time to process…

EARLY_VOTING_PREP_SATISFIED_d n %
Extremely satisfied 190 28.3%
Very satisfied 173 25.8%
Satisfied 175 26.2%
Somewhat satisfied 87 12.9%
Not at all satisfied 46 6.9%
Not applicable 230

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

Absentee or by-mail voting preparation

Thinking about absentee or by-mail voting, how important do you think each is to your office’s ability to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in November 2022?

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_a. A sufficient number of staff to process absentee…

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_a n %
Extremely important 451 51.0%
Very important 271 30.6%
Important 146 16.5%
Somewhat important 17 1.9%
Not at all important 1 0.1%
Not applicable 11

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_b. The technology to manage by-mail ballots and…

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_b n %
Extremely important 425 48.9%
Very important 239 27.6%
Important 161 18.5%
Somewhat important 28 3.2%
Not at all important 16 1.8%
Not applicable 27

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_c. Drop boxes for alternative ballot returns

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_c n %
Extremely important 218 34.7%
Very important 165 26.3%
Important 132 21.0%
Somewhat important 59 9.4%
Not at all important 55 8.7%
Not applicable 266

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_d. A sufficient state timeline for requesting…

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_d n %
Extremely important 411 46.2%
Very important 281 31.5%
Important 172 19.3%
Somewhat important 22 2.5%
Not at all important 5 0.6%
Not applicable 5

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_e. Voter knowledge of USPS standard of delivery…

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_e n %
Extremely important 389 43.5%
Very important 254 28.5%
Important 186 20.9%
Somewhat important 60 6.7%
Not at all important 4 0.4%
Not applicable 4

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_f. An adequate ballot curing process

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_f n %
Extremely important 321 41.5%
Very important 237 30.5%
Important 187 24.1%
Somewhat important 22 2.8%
Not at all important 9 1.1%
Not applicable 117

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_g. A permanent absentee ballot list

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_g n %
Extremely important 294 37.7%
Very important 204 26.2%
Important 180 23.1%
Somewhat important 51 6.5%
Not at all important 50 6.5%
Not applicable 113

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_h. A signature verification system

VBM_PREP_IMPORTANCE_h n %
Extremely important 338 43.1%
Very important 188 24.0%
Important 180 22.9%
Somewhat important 52 6.7%
Not at all important 26 3.3%
Not applicable 111

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

Thinking about absentee or by-mail voting, how satisfied are you with your office’s abilities in each, in order to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in November 2022?

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_a. A sufficient number of staff to process absent…

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_a n %
Extremely satisfied 268 30.3%
Very satisfied 242 27.3%
Satisfied 261 29.5%
Somewhat satisfied 82 9.3%
Not at all satisfied 33 3.7%
Not applicable 12

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_b. The technology to manage by-mail ballots and…

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_b n %
Extremely satisfied 282 32.6%
Very satisfied 228 26.3%
Satisfied 251 29.0%
Somewhat satisfied 81 9.3%
Not at all satisfied 24 2.8%
Not applicable 31

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_c. Drop boxes for alternative ballot returns

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_c n %
Extremely satisfied 177 30.6%
Very satisfied 143 24.8%
Satisfied 181 31.3%
Somewhat satisfied 38 6.6%
Not at all satisfied 39 6.7%
Not applicable 319

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_d. A sufficient state timeline for requesting…

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_d n %
Extremely satisfied 241 26.9%
Very satisfied 199 22.2%
Satisfied 297 33.1%
Somewhat satisfied 120 13.4%
Not at all satisfied 39 4.4%
Not applicable 3

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_e. Voter knowledge of USPS standard of delivery…

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_e n %
Extremely satisfied 164 18.6%
Very satisfied 146 16.5%
Satisfied 256 29.0%
Somewhat satisfied 190 21.5%
Not at all satisfied 127 14.4%
Not applicable 13

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_f. An adequate ballot curing process

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_f n %
Extremely satisfied 212 27.3%
Very satisfied 166 21.4%
Satisfied 284 36.7%
Somewhat satisfied 89 11.4%
Not at all satisfied 25 3.2%
Not applicable 119

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_g. A permanent absentee ballot list

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_g n %
Extremely satisfied 225 30.4%
Very satisfied 160 21.6%
Satisfied 258 34.9%
Somewhat satisfied 61 8.3%
Not at all satisfied 36 4.9%
Not applicable 153

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_h. A signature verification system

VBM_PREP_SATISFIED_h n %
Extremely satisfied 213 29.7%
Very satisfied 147 20.5%
Satisfied 243 33.8%
Somewhat satisfied 77 10.8%
Not at all satisfied 37 5.1%
Not applicable 180

899 out of 911 responding (98.7%)

Continuing impact of COVID-19 on election operations

COVIDIMPACT. Next, we would like you to think about the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact your election operations in 2022?

COVIDIMPACT n %
Yes, I believe the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact my election operations 313 34.4%
No, I do not believe the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact my operations 414 45.6%
I don’t know 182 20.0%

908 out of 911 responding (99.7%)

COVIDHOW. How do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact your election operations in 2022?

COVIDHOW n % of LEOs selecting
I do not think the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact my election operations in 2022. 477 52.3%
I am concerned about workforce shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 234 25.6%
My jurisdiction will need to obtain additional personal protective equipment for my staff, poll workers, and volunteers for Election Day 151 16.5%
My offices and workspaces need additional changes to accommodate staff and volunteers for administering the election. 100 11.0%
Item NOT selected 15 1.6%
I will be unable to utilize some traditional locations for polling places. NA
I am concerned about recruiting sufficient poll workers for the November 2022 election. NA

Forecasting VBM rates

VBM_CHANGE. Looking ahead to by-mail voting in the November 2022 election in your jurisdiction, do you anticipate a larger proportion of voters, a smaller proportion of voters, or about the same proportion of voters will request and use mail…

VBM_CHANGE n %
A larger proportion of voters will request and use mail ballots 213 24.7%
About the same proportion of voters will request and use mail ballots 309 35.9%
A smaller proportion of voters will request and use mail ballots 254 29.4%
I don’t feel confident forecasting change in the request and use of mail ballots 86 9.9%

826 out of 835 responding (98.9%)

Election Reform, Voter Confidence

Election Reforms

The following is a list of ideas people sometimes propose. Please indicate how much you support or oppose each of these ideas regardless of whether or not they are in place in your state.

POLITICAL REFORMS. Run all elections by mail

POL_a n %
Strongly support 128 14.3%
Somewhat support 96 10.7%
Neutral 150 16.7%
Somewhat oppose 111 12.3%
Strongly oppose 413 46.0%

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

POLITCAL REFORMS. Allow people to register to vote on Election Day…

POL_b n %
Strongly support 269 29.9%
Somewhat support 117 13.1%
Neutral 125 13.9%
Somewhat oppose 86 9.6%
Strongly oppose 302 33.6%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

POLITCAL REFORMS. Make Election Day a national holiday

POL_c n %
Strongly support 292 32.5%
Somewhat support 122 13.6%
Neutral 261 29.1%
Somewhat oppose 76 8.5%
Strongly oppose 147 16.4%

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

POLITCAL REFORMS. Consolidate local, state, and federal elections to take…

POL_d n %
Strongly support 289 32.4%
Somewhat support 183 20.6%
Neutral 263 29.5%
Somewhat oppose 57 6.4%
Strongly oppose 99 11.2%

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

POLITCAL REFORMS. Increase the use of Internet voting (online voting)

POL_e n %
Strongly support 43 4.8%
Somewhat support 56 6.2%
Neutral 148 16.5%
Somewhat oppose 105 11.7%
Strongly oppose 548 60.9%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

POLITCAL REFORMS. Require the use of photo identification for voting

POL_f n %
Strongly support 563 62.7%
Somewhat support 137 15.3%
Neutral 100 11.2%
Somewhat oppose 43 4.7%
Strongly oppose 54 6.0%

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

Election and Registration Confidence: Looking Back to 2020

Looking back to the November 2020 election, to what extent are you confident about each of the following statements?

CONF2020a. Voter registration lists nationwide were secure from outside interference.

CONF2020_a n %
Very confident 241 27.1%
Somewhat confident 278 31.3%
Not too confident 84 9.5%
Not at all confident 81 9.1%
I don’t know 205 23.0%

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

CONF2020b. Voter registration lists in my state were secure from outside interference.

CONF2020_b n %
Very confident 556 62.1%
Somewhat confident 182 20.3%
Not too confident 47 5.3%
Not at all confident 37 4.1%
I don’t know 74 8.2%

904 out of 911 responding (99.2%)

CONF2020c. Votes nationwide were counted as intended.

CONF2020_c n %
Very confident 347 38.9%
Somewhat confident 207 23.2%
Not too confident 96 10.7%
Not at all confident 81 9.1%
I don’t know 161 18.1%

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

CONF2020d. Votes in key battleground states were counted as intended.

CONF2020_d n %
Very confident 336 37.6%
Somewhat confident 190 21.3%
Not too confident 80 9.0%
Not at all confident 98 10.9%
I don’t know 190 21.2%

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

CONF2020e. Votes in my state were counted as intended

CONF2020_e n %
Very confident 594 66.4%
Somewhat confident 133 14.8%
Not too confident 47 5.3%
Not at all confident 41 4.6%
I don’t know 80 8.9%

904 out of 911 responding (99.2%)

Election and Registration Confidence: Looking Forward to 2022

Looking ahead to the November 2022 election, to what extent are you confident about each of the following statements?

CONFa. Voter registration lists nationwide will be secure from outside interference.

CONF_a n %
Very confident 248 27.9%
Somewhat confident 316 35.6%
Not too confident 86 9.7%
Not at all confident 56 6.4%
I don’t know 181 20.4%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

CONFb. Voter registration lists in my state will be secure from outside interference.

CONF_b n %
Very confident 562 63.3%
Somewhat confident 210 23.7%
Not too confident 29 3.3%
Not at all confident 32 3.6%
I don’t know 54 6.1%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

CONFc. Votes nationwide will be counted as intended.

CONF_c n %
Very confident 325 36.6%
Somewhat confident 264 29.8%
Not too confident 78 8.8%
Not at all confident 70 7.9%
I don’t know 150 16.9%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

CONFd. Votes in key battleground states will be counted as intended.

CONF_d n %
Very confident 317 35.9%
Somewhat confident 266 30.1%
Not too confident 73 8.2%
Not at all confident 72 8.1%
I don’t know 156 17.7%

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)

CONFe. Votes in my state will be counted as intended

CONF_e n %
Very confident 589 66.6%
Somewhat confident 191 21.5%
Not too confident 21 2.4%
Not at all confident 37 4.2%
I don’t know 46 5.2%

893 out of 911 responding (98.0%)

State Legislatures, Guidance

STATELEG. Since the November 2020 election, has your state legislature passed legislation that impacted the way you conduct elections in your jurisdiction?

STATELEG n %
Yes 497 55.7%
No 213 23.9%
I don’t know 182 20.4%

901 out of 911 responding (98.9%)

LAWSHELP. On balance, do you think these new laws:

LAWSHELP n %
Improved election administration in your jurisdiction 175 35.5%
Did not improve election administration in your jurisdiction 229 46.5%
I don’t know 89 18.0%

620 out of 628 responding (98.7%)

GUIDANCE. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? My jurisdiction has received sufficient guidance from state and/or federal authorities regarding the security of our election systems.

GUIDANCE n %
Strongly agree 416 46.6%
Somewhat agree 273 30.6%
Neither agree nor disagree 146 16.3%
Somewhat disagree 32 3.6%
Strongly disagree 27 3.0%

903 out of 911 responding (99.1%)

Cybersecurity Training

CYBERTRAINSELF. Have you attended, or do you plan to attend a training session about cybersecurity before the November 2022 election, or is cybersecurity handled by another office?

CYBERTRAINSELF n %
I have done this in the past year 448 50.2%
I plan to do this before the November 2022 election 162 18.1%
Responsibility is handled by another local office 50 5.6%
Responsibility is handled by the state elections office/board 142 15.9%
Not applicable to my situation 90 10.1%

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

CYBERTRAINTEAM. Have you held, or do you plan to hold, cybersecurity training sessions for your employees or election workers before the November 2022 election, or is cybersecurity handled by another office?

CYBERTRAINTEAM n %
I have done this in the past year 216 24.3%
I plan to do this before the November 2022 election 161 18.1%
Responsibility is handled by another local office 105 11.8%
Responsibility is handled by the state elections office/board 181 20.3%
Not applicable to my situation 227 25.5%

893 out of 911 responding (98.0%)

#Voter Centric Attitudes

RELATEa. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. I enjoy educating citizens about voting rules and procedures?

RELATE_a n %
Strongly agree 418 46.9%
Somewhat agree 249 27.9%
Neither agree nor disagree 187 20.9%
Somewhat disagree 30 3.4%
Strongly disagree 8 0.9%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

RELATEb. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. The lack of citizen knowledge about voting rules and procedures causes significant problems when people go to vote?

RELATE_b n %
Strongly agree 226 25.4%
Somewhat agree 380 42.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 162 18.3%
Somewhat disagree 89 10.0%
Strongly disagree 32 3.6%

893 out of 911 responding (98.0%)

RELATEc. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. The primary responsibility of local election officials is to conduct the election, not worry about voter education or voter satisfaction?

RELATE_c n %
Strongly agree 78 8.8%
Somewhat agree 168 18.8%
Neither agree nor disagree 187 21.0%
Somewhat disagree 237 26.6%
Strongly disagree 220 24.7%

897 out of 911 responding (98.5%)

RELATEd. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. Local election officials should consider it part of their responsibilities to work on voter education and voter satisfaction?

RELATE_d n %
Strongly agree 263 29.5%
Somewhat agree 327 36.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 179 20.0%
Somewhat disagree 83 9.3%
Strongly disagree 39 4.4%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

RELATEe. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. My office has enough time and resources to work on educating voters, along with conducting the election?

RELATE_e n %
Strongly agree 61 6.8%
Somewhat agree 179 20.2%
Neither agree nor disagree 211 23.8%
Somewhat disagree 235 26.6%
Strongly disagree 200 22.6%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

RELATEf. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. It is part of my job to encourage voter turnout?

RELATE_f n %
Strongly agree 270 30.4%
Somewhat agree 291 32.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 225 25.2%
Somewhat disagree 47 5.2%
Strongly disagree 58 6.5%

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

RELATEg. To what extent do you agree or disagree with …. Local election officials should work to reduce demographic disparities in voter turnout?

RELATE_g n %
Strongly agree 146 16.5%
Somewhat agree 194 21.9%
Neither agree nor disagree 397 44.8%
Somewhat disagree 71 8.0%
Strongly disagree 78 8.8%

892 out of 911 responding (97.9%)

Voter Education

VOTER_EDUCATION. What modes of outreach do you use to educate voters?

VOTER_EDUCATION n % of LEOs selecting
Print advertising 525 57.7%
Online advertising 343 37.6%
Running at least one active social media account 323 35.5%
In person outreach events 272 29.8%
Radio advertising 130 14.3%
Item NOT selected 106 11.7%
Television advertising 45 4.9%

Social Media Usage

LEO_SOCIALMEDIA. You mentioned that you run at least one active social media account. Where do you post elections related content?

LEO_SOCIALMEDIA n % of LEOs selecting
Facebook 280 86.7%
Other 73 22.5%
Twitter 64 19.9%
Instagram 34 10.6%
You Tube 23 7.1%
TikTok 3 1.1%
Item NOT selected 2 0.5%
Reddit 1 0.4%

Voting Values, Voter Fraud

PC_EDEARLY. Statement A: I prefer that all voters cast ballots on Election Day at a polling place or voting center. Statement B: I prefer that voters have lots of options at home or early in-person voting along with Election Day voting.

PC_EDEARLY n %
1 - Strongly agree with Statement A 98 11.3%
2 45 5.2%
3 73 8.5%
4 - Neutral 178 20.6%
5 81 9.3%
6 119 13.8%
7 - Strongly agree with Statement B 269 31.2%

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)

PC_ACCESSSECURE. Statement A: It is important to establish processes that make it easy for people to exercise the right to vote, even if doing so presents some security risks. Statement B: It is important to make voting as secure as possible…

PC_ACCESSSECURE n %
1 - Strongly agree with Statement A 79 9.3%
2 49 5.8%
3 74 8.8%
4 - Neutral 217 25.8%
5 137 16.3%
6 123 14.6%
7 - Strongly agree with Statement B 163 19.4%

883 out of 911 responding (96.9%)

PC_INDIVGOVT. Statement A: Individuals ought to take responsibility for making sure they’re registered to vote. Statement B: Government ought to take responsibility for making sure all eligible voters are registered to vote.

PC_INDIVGOVT n %
1 - Strongly agree with Statement A 459 54.5%
2 120 14.3%
3 57 6.8%
4 - Neutral 100 11.9%
5 31 3.7%
6 39 4.7%
7 - Strongly agree with Statement B 35 4.2%

891 out of 911 responding (97.8%)

PC_DUTYCHOICE. Statement A: Voting is a duty; people should vote in every election no matter how they feel about the candidates and parties. Statement B: Voting is a choice; people can choose to vote or not to vote depending on how they feel…

PC_DUTYCHOICE n %
1 - Strongly agree with Statement A 121 14.3%
2 51 6.1%
3 80 9.5%
4 - Neutral 132 15.7%
5 54 6.3%
6 122 14.4%
7 - Strongly agree with Statement B 284 33.6%

889 out of 911 responding (97.6%)

How frequently, if at all, do you think the following types of election fraud occur nationwide?

FRAUD_Na. Voting more than once in an election

FRAUD_N_a n %
It is very common 31 3.4%
It occurs occasionally 115 12.9%
It occurs infrequently 194 21.7%
It almost never occurs 332 37.1%
I don’t know 224 25.0%

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)

FRAUD_Nb. Stealing or tampering with votes

FRAUD_N_b n %
It is very common 48 5.4%
It occurs occasionally 103 11.5%
It occurs infrequently 132 14.8%
It almost never occurs 349 38.9%
I don’t know 263 29.4%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

FRAUD_Nc. Falsely claiming to be someone else, in order to vote (i.e., voter impersonation)

FRAUD_N_c n %
It is very common 29 3.3%
It occurs occasionally 136 15.1%
It occurs infrequently 176 19.7%
It almost never occurs 306 34.2%
I don’t know 248 27.7%

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)

FRAUD_Nd. Voting by non-citizens

FRAUD_N_d n %
It is very common 77 8.5%
It occurs occasionally 133 14.8%
It occurs infrequently 158 17.7%
It almost never occurs 243 27.2%
I don’t know 284 31.8%

895 out of 911 responding (98.2%)

FRAUD_Ne. Voting by people who are not legal residents of the county or city they vote in

FRAUD_N_e n %
It is very common 75 8.4%
It occurs occasionally 162 18.1%
It occurs infrequently 182 20.4%
It almost never occurs 223 24.9%
I don’t know 253 28.2%

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)

Election Preparedness: Overall Evaluations

Based on your expertise and knowledge of election administration, and considering the uncertainties of this time, how confident are you that:

PREPELECTa. My office will be fully prepared to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election…

PREPELECT_a n %
Very confident 710 79.1%
Confident 171 19.1%
Somewhat confident 16 1.8%
Not at all confident 0 0.0%

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

PREPELECTb. My office will be sufficiently funded to administer a safe, secure, and accessible elect…

PREPELECT_b n %
Very confident 507 56.6%
Confident 291 32.5%
Somewhat confident 82 9.1%
Not at all confident 17 1.8%

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

PREPELECTc. Other election offices in my state will be fully prepared to administer a safe, secure…

PREPELECT_c n %
Very confident 431 48.8%
Confident 319 36.1%
Somewhat confident 93 10.6%
Not at all confident 39 4.4%

888 out of 911 responding (97.5%)

PREPELECTd. Election offices around the nation will be fully prepared to administer a safe, secure…

PREPELECT_d n %
Very confident 162 18.4%
Confident 374 42.5%
Somewhat confident 261 29.6%
Not at all confident 83 9.4%

887 out of 911 responding (97.4%)

Demographics

AGE. What is your age?

AGE n %
18 to 25 1 0.1%
26 to 34 26 3.0%
35 to 49 186 21.2%
50 to 64 465 53.0%
65+ 199 22.7%
I prefer not to answer 31

906 out of 911 responding (99.5%)

GENDER. How do you describe yourself?

GENDER n %
Male 152 17.5%
Female 713 82.4%
Other 1 0.1%
I prefer not to answer 40

902 out of 911 responding (99.0%)

ETHNIC: Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

ETHNIC n %
Yes 34 4.0%
No 807 96.0%
I prefer not to answer 65

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

RACE. How would you describe yourself?

RACE n %
American Indian or Alaskan Native 14 1.7%
Asian 1 0.1%
Black or African American 33 3.9%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0 0.0%
White 763 92.3%
2 or more races 17 2.0%
I prefer not to answer 73

900 out of 911 responding (98.8%)

EDUC. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

EDUC n %
Some high school 0 0.0%
High school 105 12.2%
Some college 259 30.2%
College 333 38.8%
Some graduate school 55 6.4%
Graduate school 107 12.5%
I prefer not to answer 36

898 out of 911 responding (98.6%)

SALARY. Please select your salary range.

SALARY n %
Less than $20,000 94 11.9%
$20,000 to $34,999 104 13.3%
$35,000 to $49,999 142 18.1%
$50,000 to $74,999 249 31.7%
$75,000 to $99,999 122 15.5%
$100,000 or more 74 9.4%
I prefer not to answer 113

896 out of 911 responding (98.4%)

PARTISANSHIP. Where would you place yourself on the following scale?

PARTISANSHIP n %
Strong Democrat 64 11.7%
Not very strong Democrat 41 7.5%
Independent, lean Democrat 70 13.0%
Independent 129 23.9%
Independent, lean Republican 49 9.0%
Not very strong Republican 57 10.5%
Strong Republican 123 22.8%
Other party 9 1.6%
I prefer not to answer 360

894 out of 911 responding (98.1%)