Exhibit A — CRS Report on State and Local Election Administration — PA Voters Alliance v. Centre County (M.D. Pa.)

Record facts

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania · No. 4:20-cv-01761-MWB · Doc. 37-2 · 2020-10-12 · Docket on CourtListener

Full text

Exhibit A 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 1 of 30

Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 2 of 30

 
Congressional Research Service 
 



The administration of elections in the United States is highly decentralized. Elections are 
primarily administered by thousands of state and local systems rather than a single, unified 
national system. 
States and localities share responsibility for most election administration duties. Exactly how 
responsibilities are assigned at the state and local levels varies both between and within states, 
but there are some general patterns in the distribution of duties. States typically have primary responsibility for making 
decisions about the rules of elections (policymaking). Localities typically have primary responsibility for conducting 
elections in accordance with those rules (implementation). Localities, with varying contributions from states, typically also 
have primary responsibility for paying for the activities and resources required to conduct elections (funding). 
The structures of the state and local systems that conduct elections also vary between and within states. Common variations 
include differences related to the leadership of the system, the relationship between local election officials and the state, and 
the population size and density of the jurisdiction the system serves. The leadership of a state or local election system may be 
elected or appointed, and both the leaders and the methods used to select them may be partisan, bipartisan, or nonpartisan. 
State officials may have more or less direct influence over local election officials, and the extent of their influence may be 
affected by other structural fea, such as the methods used to select local officials. Finally, 
larger election jurisdictions have different administrative advantages and challenges than smaller ones, and more urban 
jurisdictions have different advantages and challenges than more rural ones. These differences between jurisdictions may be 
reflected in structural features of the election systems that serve them, such as how the systems allocate resources and where 
they find specialized expertise. 
Understanding the duties and structures of state and local election systems may be relevant to Congress for at least two 
reasons. First, the way state and local election systems work can affect how well federal action on election administration 
serves its intended purposes. The effectiveness of federal action depends in part on how it is implemented. How it is 
implemented can depend, in turn, on how the state and local election systems that implement it work. Second, Congress can 
make or incentivize changes to the way state and local election systems work. Congress has a number of policy tools it can 
use to affect the administration of federal elections. The use of these tools caneither intentionally or unintentionallyaffect 
the state and local election systems that administer federal elections. 

March 4, 2019 





Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 3 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
 
 
 ..................................................................................................................................... 
 ................................................................................................ 
 ..................................................... 
............................................................................................................................. 
 ......................................................................................................................... 
 ..................................................................................................................................... 
 ................................................... 
 ................................................................................................................................ 
 ......................................................................................................... 
 .................................................................................................. 
 ..................................................... 
 ........................ 
 ........................................................................... 
 ................................................................... 
 ...................................................................... 
 ........................ 
 .......................................................................................... 
 
 
 ....................................... 
 ...................................................................... 
 ................................... 
   ........ 
 ...................................... 
 
 

 ........................................................................................................................ 
 
 
 ........................................................................................................................ 
 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 4 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
1 
 

1 

2 



3 



4 





 

5 6 

 





                                                 
1 Time, July 17, 2001, at http://content.time.com/time/
nation/article/0,8599,167906,00.htmlThe 
Brookings Institution, January 1, 2001, at https://www.brookings.edu/articles/reflections-on-the-2000-u-s-presidential-
election/. 
2 
The Washington Post, October 18, 2016, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/voter-
registration-system-crashes-in-va-preventing-some-from-signing-up-in-time/2016/10/18/5336f1ae-9558-11e6-9b7c-
57290af48a49_story.html?utm_term=.f1b3055443be; Erin Cox and Michael 
The Baltimore Sun, June 25, 2018, at 
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-voting-snafu-update-20180625-story.html. 
3 See, for example, H.R. 1044 and S. 360 in the 115th Congress and H.R. 1 in the 116th Congress. 
4 National Conference of State Legislatures, Election Administration at State and Local Levels, June 15, 2016, at 
http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/election-administration-at-state-and-local-levels.aspx. 
5 CRS Report RL30747, Congressional Authority to Direct How States Administer Elections, by Kenneth R. Thomas. 
6 For a general overview of some available policy tools, see Marie Louise Bemelmans-Videc, Ray C. Rist, and Evert 
Vedung, Carrots, Sticks, and Sermons: Policy Instruments and Their Evaluation (New York: Transaction Publishers, 
1998). 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 5 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
2 

 
 


7


8 

9 
10 



 
                                                 
7 e 
administration of federal elections. For more information, see CRS Report RL30747, Congressional Authority to Direct 
How States Administer Elections, by Kenneth R. Thomas. 
8 For examples of the role of the courts in election administration, see CRS Report R44675, Recent State Election Law 
Challenges: In Brief, by L. Paige Whitaker. For more on the federal role in election administration, see CRS Report 
R45302, Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections: An Overview, by R. Sam Garrett.  
9 One exception to this general characterization of the election process is North Dakota, which does not have voter 
registration. North Dakota Secretary of State, Q: How Many North Dakota Residents Are Registered to Vote?, at 
https://vip.sos.nd.gov/PortalListDetails.aspx?ptlhPKID=81&ptlPKID=7; Heather K. Gerken, The Democracy Index 
(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009), pp. 27-28. 
10 For more information about these topics, see CRS Report R43719, Campaign Finance: Constitutionality of Limits on 
Contributions and Expenditures, by L. Paige Whitaker; CRS Report R41542, The State of Campaign Finance Policy: 
Recent Developments and Issues for Congress, by R. Sam Garrett; and CRS Report R44199, Congressional 
Redistricting: Legal and Constitutional Issues, by L. Paige Whitaker. 
The Role of Text Boxes in the Report 
Most, if not all, aspects of election administration are carried out differently in some of the thousands of election 
jurisdictions in the United States than in others. There are some general patterns in the variations between state 
and local systems, and awareness of those patterns may be relevant to Members interested in election 
administration. For example, awareness of typical approaches to funding election administration and common 
exceptions may be relevant to Members who are considering proposing federal funding for state and local election 
administration. 
However, by their nature, general patterns are abstract. To make the discussion of the workings of state and local 
election systems more concrete, as well as to illustrate more fully the range of choices states and localities have 
made about certain aspects of election administration, the report provides examples in text boxes. As examples, 
these cases are jurisdiction-specific and cannot be assumed to generalize to other states or localities. Detailed 
information about election administration in other states and localities is available to congressional clients on 
request. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 6 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
3 

 




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

11 

12 
 

13 

 




 
Box 1. Paths to Automatic Voter Registration 
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA; P.L. 103-31; 107 Stat. 77) requires certain agencies, such as motor 
vehicle agencies and public assistance offices, to offer eligible voters opportunities to register to vote (52 U.S.C. 
§20504; 52 U.S.C. §20506). Traditionally, these agency-based registration opportunities have been opt-in; voters 
are not registered unless they indicate that they want to be. 
                                                 
11 For further information, see, for example, CRS Report R45302, Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections: An 
Overview, by R. Sam Garrett; and CRS Report RL30747, Congressional Authority to Direct How States Administer 
Elections, by Kenneth R. Thomas. 
12 Ballotpedia, Amending State Constitutions, at https://ballotpedia.org/Amending_state_constitutions. 
13 CRS Report RL30747, Congressional Authority to Direct How States Administer Elections, by Kenneth R. Thomas. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 7 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
4 
Starting in 2015, however, some states have shifted select agencies to an opt-out, or automatic, model. Automatic 
voter registration uses information submitted during other interactions with an agency, such as applying for a 
ed unless they opt out of registration.14 
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia had authorized automatic voter registration as of December 2018, 
according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.15 Those 17 jurisdictions took a variety of paths to the 
policy change, including the following: 
 
State Legislative Passage on the Recommendation of a State Executive Branch Official. 
Oregon enacted the first automatic registration law in the nation in 2015. The bill was prefiled for the 
2015 legislative session at the request of then-Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, and the Oregon 
state legislature passed it in March 2015. It was signed into law later that month by Brown, who was 
sworn in as governor in February 2015.16 
 
Administrative Implementation by State Executive Branch Officials. The Connecticut 
Department of Motor Vehicles and the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of State signed a 
memorandum of understanding in 2016 to establish automatic voter registration in state motor vehicle 
agencies. T
17 
 
Ballot Measure Approval by Voters. In November 2016, Alaska voters approved a proposal to 
institute 18 The PFD 
is an annual dividend that is available to Alaskans who have lived in the state for at least one calendar 
year, intend to remain there indefinitely, and meet certain other criteria.19 





20 
                                                 
14 National Conference of State Legislatures, Automatic Voter Registration, December 3, 2018, at http://www.ncsl.org/
research/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration.aspx. 
15 National Conference of State Legislatures, Automatic Voter Registration. 
16 In most states, the lieutenant governor is the first in the line of gubernatorial succession. Oregon, which does not 
have a lieutenant governor, starts its line of succession with the secretary of state. Oregon State Legislature, House Bill 
2177, at https://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2015/HB2177/
The Oregonian, March 16, 2015, at https://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/
index.ssf/2015/03/kate_brown_gets_to_sign_her_ow.htmlth 
The Oregonian, February 18, 2015, at https://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2015/02/
kate_brown_is_sworn_in_as_oreg.html; National Lieutenant Governors Association, 
Gubernatorial Powers, May 2011, at http://www.nlga.us/wp-content/uploads/States-Lines-of-Gubernatorial-
Succession-2.pdf. 
17 Memorandum of Understanding Between the Office of the Secretary 
of State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Regarding the Execution of the National 
Voter Registration Act of 1993http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/Elections/
DMV.SOTS.pdf. 
18 Alaska Division of Elections, An Initiative to Allow Qualified Individuals to Register to Vote When Submitting a 
Permanent Fund Dividend Application, June 11, 2015, at http://www.elections.alaska.gov/petitions/15PFVR/15PFVR-
Proposed-Bill-Language.pdf. 
19 Alaska Department of RevenuePermanent Fund Dividend Division, About Us, at https://pfd.alaska.gov/Division-
Info/About-Us; Alaska Department of RevenuePermanent Fund Dividend Division, Eligibility Requirements, at 
https://pfd.alaska.gov/Eligibility/Requirements. 
20 Kathleen Hale, Robert Montjoy, and Mitchell Brown, Administering Elections: How American Elections Work (New 
York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), pp. 32-33; Jocelyn F. Benson, State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the 
Democratic Process, p. 8; U.S. Government Accountability Office, Elections: Observations on Voting Equipment Use 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 8 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
5 



21 


 
Table 1. States with Citizen Initiative or Popular Referendum Processes 
State 
Citizen Initiative 
for Statutes 
Citizen Initiative for 
Constitutional 
Amendments 
Popular Referendum 
Alaska 
X 
 
X 
Arizona 
X 
X 
X 
Arkansas 
X 
X 
X 
California 
X 
X 
X 
Colorado 
X 
X 
X 
Florida 
 
X 
 
Idaho 
X 
 
X 
Illinois 
 
X 
 
Maine 
X 
 
X 
Maryland 
 
 
X 
Massachusetts 
X 
X 
X 
Michigan 
X 
X 
X 
Mississippi 
 
X 
 
Missouri 
X 
X 
X 
Montana 
X 
X 
X 
Nebraska 
X 
X 
X 
Nevada 
X 
X 
X 
New Mexico 
 
 
X 
North Dakota 
X 
X 
X 
Ohio 
X 
X 
X 
Oklahoma 
X 
X 
X 
Oregon 
X 
X 
X 
South Dakota 
X 
X 
X 
Utah 
X 
 
X 
Washington 
X 
 
X 
Wyoming 
X 
 
X 
Source: Initiative & Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California, January 2019, at 
http://www.iandrinstitute.org/states.cfm. 
Note: States with none of these three processes are not included in the table. 
                                                 
and Replacement, April 2018, pp. 8-9, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/692024.pdf. 
21 National Conference of State Legislatures, Initiative, Referendum and Recall, September 20, 2012, at 
http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-referendum-and-recall-overview.aspx. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 9 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
6 




22 
Box 2. Statewide Election Administration Ballot Measures in Nevada 
and North Carolina 
Election administration measures were on the ballot in a number of states and localities in November 2018.23 One 
of those measures was an automatic voter registration proposal in Nevada. As in most states, voter registration at 
Nevada motor vehicle agencies was opt-in as of the 2018 general election.24 The automatic registration measure 
on the 2018 ballot proposed making it opt-out.25 
Nevada offers an indirect citizen initiative process for state statutes.26 If proponents of a change in state law 
collect enough signatures in favor of the change, it is sent to the Nevada state legislature for consideration. The 
change is enacted if the state legislature and governor approve it and sent to the ballot for voter consideration if 
not.27 The 2018 automatic registration proposal was approved by the state legislature but vetoed by the 
governor.28 That meant it went to the ballot, where it was approved with 60% of the vote.29 
North Carolina voters weighed in on a voter ID proposal in November 2018. North Carolina enacted a law in 
2013 requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls.30 The law was struck down in 2016 by the U.S. 
Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.31 
North Carolina, like most states, permits its legislature to refer amendments to the state constitution to the ballot 
for voter approval.32 The North Carolina General Assembly referred a new photo ID requirement to the 
November 2018 ballot as a state constitutional amendment, and it was approved by voters 55% to 45%.33   
 
                                                 
22 For more on the election administration measures on the November 2018 ballot, see CRS Insight IN11000, Election 
Policy on the November 2018 Ballot, by Karen L. Shanton. 
23 Ballotpedia, 2018 Ballot Measures, at https://ballotpedia.org/2018_ballot_measures; Ballotpedia, Local Elections 
and Campaigns on the Ballot, at https://ballotpedia.org/Local_elections_and_campaigns_on_the_ballot. 
24 National Conference of State Legislatures, Automatic Voter Registration. 
25 Nevada Secretary of State, Statewide Ballot Questions to Appear on the November 6, 2018 General Election Ballot, 
at https://www.washoecounty.us/voters/files/18_election_files/18_ballot_questions_public_book.pdf. 
26 Nevada also offers a direct initiative process for state constitutional amendments. For more information about direct 
and indirect initiatives, see National Conference of State Legislatures, Initiative, Referendum, and Recall, September 
20, 2012, at http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-referendum-and-recall-overview.aspx. 
27 Nevada Constitution, Article 19, §2, clause 3; Initiative & Referendum Institute at the University of Southern 
California, Comparison of Statewide Initiative Processes, at http://www.iandrinstitute.org/docs/
A_Comparison_of_Statewide_IandR_Processes.pdf. 
28 Las Vegas Review-
Journal, March 21, 2017, at https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/sandovals-first-
veto-of-2017-session-rejects-voter-registration-initiative/. 
29 Nevada Secretary of State, Silver State Election Night Results 2018, at http://silverstateelection.com/ballot-questions/. 
30 North Carolina General Assembly, House Bill 589, at https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2013/h589. 
31 United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Opinion in Consolidated Cases No. 16-1468, 16-1469, 16-
1474, and 16-1529, at http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/published/161468.p.pdfth U.S. Circuit 
The Charlotte Observer, July 29, 2016, at 
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article92595012.html. 
32 An exception is Delaware. The Delaware state legislature can approve state constitutional amendments unilaterally 
with a two-thirds vote of its members in two consecutive legislative sessions. Delaware Constitution, Article XVI, §1. 
33 North Carolina State Board of Elections, Information on Constitutional Amendments on 2018 Ballot, at 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 10 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
7 
 
34 

35 







 



36 



37 



38 
 
                                                 
https://www.ncsbe.gov/elections/2018-election-information; North Carolina State Board of Elections, 11/06/2018 
Unofficial General Election ResultsStatewide, at https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/06/2018&county_id=0&
office=REF&contest=0. 
34 Alec Ewald, The Way We Vote: The Local Dimension of American Suffrage (Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University 
Press, 2009), p. 21. 
35 Alaska Division of Elections, Division of Elections Responsibilities, at http://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/
cityandboroughelections.php; Delaware General Assembly, Chapter 275, June 26, 2014, at 
http://delcode.delaware.gov/sessionlaws/ga147/chp275.shtml#TopOfPage; National Conference of State Legislatures, 
Election Costs: What States Pay, August 3, 2018, at http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/election-
costs.aspx; Hale, Montjoy, and Brown, Administering Elections, p. 41. 
36 Hale, Montjoy, and Brown, Administering Elections, p. 38; U.S. Government Accountability Office, Elections: 
Observations on Voting Equipment Use and Replacement, April 2018, p. 9, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/
692024.pdf. 
37 For example, Michigan splits implementation duties between counties and municipalities, and counties conduct some 
elections in Illinois while municipalities conduct others. Michigan Secretary of State, 
Structure Overview, at https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_8716-27476,00.html; Hale, Montjoy, and 
Brown, Administering Elections, p. 38. 
38 Hale, Montjoy, and Brown, Administering Elections, pp. 42-43. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 11 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
8 
Table 2. States with Multiple Local Election Offices 
State 
Local Election Offices 
Alabama 
Probate Judge 
Clerk of Circuit Court 
Sheriff 
Board of Registrars 
Arizona 
Director or Administrator 
County Recorder 
Arkansas 
County Board of Election Commissioners 
County Clerk 
Connecticut 
Registrars of Voters 
Town Clerk 
Georgia 
Judge of Probate 
County Board of Registrars 
Indiana 
County Election Board 
Clerk of Circuit Court or Board of Registration 
Louisiana 
Clerk of District Court 
Registrar of Voters 
Maine 
Town/City Clerk 
Registrar of Voters 
Massachusetts 
City/Town Clerk 
Board of Registrars of Voters 
Michigan 
County Clerk 
County Election Commission 
City/Township Clerk 
City/Township Election Commission 
Mississippi 
County Board of Election Commissioners 
County Registrar (Clerk of Circuit Court) 
Nevada 
County Clerk 
Registrar of Voters in Clark and Washoe Counties 
New Hampshire 
Moderator 
Town/City Clerk 
Superintendent of Checklist (towns)/Board of Registrars (cities) 
Board of Selectmen 
New Jersey 
County Clerk 
County Board of Elections 
New Mexico 
County Board of Registration 
County Clerk 
South Carolina 
County Board of Registration 
Commissioners of Elections 
Texas 
County Clerk 
County Tax Assessor/Collector 
Virginia 
County/City Electoral Boards 
County/City Registrars 
Source: Kathleen Hale, Robert Montjoy, and Mitchell Brown, Administering Elections: How American Elections 
Work (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), p. 43. 
Note: The data in this table were published in 2015 and have not been independently verified by CRS. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 12 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
9 
 





 




39 

40 


41 
42 

43 



44 
                                                 
39 In addition to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 
Islands were eligible for formula-based payments (52 U.S.C. §20310(6)). For more information about HAVA grants 
and payments, see CRS Report RS20898, The Help America Vote Act and Election Administration: Overview and 
Selected Issues for the 2016 Election, by Arthur L. Burris and Eric A. Fischer; and CRS In Focus IF10925, State 
Election Reform Payments: FY2018 Appropriations, by Karen L. Shanton. 
40 CRS Report RS20898, The Help America Vote Act and Election Administration: Overview and Selected Issues for 
the 2016 Election, by Arthur L. Burris and Eric A. Fischer; CRS In Focus IF10925, State Election Reform Payments: 
FY2018 Appropriations, by Karen L. Shanton; National Association of Secretari
https://www.nass.org/node/1364. 
41 Considering the St, 2017, p. 3; National Conference of 
State Legislatures, Election Costs: What States Pay.  
42 States are required to provide matching funds for requirements payments and for the funding appropriated in March 
2018 in H.R. 1625. For more information, see U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Managing Requirements 
Payments, at https://www.eac.gov/payments-and-grants/managing-requirements-payments/; and U.S. Election 
Assistance Commission, HAVA Funds State Chart View, at https://www.eac.gov/payments-and-grants/hava-funds-
state-chart-view/. 
43 National Conference of State Legislatures, Election Costs: What States Pay. 
44 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Observations on Voting Equipment Use and Replacement, April 2018, at 
https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/691201.pdf. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 13 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
10 
Table 3. State Contributions to the Costs of Acquiring Voting Equipment 

acquisition of voting equipment used in your state? 
Contribution 
Number of States 
State covers all acquisition costs for the voting equipment 
11 
State provides financial assistance or cost sharing to local jurisdictions for 
equipment acquisition 
8 
State does not provide any financial assistance or cost sharing to local 
jurisdictions for equipment acquisition 
24 
Other 
2 
 know 
1 
Source: Observations on Voting Equipment Use and Replacement, U.S. Government Accountability Office, April 
2018, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/691201.pdf. 
Notes: GAO surveyed the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It received surveys from 46 respondents. All 
46 respondents answered this question. 

45 




46 
Table 4. State Contributions to the Costs of Maintaining and 
Operating Voting Equipment 
Does your state generally pay all, some, or none of the operation or maintenance costs of the voting 
equipment used in your state? 
Contribution 
Maintenance Costs 
Operation Costs 
State generally pays all costs 
12 states 
8 states 
State generally pays some costs 
8 
11 
State does not pay any costs 
25 
26 
 
0 
0 
Source: Observations on Voting Equipment Use and Replacement, U.S. Government Accountability Office, April 
2018, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/691201.pdf. 
Notes: GAO surveyed the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It received surveys from 46 respondents. 
Forty-five of the 46 respondents answered this question.  

47 
                                                 
45 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Observations on Voting Equipment Use and Replacement. 
46 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Observations on Voting Equipment Use and Replacement. 
47 Some states also share the election-specific costs of conducting certain nonfederal elections. For more information 
about both types of cost-sharing arrangements, see National Conference of State Legislatures, Election Costs: What 
States Pay. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 14 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
11 

 
Box 3. Examples of State-Local Cost-Sharing Arrangements for Federal Elections 
The states that have federal election cost-sharing arrangements with their localities take different approaches to 
sharing the costs. Some share costs for all federal elections, whereas others cover expenses only for certain types 
of races. What kinds of costs states cover, how much of the cost they assume, and how they calculate their share 
also varies.  
Cost-sharing arrangements for federal elections can be detailed and complex. The examples below summarize one 
of the kinds of cost sharing employed by each of five selected states. 
 
Alabama: 100% of the costs of conducting elections that include only state or federal races and 50% of 
the costs of elections that also include county races.48 
 
Delaware: 100% of the costs of conducting elections.49 
 
Kentucky: $255 per precinct for each election.50 
 
 
Michigan: 100% of the costs of conducting presidential primary elections.51 
 
Washington: Prorated shares of the costs of conducting special elections for the U.S. Senate and the 
U.S. House of Representatives.52 
For more information about state-local cost-sharing arrangements for federal elections, see National Conference 
of State Legislatures, Election Costs: What States Pay, August 3, 2018, at http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-
campaigns/election-costs.aspx. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



53 
                                                 
48 Alabama Code §17-16-3; Alabama Code §17-16-4. 
49 Delaware Code title 15, §215; Delaware Code title 15, §3111; Delaware Code title 15, §4514; Delaware Code title 
15, §5714; Delaware Code title 15, §7109; Delaware Code title 15, §7306. 
50 Kentucky Revised Statutes §117.345. 
51 Michigan Compiled Laws §168.624g. 
52 Washington Revised Code §29A 04-420. 
53 Hale, Montjoy, and Brown, Administering Elections, pp. 38-43. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 15 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
12 


 
54 


 
Table 5. Titles and Selection Methods of Chief State Election Officials 
State 
Chief State Election Official 
Selection Method 
Alabama 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Alaska 
Lieutenant Governor 
Elected 
Arizona 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Arkansas 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
California 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Colorado 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Connecticut 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Delaware 
State Election Commissioner 
Appointed 
Florida 
Secretary of State 
Appointed 
Georgia 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Hawaii 
Chief Election Officer 
Appointed 
Idaho 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Illinois 
Executive Director of the State Board of Elections 
Appointed 
Indiana 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Iowa 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Kansas 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Kentucky 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Louisiana 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Maine 
Secretary of State 
Appointed 
Maryland 
Administrator of Elections 
Appointed 
Massachusetts 
Secretary of the Commonwealth 
Elected 
Michigan 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Minnesota 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Mississippi 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
                                                 
54 The NVRA requires states to designate a chief state electio
the act (52 U.S.C. §20509). HAVA and UOCAVA also assign certain responsibilities to the chief state election official 
(see, for example, 52 U.S.C. §20302(g)-(h) and 52 U.S.C. §21083(a)(1)(A)). HAVA defines the chief state election 
official as the officeholder designated as such under NVRA (52 U.S.C. §21003(e)), but some states name different 
individuals to the position under the different laws. For example, Indiana law names the co-directors of the state 
Election Division to coordinate NVRA responsibilities but assigns primary responsibility for HAVA-related duties to 
the secretary of state. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 16 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
13 
State 
Chief State Election Official 
Selection Method 
Missouri 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Montana 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Nebraska 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Nevada 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
New Hampshire 
Secretary of State 
Appointed 
New Jersey 
Secretary of State 
Appointed 
New Mexico 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
New York 
Co-Director of the State Board of Elections 
Appointed 
North Carolina 
Executive Director of the State Board of Elections 
Appointed 
North Dakota 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Ohio 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Oklahoma 
Secretary of the State Election Board 
Appointed 
Oregon 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Pennsylvania 
Secretary of the Commonwealth 
Appointed 
Rhode Island 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
South Carolina 
Executive Director of the State Election Commission 
Appointed 
South Dakota 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Tennessee 
Secretary of State 
Appointed 
Texas 
Secretary of State 
Appointed 
Utah 
Lieutenant Governor 
Elected 
Vermont 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Virginia 
Commissioner of the State Department of Elections 
Appointed 
Washington 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
West Virginia 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Wisconsin 
Administrator of the State Elections Commission 
Appointed 
Wyoming 
Secretary of State 
Elected 
Sources: U.S. Election Assistance Commission; National Association of Secretaries of State; and National 
Conference of State Legislatures. 
Note: Some states designate different chief state election officials for different purposes, so this list may deviate 
from lists of chief state election officials in other sources. Congressional clients may contact CRS for more 
information about such variations. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 17 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
14 



 
Box 4. Variations in the Leadership of Local Election Systems 
in Florida and Wisconsin 
State law may permit or require variations in the leadership of local election systems. One example of a state that 
has permitted variation is Florida. Florida has county home rule, which means that residents of a county can 
choose to establish their own county government by charter.55 Unlike non-charter counties, which have only the 
powers of self-government explicitly granted to them by the state, charter counties have all powers of self-
government that are not inconsistent with state law.56 
Prior to a 2018 change, which is described in Box 5, those powers included decisions about how to select county 
supervisors of elections. -Dade County and Broward 
County, are both charter counties.57 Miami-Dade opted for an appointed election supervisor, whereas Broward 
chose to elect its election supervisor.58 
An example of a state that requires variation in the leadership of its local election systems is Wisconsin. 
Municipalities have primary responsibility for running elections in Wisconsin, and most local election systems are 
led by a municipal clerk.59 However, state law requires cities with more than 500,000 people to establish a three-
member municipal board of election commissioners.60 



 
 
 
                                                 
55 Florida Constitution Article VIII, §1, cl. (c), available at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=
3#A8. 
56 Florida Constitution Article VIII, §1, cl. (f)-(g), available at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?submenu=
3#A8. 
57 Florida Association of Counties, County Population and General Information, at https://www.fl-counties.com/
county-population-and-general-information; Florida Association of Counties, Charter County Information, at 
https://www.fl-counties.com/charter-county-information. 
58 The Home Rule Amendment and Charter, Miami-Dade County, Florida, Section 2.01. Responsibilities of the Mayor, 
p. 21, at https://www.miamidade.gov/charter/library/charter.pdf; Charter of Broward County, FL, Section 11.10. 
Constitutional Officers Subject to Code of Ethics, p. 30, at https://www.broward.org/Charter/Documents/
CharterBrowardCountyRevisedNov82016.pdf. 
59 Steven F. Huefner, Daniel P. Tokaji, and Edward B. Foley, From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems 
of Five Midwestern States (Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University, 2007), p. 132, at https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/
electionlaw/projects/registration-to-recounts/book.pdf. 
60 Wisconsin Statutes Annotated §7.20, at https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/7. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 18 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
15 
 






 


                                                 
61 Florida Division of Elections, Proposed Constitutional Amendments and Revisions for the 2018 General Election, p. 
31, at https://dos.myflorida.com/media/699824/constitutional-amendments-2018-general-election-english.pdf; Florida 
Constitution Revision Commission, About the CRC, at http://flcrc.gov/About.html. 
62 Florida Division of Elections, Amendment No. 10, at https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/CompareStateToCounty/
900010. 
63 The Home Rule Amendment and Charter, Miami-Dade County, Florida, Section 2.01. Responsibilities of the Mayor, 
p. 21. 
64 Wisconsin Elections Commission, About the Wisconsin Elections Commission, at https://elections.wi.gov/about; 
Huefner, Tokaji, and Foley, From Registration to Recounts, p. 115. 
65 Huefner, Tokaji, and Foley, From Registration to Recounts, p. 115; Wisconsin Elections Commission, About the 
Wisconsin Elections Commission. 
66 Wisconsin Elections Commission, About the Wisconsin Elections Commission. 
Box 5. Changes in the Leadership of Election Systems in Florida and Wisconsin 
Changes in the leadership of election systems, like other election administration policy changes, may be made in 
various ways. For example, state legislatureswith input from their governorscan revise features of election 
system leadership that are in state statute. Voters in states that permit use of ballot measures to amend state 
statutes or the state constitution may be able to approve changes by popular vote. 
Florida voters used this latter option in 2018 to change the way some of their local election officials are selected. 
The Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a state commission that meets every 20 years to review the state 
constitution and identify possible amendments, proposed requiring county election supervisors and other county 
officials to be elected.61 The measure was approved with 63% of the vote.62 

populous county. Under the Miami-
the county mayor.63 The 2018 measure requires the county to elect its election supervisor instead. 
s to its state election system leadership. In 1974, it 
transferred leadership of the state election system from the state secretary of state to an eight-member State 
Elections Board with members appointed by the chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the governor, the 
majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature, and the chairs of the state Democratic 
Party and the state Republican Party.64 
In 2007, it merged that board with the State Ethics Board to form a six-member Government Accountability 

to confirmation by the state Senate.65 
The legislature split the GAB back into separate ethics and elections boards in 2015. Two of the six members of 
the Wisconsin Elections Commission are appointed by the governor, and the other four are appointed by the 
majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature.66 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 19 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
16 

67 


68




 
 




69 

 

70 

71 
72 





73 
                                                 
67 Huefner, Tokaji, and Foley, From Registration to Recounts, p. 63. 
68 Huefner, Tokaji, and Foley, From Registration to Recounts, pp. 63-64. 
69 This count does not include North Dakota, which does not have voter registration. U.S. Election Assistance 
Commission, 2016 Election Administration Voting Survey Dataset, at https://www.eac.gov/research-and-data/2016-
election-administration-voting-survey/. 
70 
Publius, vol. 40, no. 2 (Spring 2010), at https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40608378.pdf?refreqid=
excelsior%3A70863f2535d17458ccd7a553896a7dc7; David C. Kimball and Brady Bay
Election Law Journal, vol. 12, no. 2 (2013), at 
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e12f/d6a7696cfb4b33c5d179d2eb6e20370f384d.pdf; National Conference of State 
The Canvass, Issue 52, October 2014, pp. 2-3, at 
http://www.ncsl.org/Documents/legismgt/elect/Canvass_Oct_2014_No_52.pdf. 
71 
-3. 
72 National C 
73 Gerken, The Democracy Index, p. 21. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 20 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
17 

74 




75 


76 


77 

 




 

 




78 
                                                 
74 Huefner, Tokaji, and Foley, From Registration to Recounts, p. 62. 
75 U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Urban-Rural Study: Final Report, April 15, 2013, p. ii, at 
https://www.eac.gov/assets/1/28/EAC%20Urban_Rural%20Study%20Final%20Report%205_17_13.pdf. 
76 National Conference of State Legislatures, Election Costs: What States Pay
The American Review of Public Administration, vol. 42, no. 5 (2012), p. 619, at 
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0275074011413914. 
77  
78 Bemelmans-Videc, Rist, and Vedung, Carrots, Sticks, and Sermons: Policy Instruments and Their Evaluation. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 21 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
18 
 

79 
 






80 
 
Box 6. UOCAVA Compliance in Alabama 
UOCAVA requires states to transmit validly requested absentee ballots to eligible absent uniformed services and 
overseas citizens at least 45 days before Election Day (52 U.S.C. §20302(a)(8)). In 2012, the U.S. Department of 
Justice filed a complaint against Alabama for failing to comply with that requirement.81 
In a response to the complaint, Alabama said that local officials were responsible for transmitting the absentee 
ballots and that 
If a local official refuses to cooperate or provide information to the Secretary of State, the Secretary has no 

 
So while the Defendants can inform and train local election officialsand always want to look for ways to 
improve in doing sothe Defendants cannot perform the duties of local election officials. Defendants cannot 
force them to fulfill their duties on a timely basis, or fire them if they do not.82 
illustrates the potential interaction between the division of election administration duties and 
efforts to comply with federal requirements. According to the state, part of the issue in its case is that local 
officials rather than state officials are responsible for the tasks required for compliance. This issue is compounded, 
the state suggests, by the structure of the relationship between state and local officials; local officials are popularly 
elected and not subject to removal by state officials, so the state has limited control over whether or how they 
perform the tasks required for compliance. 
 

83 

 


                                                 
79 For more on congressional authority over election administration, see CRS Report RL30747, Congressional 
Authority to Direct How States Administer Elections, by Kenneth R. Thomas.  
80 Justin Weinstein-Michigan Law Review, vol. 114, no. 747 (March 2016), pp. 751-
752, at http://michiganlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/114MichLRev.747_WeinsteinTull.pdf. 
81 U.S. Department of Justice, Voting Section Litigation, at https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section-
litigation#uocava_cases. 
82 Weinstein--769. 
83 CRS Report RL30747, Congressional Authority to Direct How States Administer Elections, by Kenneth R. Thomas. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 22 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
19 


 




 



 


 
Box 7. HAVA Funding in Nevada, Minnesota, and Virginia 
Congress appropriated $380 million for HAVA payments in March 2018, but some states did not claim or use 
their funds immediately. According to the deputy secretary of elections in one of those states, Nevada, election 
officials needed both gubernatorial and legislative approval to request the funds.84 A budget dispute between the 
governor and state legislature in another state, Minnesota, reportedly delayed use of funds the state had claimed. 85 
Funding for payments to states was also appropriated under HAVA in earlier years.86 Creek and Karnes 
interviewed local election officials in Virginia about their experiences with the use of that funding. They reported 

ill-conceiv87 
the state authorized to check polling place accessibility. The same survey had been completed two years earlier, 
and while most saw it simply as a was88 
 


 


 
                                                 
84 NPR, June 18, 2018, at 
https://www.npr.org/2018/06/18/617874348/bureaucracy-and-politics-slow-election-security-funding-to-states. 
85 U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration, Testimony of Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, June 20, 
2018, at https://www.rules.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Simon%20Election%20Security%20Testimony.pdf; Office of the 
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, Secretary Simon Calls on Legislature to Release Federal Funding for 
Election Cyber Securityhttps://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-the-office/news-room/secretary-simon-
calls-on-legislature-to-release-federal-funding-for-election-cyber-security/. 
86 For more information about this funding, see CRS Report RS20898, The Help America Vote Act and Election 
Administration: Overview and Selected Issues for the 2016 Election, by Arthur L. Burris and Eric A. Fischer.  
87  
88  
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 23 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
20 
Box 8. Election Security Information Sharing 
Following reports of attempted foreign interference in the 2016 election, the U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS) designated state and local election systems as critical infrastructure.89 The critical infrastructure 
designation is designed to come with prioritized access to DHS support and information, but some of that 
information was reportedly delayed by a misunderstanding of or miscommunication about the distribution of 
election administration duties. 
According to NASS, DHS officials may have sent some initial election security notifications to chief state 
information officers and chief state information security officers rather than the state and local election officials 
who are primarily responsible for election cybersecurity duties.90 

 





 







91 
 






 
 


                                                 
89 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Statement by Secretary Jeh Johnson on the Designation of Election 
Infrastructure as a Critical Infrastructure Subsector, January 6, 2017, at https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/01/06/
statement-secretary-johnson-designation-election-infrastructure-critical. For more information, see CRS In Focus 
IF10677, The Designation of Election Systems as Critical Infrastructure, by Eric A. Fischer. 
90 National Association of Secretaries of State, Letter from NASS President Connie Lawson to Secretary of Homeland 
Security John Kelly, July 20, 2017, at https://www.nass.org/sites/default/files/nass-letter-urgent-items-sec-kelly-
072017.doc.pdf. 
91 Hale, Montjoy, and Brown, Administering Elections, p. 32. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 24 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
21 


 
 



 
 




 
 


 
 



92 
                                                 
92 For discussion of potential federalism-related complications, see Weinstein- 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 25 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
22 
Appendix. 
 
Statute 
Summary of Provisions Governing State and Local Election Administration 
Help America Vote Act 
of 2002 (HAVA; P.L. 
107-252, 116 Stat. 
1666) 
 
Authorizes payments to states to make general improvements to the 
administration of federal elections, replace lever and punch card voting 
systems, comply with the requirements of the act, and comply with 
requirements of UOCAVA (52 U.S.C. §20904; 52 U.S.C. §21007) 
 
Authorizes payments to states and localities to make polling places accessible 
to voters with disabilities and provide voter information for voters with 
disabilities (52 U.S.C. §21024) 
 
Authorizes payments to state protection and advocacy systems to assure 
access to voting for voters with disabilities (52 U.S.C. §21062) 
 
Requires states to provide a 5% match, submit a plan for use of the federal 

activities conducted and expenditures made with the funds (52 U.S.C. 
§21003(b)(5)(A); 52 U.S.C. §21003(b); 52 U.S.C. §21008) 
 
Requires states and localities that receive payments to make polling places 
accessible to voters with disabilities and provide voter information for voters 
with disabilities to report activities conducted and expenditures made with 
the funds (52 U.S.C. §21025(a)) 
 
Requires states and localities that receive payments under HAVA to keep 
records with respect to the payments and provides for audits of their use of 
the payments (52 U.S.C. §21142) 
 
Requires states to use voting systems that allow voters to verify their ballots 
and correct any errors before casting them, notify voters if they vote for 
more than one candidate for a single office and allow them to correct their 
ballots before casting them, produce a permanent paper record that can be 
manually audited, are accessible to voters with disabilities, provide alternative 
language accessibility, and comply with national error rate standards (52 
U.S.C. §21081(a)(1)-(5)) 
 
Requires states to adopt a uniform standard of what counts as a vote on each 
voting system they use (52 U.S.C. §21081(a)(6)) 
 
Requires states to offer provisional ballots to voters whose names do not 
appear on the registration list, whose eligibility to vote is otherwise in 
question, or who are first-time voters who registered by mail and do not 
present required ID (52 U.S.C. §21082(a); 52 U.S.C. 21083(b)(2)(B)) 
 
Requires states to post voting information at the polls on federal election 
days (52 U.S.C. §21082(b)) 
 
Requires states to establish and states and localities to maintain a centralized, 
computerized statewide voter registration list, provide adequate security 
measures to prevent unauthorized access to the list, and maintain a minimum 
standard of accuracy for registration recordsa (52 U.S.C. §21083(a)) 
 

the last four digits of their Social Security numbers when applying to register 
and requires election officials to verify the numbers (52 U.S.C. 
§21083(a)(5)(A)) 
 
Requires states to establish data-matching agreements between the chief state 
election official, the official responsible for the state motor vehicle agency, 
and the commissioner of Social Security (52 U.S.C. §21083(a)(5)(B)) 
 
Requires first-time voters who register by mail to present a current and valid 
photo ID or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 26 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
23 
Statute 
Summary of Provisions Governing State and Local Election Administration 
paycheck, or other government document with name and address at the polls 
if voting in person or to include a copy of one of the above forms of 
identification with their ballots if voting by mail (52 U.S.C. §21083(b)(2)(a)) 
 
Requires states to maintain a state-based administrative complaint procedure 
if they receive any payments under the act (52 U.S.C. §21112) 
National Voter 
Registration Act of 
1993 (NVRA; P.L. 103-
31, 107 Stat. 77)b 
 

motor vehicle agency as applications for voter registration or updates to 
voter registration information unless they are not signed by the applicant in a 
specified place (52 U.S.C. §20503; 52 U.S.C. §20504(a)-(c)) 
 
Requires states to process change of address forms submitted to a state 
motor vehicle agency as a change of address for voting purposes unless the 
registrant indicates that it is not for voter registration purposes (52 U.S.C. 
§20504(d)) 
 
Requires states to designate public assistance offices, offices that provide 
state-funded programs that primarily provide services to persons with 
disabilities, armed forces recruitment offices, and other offices in the state as 
voter registration offices, which must distribute mail voter registration 
application forms, offer assistance with completing the forms, and transmit 
completed forms to election officials (52 U.S.C. §20503; 52 U.S.C. §20506) 
 
Requires states to transmit completed voter registration forms submitted at 
motor vehicle agencies and designated voter registration agencies to election 
officials within 10 days of acceptance or, if the application is submitted within 
5 days of the election, 5 days of acceptance (52 U.S.C. §20504(e); 52 U.S.C. 
§20506(d)) 
 
Requires states to accept the federal mail voter registration application form 
created by the act and to make the form available through various public and 
private entities (52 U.S.C. §20503; 52 U.S.C. §20505) 
 
Requires states to send notices to voter registration applicants about the 
disposition of their applications (52 U.S.C. §20507(a)(2)) 
 
Requires states to conduct a general program to remove the names of 
ineligible voters from the voter rolls, complete the program no later than 90 
days before an election, and follow specified procedures for removing the 
names of ineligible voters from the rolls (52 U.S.C. §20507) 
 
Requires states to inform voters who apply to register to vote at motor 
vehicle agencies, by mail, or at designated voter registration agencies of the 
voter eligibility requirements and the penalties for submitting a false 
application (52 U.S.C. §20507(a)(5)) 
 
Requires states to retain information related to voter list maintenance for at 
least two years and make it available for public inspection (52 U.S.C. 
§20507(i)) 
 
Requires states to designate a chief state election official to coordinate 
activities under the act (52 U.S.C. §20509) 
Uniformed and 
Overseas Citizens 
Absentee Voting Act of 
1986 (UOCAVA; P.L. 
99-410, 100 Stat. 924) 
 
Requires states to permit absent uniformed services and overseas voters to 
register and vote absentee (52 U.S.C. §20302(a)(1)) 
 
Requires states to process any otherwise valid voter registration and 
absentee ballot applications from absent uniformed services and overseas 
voters that are received at least 30 days before an election (52 U.S.C. 
§20302(a)(2)) 
 
Requires states to allow absent uniformed services and overseas voters to 
use the federal write-in absentee ballot or an approved state substitutec (52 
U.S.C. §20302(a)(3)) 
 
Requires states to allow absent uniformed services and overseas voters to 
use the official post card form for simultaneous voter registration and 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 27 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
24 
Statute 
Summary of Provisions Governing State and Local Election Administration 
absentee ballot applications (52 U.S.C. §20302(a)(4)) 
 
Requires states to accept the standard oath established under the act, if they 
require an oath or affirmation (52 U.S.C. §20302(a)(5)) 
 
Requires states to establish procedures for absent uniformed services and 
overseas voters to request and receive voter registration applications, 
absentee ballot applications, and absentee ballots by mail or electronically, 
depending on their preference (52 U.S.C. §20302(a)(6)-(7); 52 U.S.C. 
§20302(e)-(f)) 
 
Requires states to transmit absentee ballots to absent uniformed services and 
overseas voters no later than 45 days before an election for absentee ballot 
requests that are received at least 45 days before the election and as quickly 
as practicable in other cases unless granted a hardship waiver (52 U.S.C. 
§20302(a)(8); 52 U.S.C. §29392(g)) 
 
Requires states to establish a written plan to ensure ballots are transmitted 
to absent uniformed services and overseas voters in time to participate in the 
runoff, if the state conducts a runoff election (52 U.S.C. §20302(a)(9)) 
 
Requires states to report the number of absentee ballots transmitted to and 
received from absent uniformed services and overseas voters (52 U.S.C. 
§20302(a)(11); 52 U.S.C. §20302(c)) 
 
Requires states to designate a single state office to provide information on 
registration and absentee ballot procedures for absent uniformed services and 
overseas voters (52 U.S.C. §20302(b)) 
 
Requires states to provide absent uniformed services and overseas voters 
whose voter registration or absentee ballot applications are rejected with 
reasons for the rejection (52 U.S.C. §20302(d)) 
 
Requires states to designate a means of electronic communication for 
purposes of voting by absent uniformed services and overseas voters (52 
U.S.C. §20302(e)) 
 
Requires states to develop a free access system absent uniformed services 
and overseas voters can use to determine whether their absentee ballots 
have been received by election officials (52 U.S.C. §20302(h)) 
 
Prohibits states from refusing to accept voter registration or absentee ballot 
applications or absentee ballots from absent uniformed services and overseas 
voters solely on the basis of notarization requirements or restrictions on 
paper or envelope type (52 U.S.C. §20302(i); 52 U.S.C. §20303(f)) 
 
Prohibits states from refusing to accept voter registration or absentee ballot 
applications from absent uniformed services voters on the grounds that they 
were submitted earlier than the state typically accepts voter registration or 
absentee ballot applications (52 U.S.C. §20306) 
Voting Accessibility for 
the Elderly and 
Handicapped Act of 
1984 (VAEHA; P.L. 98-
435, 98 Stat. 1678)d 
 
Requires states and localities to ensure that all polling places are accessible to 
elderly voters and voters with disabilities (52 U.S.C. §20102(a)-(b)) 
 
Requires states to report the number of accessible and inaccessible polling 
places in the state for the most recent federal general election and the 
reasons inaccessible polling places were inaccessible (52 U.S.C. §20102(c)) 
 
Requires states and localities to provide a reasonable number of accessible 
permanent voter registration facilities, unless they offer registration by mail 
or at voter residences (52 U.S.C. §20103) 
 
Requires states to provide registration and voting aids for elderly voters and 
voters with disabilities (52 U.S.C. §20104(a)) 
 
Requires states and localities to permit voters with disabilities to join the 
permanent absentee list or apply for an absentee ballot after the application 
deadline without providing a notarization or medical certification (52 U.S.C. 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 28 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service 
25 
Statute 
Summary of Provisions Governing State and Local Election Administration 
§20104(b)) 
 
Requires states to provide public notice of the procedures for voting 
absentee and the availability of registration and voting aids for elderly voters 
and voters with disabilities (52 U.S.C. §20104(c)) 
Voting Rights Act of 
1965 (VRA; P.L. 89-
110. 79 Stat. 437)e 
 
Prohibits states and localities from denying or abridging the right to vote on 
account of race, color, membership in certain language minority groups, or 
failure to comply with specified requirements (52 U.S.C. §10301(a); 52 U.S.C. 
§10303(f)(2); 52 U.S.C. §10501) 
 
Requires certain states and localitiesidentified by a formula specified in the 
lawto seek preclearance from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. 
District Court for the District of Columbia for proposed changes to their 
voting practices and proceduresf (52 U.S.C. §10303-10304) 
 
Provides for requiring states and localities that violate the Fourteenth or 
Fifteenth Amendment to obtain preclearance for changes to their voting 
practices and procedures (52 U.S.C. §10302) 
 
Requires certain states and localitiesidentified by a formula specified in the 
lawto provide ballots and other registration and voting materials in 
minority languages (52 U.S.C. §10303(f); 52 U.S.C. §10503) 
 
Prohibits anyone acting under color of law from refusing to permit qualified 
voters to vote or refusing to tabulate, count, and report their votes (52 
U.S.C. §10307(a)) 
 
Prohibits anyone from engaging in voter intimidation, threatening, or coercion 
(52 U.S.C. §10307(b)) 
 
Prohibits states and localities from imposing durational residency 
requirements for presidential elections and requires them to comply with 
uniform standards for absentee registration and voting in presidential 
elections (52 U.S.C. §10502) 
Sources: CRS, based on analysis of the text of the statutes and the U.S. Code. 
Notes: Laws are presented as amended, where relevant. 
a. 
States that have not had a voter registration requirement for federal elections since at least October 29, 
2002, are exempt from the HAVA requirement to establish a statewide voter registration list (52 U.S.C. 
§21083(a)(1)(B)). 
b. 
States that have either not required voter registration or offered Election Day registration for federal 
elections since at least August 1, 1994, are exempt from the NVRA (52 U.S.C. §20503(b)). 
c. 
States that have required absentee ballots to be made available to certain voters at least 90 days before an 
election or as soon as the official list of candidates is complete since at least August 28, 1986, are exempt 
from the UOCAVA requirement to accept the federal write-in absentee ballot (52 U.S.C. §20303(g)).  
d. 
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA; P.L. 101-336, 104 Stat. 327) also requires states to make 
reasonable accommodations for voters with disabilities to ensure they are not denied access to the vote.  
e. 
Various civil rights acts have contained provisions intended to ensure access to voting to all eligible voters 
regardless of race or color. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA; P.L. 86-449, 74 Stat. 89) also contains a 
provision that regulates the retention of records related to federal elections (52 U.S.C. §20701).  
f. 
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula in the VRA in 2013. This provision remains in 
effect, but, unless Congress adopts a new formula, no states or localities are subject to it. 
 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 29 of 30

The State and Local Role in Election Administration: Duties and Structures 
 
Congressional Research Service  
R45549
26 
 
 
 
Karen L. Shanton 
Analyst in American National Government 
    
  
 
 
 
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan 
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and 
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other 
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in 

subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in 
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or 
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to 
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material. 
 
Case 4:20-cv-01761-MWB   Document 37-2   Filed 10/12/20   Page 30 of 30

File and source

File

gov.uscourts.pamd.126465.37.2.pdf

Size

1,118,790 bytes

SHA-256

09165d30e4a8bc9f6f6b442285a700586b99737267bed9e89d546ab1209d1034

Our copy

gov.uscourts.pamd.126465.37.2.pdf

Original

archive.org