The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/
The constitutions and laws of each state assign elections administration to various people and institutions. There is enormous variation across the U.S. in this regard.
The Chief Election Officer in each state varies according to state law. In 38 states, this title applies to the Secretary of State. As of 2023, thirty-one of these secretaries are elected; the other seven are appointed by a partisan body (the governor or state legislature). In 10 states, the Chief Election Officer is appointed by, to, or in service of a board of elections/election commission. In nine states, a board serves in tandem with a secretary of state. In Alaska and Utah, an elected Lieutenant Governor serves as Chief Election Officer.
All states also have local election authorities with titles that include county clerk, county auditor, clerk of the court, election board, director of elections, and supervisor of elections. In most states, the job goes to elected officials, with additional elected offices at the county and municipal levels actually conducting the elections. In many states, these local officials are elected, often in partisan elections. In other states, professional election directors are appointed by local governments.
At the level of the individual polling station, elections are run on election day, typically by part-time workers. In many states, these workers come in pairs representing the Republican and Democratic parties. These operations are supervised by the local election authority.
Altogether, over 70% of the officials who conduct elections in the U.S. are elected to office. To learn more, click here and here.
By contrast, most other democracies around the world have a separate, nationally organized set of election workers.
If you want to learn more about elections, we have a 9-part course, each part is a 20-minute read. Easy! Click here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/
