New Report Details Process, Order to Election Administration Nationwide

Today, once routine election practices are subject to intense scrutiny by extremists seeking to undermine trust in American democracy. In the face of unprecedented challenges to elections and election officials alike, a new report from Secure Democracy Foundation details the laws, practices, and processes that govern the post-election period in key states ahead of the 2022 midterms.

The report, Opening the Curtain: A Multistate Look at the Laws that Govern Verification, Counting, Canvassing, & the Certification of Votes, details the crucial steps to the election process that come after a voter casts their ballot. The report, designed as a go-to resource for reporters who plan to cover the post-election period, also highlights the laws and practices in states where election administration is likely to draw considerable interest in 2022, such as Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

“Even before Election Day, some extremists have already taken steps to undermine voters’ confidence in the 2022 midterms. Today, it’s more important than ever to prove those extremists wrong and demonstrate the clarity and order that define election procedures nationwide,” said Daniel Griffith, Senior Policy Director for Secure Democracy Foundation. “It’s essential that voters, election experts, and the press understand not just the rules that govern our elections, but the reality that American elections procedures are fair, free, safe, and secure. The information featured in this report demonstrates exactly that.”

Each section of this report outlines these processes in a rough chronological order from the weeks leading into Election Day through the weeks immediately after, covering pre-election registration challenges, mail ballot return, mail ballot verification, party representatives at polling locations, local counting and canvassing of votes, local and state certification, recounts, and election contests.

In addition to this multi-state report, Secure Democracy Foundation also released a number of state-based products that detail election laws and practices in 11 key states to serve as  background resources for reporters covering the 2022 midterms. Those resources include a multi-state reference guide for state laws governing ballot verification, counting, certification and potential recounts, as well as an election timeline cheat sheet for each state.

To read the full multi-state report online, click here.