Cost Drivers in Elections Administration

Legislative Summit: August 8, 2011

Time: 01:03:41

Speaker
Doug Lewis, director of The Election Center and the National Association of Election Officials

Go here if you cannot view the video on this page.

Overview

This five-minute interview with Doug Lewis, the executive director of The Election Center and the National Association of Election Officials, explains why the cost of running well-managed elections has risen over the last decade. 

• Three years of budget cuts; we can expect to see resulting problems, such as longer lines, in 2012
• Federal and state laws and regulations that require sometimes costly compliance by local jurisdictions
• Technology and voting equipment that are expensive to purchase and especially expensive to maintain.

State legislators can help.  Mr. Lewis proposes that they can encourage state elections officials to offer technical assistance, permit the use of technology to save money, and  pass laws that promote stability and good performance rather than specify details for elections.

Other  Resources

• The Election Center
• NCSL's elections newsletter, The Canvass
• For more information
• Contact: Wendy Underhill, 303-664-7700