Election Task Force

What does the law say about armed forces at the polls? Join us for a webinar featuring legal and military experts who will discuss the extensive legal limits on federal law enforcement and military presence at the polls. 📆 October 13 | 11:30 am ET 📍 Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

25 Mar

Task Force members Tammy Patrick and Pam Smith break down voting machines—what they do, how they work, & what voters need to know. The main takeaway? Voting machines make it faster and more efficient to count votes and record voters’ choices. Watch the full video here: vimeo.com/1175287595?s...

23 Mar

Task Force member Wendy Weiser explains how the decentralized U.S. state and local election process helps protect against interference.

10 Feb

Amid Trump’s calls to nationalize elections, Task Force member David Becker, from the Center for Election Innovation Research, spoke with @npr.org about the U.S. election system and who has authority over its administration. Read the full NPR article here: www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...

6 Feb

How are election officials addressing concerns about potential federal interference in the 2026 midterms? Task Force member Tammy Patrick, CEO of Programs for the Election Center, explains.

30 Jan

On Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched an election office in Fulton County, Georgia for ballots, tabulator tapes, and voter rolls from the 2020 presidential election. The cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises released the following statement.

20 Jan

As of Dec. 24, 2025, domestic mail processed by the U.S.P.S. will be postmarked the day it's processed rather than the date it’s dropped off. Task Force member Tammy Partick says voters will have to plan ahead and drop off ballots early. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

16 Jan

Task Force member David Becker from the Center for Election Innovation Research recently spoke to @apnews.com about the Trump DOJ’s efforts to obtain sensitive voter information ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Read the full article here: apnews.com/article/elec...

youtube.com25 Years After Bush v. Gore: Contested Elections Then and NowYouTube video by BakerInstitute

Last week, @bakerinstitute.bsky.social and @cartercenter.bsky.social co-hosted their annual elections conference bringing together experts and Task Force members — including David Carroll, Tammy Patrick, and Ben Ginsberg — to discuss democracy and the rule of law. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJh...

Ginsberg reflected on how close, contested races test public confidence in the election process itself. He emphasized both the strength of U.S. election infrastructure and the importance of transparency and engagement from the public.

As the nation looks ahead to midterms and the next presidential race, conversations like this remind us that safeguarding free, fair, and peaceful elections is a shared responsibility — one that depends on strong institutions, transparent processes, and a commitment to uphold democratic norms.

youtube.com25 Years After Bush v. Gore: Contested Elections Then and NowYouTube video by BakerInstitute

During the conference, David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute, sat down with Ben Ginsberg, one of the nation’s leading election-law experts, for a wide-ranging conversation on the legacy of Bush v. Gore and what it still teaches us about protecting our democracy.

semafor.comExclusive: Jigsaw CEO Yasmin Green on the power of AI in pollingGreen told Semafor she believes her company has found a way to use AI to improve political discourse.

In a recent conversation, Task Force member and Google Jigsaw CEO Yasmin Green discussed a new approach to “AI polling” that could improve political discourse in America. www.semafor.com/article/11/2...

freedom.wethepeople-250.orgWhat Do Freedom & Equality Mean to Americans Today? | We the PeopleAs the US approaches its 250th anniversary, AI enables a new type of conversation amongst Americans on freedom & equality.

That work inspired We the People – a project that brought together 2,400 Americans from all 435 congressional districts for an AI-supported “national conversation," generating more than 1.6 million words and dozens of shared statements of principle. freedom.wethepeople-250.org

One outcome Yasmin highlights: “We asked people going in, ‘Do you feel heard by fellow Americans?’ And 40% of people said yes. After just an hour in this virtual conversation, that number jumped to 68%.”

semafor.comExclusive: Jigsaw CEO Yasmin Green on the power of AI in pollingGreen told Semafor she believes her company has found a way to use AI to improve political discourse.

techbrew.comHow a small Kentucky city used AI to help chart a course for its futureBowling Green worked with Google Jigsaw to solicit and categorize a city's worth of opinions.

Working with partners in Bowling Green, Kentucky, her team helped run what became a 4,000-person online "town hall" focusing on how residents would like to see the area evolve over 25 years. www.techbrew.com/stories/2025...

2 Dec 2025

Intimidation makes it harder to run secure, fair elections and risks losing years of on-the-job expertise. Protecting the people who protect our votes is how we protect democracy. Follow our newsletter to learn more: bit.ly/NTFEC

18 Nov 2025

Want to get involved in your local elections? Serving as a poll worker is one of the most meaningful ways to support your community and see firsthand the checks and balances that ensure every legitimate vote is counted.

14 Nov 2025

More Americans have access to early and mail voting than ever before, and recent elections have seen record-high turnout. As David Becker reminds us in this Task Force briefing, it’s never been easier or more secure to vote by mail. 🗳️

4 Nov 2025

It takes time for election workers to properly count ballots — and that’s a sign of accuracy, not a conspiracy. Tammy Patrick of the Election Center reminds voters today that election officials are bound by the law to ensure results are verified, auditable, and correct.

4 Nov 2025

As voting comes to a close in many states with elections this fall, Task Force member Laura MacCleery says that the early voting process has remained orderly, transparent, and secure.

4 Nov 2025

With elections tomorrow in CA, NJ, NY, PA, and VA, election experts from the National Task Force on Election Crises emphasize the strength and transparency of America’s voting systems.

3 Nov 2025

Behind every secure election are professionals who make it happen. In our latest briefing, Tammy Patrick of the Election Center highlights the preparation, professionalism, and consistency of local election administrators across the country.

29 Oct 2025

Intimidation toward election workers is a threat to our democracy. Protecting democracy means protecting the people who make sure every eligible ballot gets counted. Sign up for our newsletter to learn more: bit.ly/NTFEC

28 Oct 2025

Disinformation, from fake claims about fraud to AI-generated deepfakes, aims to weaken trust in elections. But the reality is that our elections *are* safe and secure (and our job is to keep them that way). Get the facts here: bit.ly/NTFEC

bit.lyNational Task Force on Election CrisesNational Task Force on Election Crises Email Forms

24 Oct 2025

Free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy. Threats like intimidation and disinformation won't change that – as long as we continue to support election officials and voters. Sign up for our newsletter to learn more: bit.ly/NTFEC

21 Oct 2025

As we look ahead to special elections, Michael Morley's recent C-SPAN interview offers a key structural point: the President does not have unilateral authority to restrict how states conduct elections. That responsibility belongs primarily to the states, within federal law and the Constitution.

16 Oct 2025

In a recent @c-span.bsky.social interview, Michael Morley — National Task Force member and election law expert at Florida State University — discussed how state election laws shape the timing of election results.

news.fsu.eduGovernor Ron DeSantis signs Senate Bill 892, codifying Florida State University's Election Law CenterGovernor Ron DeSantis has signed Senate Bill 892 into law, officially codifying the Florida State University College of Law’s Election Law Center. The

16 Oct 2025

Michael currently directs FSU’s Election Law Center, which was recently codified in Florida law, underscoring the Center’s growing role in research and public understanding of election administration. news.fsu.edu/news/busines...

11 Sept 2025

The National Task Force on Election Crises unequivocally condemns the attack that killed political activist Charlie Kirk.

30 Aug 2025

The Task Force uses its expertise to help election officials adapt to new challenges like changes in voting technology to evolving legal frameworks and resource constraints. Stay up to date on how Task Force members are helping officials prepare for the 2026 midterms. Sign up: https://bit.ly/NTFEC

Task Force Member and @brennancenter.org Vice President @larrynorden.bsky.social co-authored an analysis of the 2025 Election Officials survey with Brennan Center Strategist Ruby Edlin.

2️⃣ Despite an increase in collaboration with state and local authorities there is still a need for more resources to address aging equipment and the shortage of staff and poll workers.

brennancenter.orgSurvey Finds Election Officials Want More Support Amid Federal Cutbacks and Ongoing ThreatsLocal election officials are concerned about the loss of federal support for election security and hope state and local governments will step in to fill the void.

3️⃣ Officials would like more guidance from government agencies on using AI tools for their work. Follow the link for more of the survey’s findings: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Task Force Member and @brennancenter.org Vice President @larrynorden.bsky.social co-authored an analysis of the 2025 Election Officials survey with Brennan Center Strategist Ruby Edlin.

The survey findings highlight the evolving threats faced by election officials that have transformed a once quiet role into one that is increasingly complex, specialized, and subject to immense public scrutiny. Additional takeaways are threaded below⤵️

1️⃣ Officials continue to face concerns identified in the previous annual report, like threats, harassment, and abuse.

verifiedvoting.orgDecoding your ballot: The role of QR codes and barcodes

21 Aug 2025

@verifiedvoting.org released an explainer on how QR codes and barcodes are used in elections, providing an additional resource for voters to understand election administration. verifiedvoting.org/decoding-you...

21 Aug 2025

Many ballots include QR or barcodes to identify which election and precinct a ballot belongs to. In some cases, QR codes also encode voters’ selections, raising questions about security.

verifiedvoting.orgDecoding your ballot: The role of QR codes and barcodes

21 Aug 2025

The explainer helps clarify what’s being encoded, how scanners interpret it, and what voters can do to ensure their ballot is accurate. Read the full explanation here: verifiedvoting.org/decoding-you...

15 Aug 2025

@verifiedvoting.org has released a new interactive map showing which jurisdictions use ballot-marking devices that encode votes in QR codes or barcodes.

15 Aug 2025

The map responds to increased public interest following the “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” executive order. The EO raised questions about how votes are cast and counted, specifically in systems that rely on encoded data.

verifiedvoting.orgVerifier

15 Aug 2025

Understanding where and how vote encoding is used can help voters, advocates, and officials assess transparency and accuracy in the voting process. Explore the map here: verifiedvoting.org/verifier/#mo...

13 Aug 2025

Task Force Member and @legaldefensefund.bsky.social President @janainelson.bsky.social was recently featured on @weeknightmsnbc to discuss the federal government’s request for private voter data.

msnbc.com‘They need to cheat to win’: Legal Defense Fund head on GOP push to redraw mapsJanai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, responds to Trump pressuring Texas to redraw maps as part of a broader GOP plan to rig the 2026 midterms and hold on to power.

13 Aug 2025

Janai explained that legal safeguards like the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) are in place to standardize election administration and improve voting accessibility. Watch the full MSNBC interview here: www.msnbc.com/the-weeknigh...

bit.lyNational Task Force on Election CrisesNational Task Force on Election Crises Email Forms

12 Aug 2025

Understanding how election results are certified, how voting rights are enforced and sharing that accurate information matters. Want to help others navigate the process ahead of 2026? Sign up to be a Task Force Advocate ⬇️ bit.ly/NTFEC

Last month, the Court of Appeals of Georgia affirmed a lower court’s October ruling that local election officials have a legal duty to certify results—even if they personally disagree with the outcome.

There has been a rise in certification disputes since the 2020 election. These delays or refusals risk disenfranchising voters and disrupting the peaceful transfer of power. The Georgia court decision clarifies that certification is a mandatory, impartial process.

georgiarecorder.comLocal officials must certify election results, appeals court rules • Georgia RecorderGeorgia’s state Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s ruling in a 2024 election case, affirming that local election board members must certify election results by the deadline outlined in state ...

Learn more about the Georgia court decision here: georgiarecorder.com/briefs/georg...