Of Money, Machines, and Management: Election Administration from an Administrator's Perspective

Abstract

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the almost $4 billion it authorized for election improvements changed the way America votes. State and local jurisdictions upgraded voting technology to solve the residual vote problem, highlighted by the 2000 presidential election in Florida. They also adopted statewide voter registration lists and made other election administration improvements. This essay explores the impact of modernized voting technology from the perspective of a local and state election administrator. It considers both the short- and long-term impacts of these changes, particularly in terms of ongoing expenses, sustaining improvements, and the shift in power relationships between federal, state, and local policy-makers and election administrators. The essay concludes with thoughts on where the U.S. could go next to continue the modernization of its election systems.