State election agencies

State election agencies are responsible for monitoring all aspects of an election, from ballot access to voting provisions. Responsibility for election administration commonly falls to the secretary of state; in 37 states, the secretary of state is involved to some extent in election administration. In a handful of states, dedicated agencies (usually boards of elections) administer elections. In addition, 20 states have ethics commissions, which are typically involved in the administration and/or enforcement of campaign finance laws.

The federal government plays a limited role in elections, though candidates for federal office must file campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission. The Election Assistance Commission functions in a largely advisory capacity, providing guidance to state and local election officials. In addition, local governments often play a significant role in the election process, though the extent of local government participation varies from state to state.

State and local agencies[edit]

The first tab on the embedded spreadsheet below provides basic information about each of the state-level election agencies, including website links (in the column labeled "Agency"), addresses, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses. The second tab of the spreadsheet provides links to additional information about local election agencies in the states. Please email us with questions or concerns about this data.

Federal agencies[edit]

Federal Election Commission[edit]

See also: Federal Election Commission

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is a federal regulatory agency charged with administering and enforcing the nation's campaign finance laws. The commission was created by the United States Congress in 1975. The commission comprises six members who serve six-year terms of office. Two seats are appointed every two years. All commissioners are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.^[1]

The commission is authorized to do the following:^[2]

"to disclose campaign finance information"
"to enforce the provisions of the law, such as limits and prohibitions on contributions"
"to oversee the public funding of presidential elections"

No more than three commissioners can belong to the same political party. Any action taken by the commission must be approved by at least four commissioners. The commission is led by a chairperson who serves a single one-year term.^[1]

Election Assistance Commission[edit]

See also: Election Assistance Commission

Established as a result of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, the Election Assistance Commission is an independent and bipartisan commission charged with developing policies and guidelines to assist state election administrators. The commission also serves as a clearinghouse for election-related information.^[3]

The commission comprises four members, all of whom are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.^[3]