Overview and Background

The Election Infrastructure initiative brought together law professors, political scientists, grassroots leaders, and election officials to examine voting barriers, define what makes a healthy electoral system, and design a nonpartisan, independent framework to increase participation and protect election integrity.

Launched in 2020, the initiative studied how inconsistent local practices expose weaknesses in the system. Through a series of working group meetings, experts discussed specific legislative, infrastructure, training, and staffing changes to improve the system’s resilience.

Summary

Elections give people a voice, help choose leaders, and make government actions legitimate. But elections only work if people trust the process. That means voting procedures must be fair, results must be certified honestly, and all sides must respect the outcome. Without trust, people may reject laws, leaders, or decisions, especially those they oppose.

Research shows that when people believe a system is fair, they’re more likely to accept its outcomes, even ones they disagree with.

So how can we improve trust in U.S. elections? What if we took a close look at the systems behind voting laws, policies, and practices? What changes would make the process more secure, fair, and accessible? How can these ideas scale across more than 8,000 election jurisdictions?

From March to June 2021, CWP brought together experts from academia, community groups, and government to explore these questions. They looked at what works, what doesn’t, and how to fix it.

Sessions focused on effective practices at the state and local levels. Participants identified pressure points, discussed equity in election management, and considered how to prevent future subversion. These discussions built a foundation of best practices to strengthen public confidence in elections and proposed practical steps for election officials, including ways to improve security, transparency, and access.

CWP’s report, Building Trust: Election Administration and the Role of Higher Education, published in February 2022, captures findings from these gatherings. It outlines how universities might address the trust deficit vexing US elections.