The County Landscape Project: An Overview of County-Level Election Administration
Upcoming Events
Related News
Counties are vital to the foundation of our communities, helping shape the places where we live, work and thrive. From maintaining critical infrastructure and delivering essential public services to fostering economic growth and ensuring public safety, county governments play a pivotal role in the daily lives of millions of Americans. Notwithstanding our significance, the complexity and diversity of county governments often go unnoticed. The County Landscape Project brings the nuts and bolts of county governance to the forefront, providing a clear and comprehensive guide to how counties function, govern and serve our residents.
Counties are vital to the foundation of our communities, helping shape the places where we live, work and thrive. From maintaining critical infrastructure and delivering essential public services to fostering economic growth and ensuring public safety, county governments play a pivotal role in the daily lives of millions of Americans. Notwithstanding our significance, the complexity and diversity of county governments often go unnoticed. The County Landscape Project brings the nuts and bolts of county governance to the forefront, providing a clear and comprehensive guide to how counties function, govern and serve our residents.
Resource
Election Administration Resource Hub
We Are Counties: Elections
In 36 states, county governments are primarily responsible for administering elections, and we share the job with cities and towns in six more states. Our work touches every step of the process, from registering voters and preparing ballots to running polling places on Election Day as well as canvassing and certifying results. Watch to learn how county election officials work year-round so every eligible voter can be heard.
For more, visit the We Are Counties campaign.
Featured Initiative
County Governance Project
A comprehensive guide to county government structure, authority, services and finances
The County Landscape Project: Maps and Stats
Counties are vital to the foundation of our communities, helping shape the places where we live, work and thrive. From maintaining critical infrastructure and delivering essential public services to fostering economic growth and ensuring public safety, county governments play a pivotal role in the daily lives of millions of Americans.
The County Landscape Project: A Primer on Our History, Definitions, Structures and Authorities
An in-depth look into the history of counties, our authority and structure, key county services and responsibilities and the intergovernmental partnership
The County Landscape Project: Taxes and Revenues
Counties are vital to the foundation of our communities, helping shape the places where we live, work and thrive. From maintaining critical infrastructure and delivering essential public services to fostering economic growth and ensuring public safety, county governments play a pivotal role in the daily lives of millions of Americans.
The County Landscape Project: Service Provision and the Public Workforce
Counties are vital to the foundation of our communities, helping shape the places where we live, work and thrive. From maintaining critical infrastructure and delivering essential public services to fostering economic growth and ensuring public safety, county governments play a pivotal role in the daily lives of millions of Americans.
Counties keep elections on track during midterm
Counties across the country faced obstacles in administering the midterm elections, including voting machine errors, flooding and false text messages sent to voters.
County Election Administration by the Numbers
More than four out of five registered voters live in states where counties have primary responsibility for administering elections. The latest data offers a national perspective on the scale of county-run election administration, the more than 161 million voters living in these states and how changing voting practices are shaping county responsibilities throughout the election cycle.
Supreme Court allows new SAVE citizenship voter verification system to proceed
On Sept. 25, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the White House to pause a lower court’s ruling blocking its use of a new SAVE system ahead of the midterms.
Federal election changes loom ahead of midterms
With the rapidly evolving federal legislative landscape, counties can get caught in the middle of policy changes with little guidance.
Supreme Court declines emergency review of USPS mail-in ballot rule, leaving nationwide block in place
The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with its Executive Order 14399 directing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile official U.S. citizenship lists to be used in voter citizenship verification and the U.S. Postal Service to impose new mail-in ballot restrictions.