The People Running Our Elections This Fall: Inside State and Local Boards

Every state runs its own elections, under its own laws, with its own election officials. That decentralized structure is one of American democracy’s underlying strengths — there is no single switch that can be flipped to overhaul our election system from the top. But our decentralized system also means it matters not only how each state runs its elections — but who is running them at the state and local levels.

While state legislatures pass the laws that govern our elections, state and local boards are actually running the show. 

They set the rules, shape the voting experience, and control how and when they share results with the public. Boards are also responsible for certifying elections — a once-uneventful step in the election process that has moved into the national spotlight. We break down the differences between state and local board membership and authority in the chart below. 

Feature	State Boards	Local Boards
Membership	Typically appointed by the governor, state legislature, or secretary of state.	Appointed by state or local officials, or may consist of elected boards of supervisors.
Authority	Set statewide rules/guidance, oversee local officials, resolve disputes, and conduct state canvass/certification.	Oversee day-to-day operations: managing polling places, early voting, absentee ballots, local canvassing, and certification.

In an ideal world, local and state boards remain independent and accountable, ensuring elections are run fairly, consistently, and transparently, with clear safeguards that leave little room for partisan influence. But in recent years, we’ve seen what happens when bad actors exploit weaknesses in state law or election administration for partisan gain. 

Below are some examples that illustrate the central role of state and local boards in elections — and serve as a warning signal for the November midterms. 

Why State Boards Matter: Setting the Rules of the Road

North Carolina’s State Board of Elections is currently working through new rules governing how county boards handle deficient absentee ballots — for instance, whether a voter who forgot to sign their envelope gets notified and given a chance to fix it, or whether their ballot is simply tossed out. The proposed rules spell out which errors are “curable” and which aren’t, a distinction that will directly determine whose votes get counted. 

In response to pressure from the state auditor’s office, the state board of elections approved plans to eliminate Sunday early voting hours this cycle. Advocates say the changes will hurt turnout this November — particularly for younger voters and people of color.

Why Local Boards Matter: Voter Experience & Policy Implementation 

In Tarrant County, Texas, the county’s elections administrator proposed cutting the number of Election Day polling sites by 45% for this year’s midterms. After hours of public testimony, commissioners delayed the vote rather than adopt the reduced list. 

In Pennsylvania, there’s no state law requiring ballot drop boxes at all — whether to offer them and how many to keep are left entirely to each county’s election board, which is why some counties have several, and others have none. 

In both states, a decision that looks purely administrative — how many polling places, how many drop boxes — is actually a local board exercising real discretion over how easy or hard it is to vote.

Election Boards Hold the Keys to Certification

In Wayne County, Michigan, the county canvassing board deadlocked 2-2 along party lines in November 2020 before ultimately certifying results, and one of its newer Republican members later declined to say whether he’d certify future elections. 

In Washoe County, Nevada, three Republican commissioners voted against certifying the results of a 2024 primary recount — even though one of them was certifying her own winning race — prompting the secretary of state and attorney general to petition the state Supreme Court to force the board to act.

The Bottom Line

These examples aren’t isolated occurrences — they’re a preview of the kinds of consequential decisions state and local boards will keep making in the lead-up to November. To dive deeper into the people, laws, and races shaping our elections this fall, check out our Election Risk Heat Map.