About the 2026 Election Risk Heat Map

The 2026 Election Risk Heat Map identifies where the conditions exist for the manipulation of election outcomes — before they materialize.

Designed for election protection practitioners, voting rights advocates, and other professionals dedicated to safeguarding our democratic elections, this data-driven tool helps to identify risks and threats so the resources needed to defend against election interference can be prepared ahead of time.  

Drawing on original research and analysis, the map evaluates electoral competitiveness, state law vulnerabilities, and the actions of key state and local officials to help users understand where risks to free and fair elections may be most acute.

Like Voting Rights Lab’s Election Policy Tracker, the Heat Map is built to turn complex election information into actionable insights. By visualizing risk across key states and counties, this tool allows users to better understand the factors that can contribute to election disputes, certification challenges, and other threats to the democratic process.

We’re grateful for your interest and support. If you have any questions, you can contact our team at heatmap@votingrightslab.org. Please note we may not be able to respond to every inquiry.

If you’re interested in supporting the Heat Map project, please consider making a donation to Voting Rights Lab. 

Our Partners

This project would not have been possible without additional data, research, and analysis from our partners. 

Special thanks to: 

Protect Democracy
States United Democracy Center and States United Action
American Oversight
Democracy Docket
Brennan Center for Justice
State Legislative analysis powered by Oath