Presidential Commission on Election Administration

Presidential Commission on Election Administration
Name	Presidential Commission on Election Administration
Formed	2013
Dissolved	2014
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Chief1 name	Donetta Davidson
Chief1 position	Co-chair
Chief2 name	Bob Bauer
Chief2 position	Co-chair
Parent agency	Executive Office of the President

Presidential Commission on Election Administration The Presidential Commission on Election Administration was a bipartisan advisory body convened by President Barack Obama in 2013 to examine issues affecting federal election administration and voter access. Co-chaired by Donetta Davidson and Bob Bauer, the Commission drew members from state election officials, academia, legal practice, and civic organizations to produce findings informing policy discussions in the United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, and executive agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice.

Background and Establishment

The Commission was created amid heightened scrutiny following the 2012 presidential contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, in the wake of disputes over voter identification laws evident in states such as Wisconsin and Texas, and litigation like Shelby County v. Holder before the Supreme Court of the United States. Its establishment responded to recommendations from stakeholders including the Brennan Center for Justice, the League of Women Voters, and the National Association of Secretaries of State as well as congressional inquiries in the United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the United States House Committee on House Administration.

Objectives and Mandate

Charged by an executive memorandum, the Commission’s mandate encompassed studying voter access challenges, poll worker recruitment, ballot design, and administrative best practices across jurisdictions such as Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Arizona. It sought to recommend approaches for reducing wait times documented in research by institutions like Pew Research Center, improving voter registration systems akin to efforts in California, and reconciling state practices with federal statutes including the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as interpreted in cases such as Shelby County v. Holder.

Membership and Organization

The Commission assembled a roster combining state election administrators like Celia Hinojosa-style officials, academics from universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and Yale University, legal experts with experience in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, and representatives from civic groups including Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union. Organizationally, it operated through subcommittees focused on topics resembling those studied by the Election Assistance Commission and coordinated meetings in venues including Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Denver.

Key Reports and Recommendations

The Commission produced a final report recommending measures such as same-day registration modeled on practices in Oregon, expanded early voting practices found in Nevada, standardized usability testing inspired by research at Carnegie Mellon University, and pilot programs for ballot design informed by work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It advocated for setting performance goals to reduce queue times, echoing findings from studies by the Brennan Center for Justice and the Brookings Institution, and proposed federal grant incentives similar to provisions in the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to support technology upgrades used in places like Washington and Colorado.

Reception and Impact

Reactions spanned praise from officials such as state secretaries in Minnesota and Wisconsin and endorsements from advocacy groups including Dēmos and the League of Women Voters, while critics in outlets like the Wall Street Journal and commentators aligned with Heritage Foundation questioned federal involvement. Media coverage appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and specialized outlets including Politico and The Hill, influencing debates in state legislatures across Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Georgia.

Implementation and Follow-up

Some recommendations were adopted through state-level reforms: jurisdictions like Oregon and Colorado expanded mail-in registration and ballot access, while pilot programs for poll-worker training and technology upgrades occurred in counties across Maricopa County and Cook County. Federal agencies including the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Department of Justice referenced the Commission’s work in guidance and grant priorities, and academic centers at University of California, Berkeley and Princeton University tracked implementation and evaluated impacts on turnout using datasets from the United States Census Bureau and research by Pew Research Center.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics charged the Commission with underemphasizing partisan litigation contexts involving actors like Karl Rove and organizations such as the National Republican Congressional Committee and Democratic National Committee. Some civil rights groups including NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund argued the recommendations did not sufficiently address discrimination patterns highlighted in cases such as Shelby County v. Holder. Legal scholars at institutions like Columbia Law School and UCLA School of Law debated the interplay between the Commission’s proposals and constitutional doctrines articulated by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Category:United States election law