"Accidental" No More: The Role of Professionalism in the Future of American Election Administration

In the decade since the disputed 2000 Presidential election, policymakers at every level of American government have invested considerable time, energy and resources into improving election laws and voting technology across the nation. Lost in this effort, however, has been any sustained attention to the oft-overlooked and underappreciated field of election administration: the women and men whose job it is simply to make voting work.

Doug Chapin, a nationally-recognized voice in the field of election administration policy and reform, discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the field and present some ideas about how professionalization of election administration can help the nation's election system meet the demands of the 21st Century.