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Midterm Coverage: What journalists need to know about the election workforce
By Kris Seavers, NPCJI training program coordinator
To help journalists report on the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections, the Institute partnered with the Bipartisan Policy Center for a midterm coverage briefing on April 23.
BPC Elections Project Director Wren Orey led the briefing, offering insights into challenges that elections officials are facing this election season. Orey oversees BPC’s election administration policy and researches reforms to improve the security, accessibility, and trustworthiness of elections.
When it comes to covering elections, Orey emphasized the importance of understanding the scope of the election workforce. They encouraged journalists to make an effort to build relationships with local election officials early — and not reach out for the first time amid the chaos of Election Day.
Elections are “complex and decentralized,” and Orey noted that the office size and policy for elections varies greatly from state to state and county to county.
By the numbers, here’s what that looks like:
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There are 10,000 chief election officials, including county clerks and municipal clerks, working across the U.S.
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State chief election officials — typically secretaries of state — are supported by 25,000 full-time staff.
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In federal election years, 900,000 temporary workers join this force of workers.
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The most common local election official is a white woman in her mid-50s with a college degree who earns just over $50,000 a year.
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Seventy-five percent of local election officials serve just 8% of voters, mostly in rural jurisdictions.
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Eight percent of local election officials serve 75% of voters in large jurisdictions like Los Angeles County, California; Fulton County, Georgia; and Maricopa County, Arizona.
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Local election official turnover reached its highest level on record in 2024, which Orey attributed to underfunding of the Election Administration and the effect of technology on local election offices.
Coming up: Guidance on the election federal policy landscape and Trump’s executive order on federal elections. For additional elections resources, click here.
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