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CONTEST CALL

Call for Entries: Call for Innovative Election Administration Funding Solutions

 

Auburn University is excited to announce the Call for Innovative Election Administration Funding Solutions, a competition seeking groundbreaking, practical solutions [1] to address the critical issue of adequate funding of election administration [2] across local, state, and/or federal levels in the United States, keeping in mind the unique structure and functions of election offices among government departments and agencies. We invite participants to submit original, innovative proposals that explore new and sustainable methods for financing election administration.

 

 

The Challenge:

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This challenge is designed to encourage creative thinking and collaboration in developing new approaches to election funding. Entries should focus on election administration and how we fund local, state, or federal elections, or any combination thereof. We are looking for solutions that can help sustain funding of election administration while promoting participation among eligible voters, accessibility, and election integrity and given the increasing complexity of administering U.S. elections and demands on election offices. We will accept proposals that restructure how government is funded generally so long as the new funding approach also touches on or impacts funding election administration and those links are clearly articulated in the proposal. Examples of recently proposed and publicly discussed ideas include things like creating an Election Administration Campaign Fund checkoff on US income tax return forms and including the phrase “shall fund” in relevant state legislation. [3]

 

Election administration in the United States uniquely complex and decentralized. Federal elections are set and guided by national law, while state, territorial, and local elections are governed by rules, equipment, administrative offices, and timing that differ across and within the states and territories. Adding to this complexity, the mechanisms and tools used to pay for staffing, equipment, poll workers, facilities, ballots, and voter communication reflect a patchwork quilt that depends largely on local financing with billing of consolidated jurisdictions in some places, partial supports from states in others, and minimal and episodic federal support. We have a preference for proposals that are widely applicable model solutions that can be adapted to various state and local contexts but will accept proposals focused on particular state models or solutions (e.g., mail ballot states, states with vote centers, etc.). 

 

Individuals and teams interested in applying from disciplines outside of election administration are encouraged to participate in voluntary information sessions by zoom with national experts in election administration. These two-hour sessions will include materials and information that will help teams unfamiliar with the structure of US election administration to gain a more thorough understanding in order to facilitate the production of proposals that accurately reflect this complexity. To see dates and times for these sessions, visit https://auburn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3rzl8dYNhREDMuq
 

Participants will receive $250 honoraria for participation in the session, which will be processed after a complete proposal submission is made (note that spaces are limited). 

 

 

Who is Eligible to Enter:

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The challenge is open to all individuals or teams from various backgrounds, from election administrators and officials, policy makers, think tanks, and academics and students from related disciplines, including but not limited to law, public administration, public finance, political science, economics, business, technology, and so on. We welcome proposals from individuals and teams that have interesting ideas for how to fund local and state government generally so long as the connection to how election administration is funded is clear in the proposal.

 

Note that applicants should be responsible for determining whether their employer will allow them to take awards; those who cannot take awards can also apply and be judged in the same pool as all other applicants and will receive recognition but not a cash award—the pool of winners will be expanded to account for any winners who cannot take cash prizes. 

 

 

Proposal Requirements:

 

Original proposals will be accepted through August 1st. Your submission should include a detailed description of your proposed funding model, including how it would function in practice, its benefits, and any potential challenges. Submissions will be no longer than 3,000 - 5,000 words (approximately 10 pages single spaced or 20 pages double spaced), will focus on innovative ways to finance election administration, and will address the following:

  • 250-word summary (not included in total word count)

  • Statement of problem and focus (level of government, part or whole of election systems and infrastructure, and so on)

  • Proposed funding solution

  • Theoretical explanation of why it should work (theory of change)

  • Explication of financial impact

  • Feasibility (technical and political)

 

 

Evaluation Criteria:

 

Submissions will be judged on originality, feasibility, impact, scalability, and alignment with the principles of democratic access, integrity and transparency. For more information, visit https://www.au-elections.com/symposiuminfo.

 

A team of national experts in public finance and election administration practice, policy, and research will review and score the proposals. For a list of members, click here. Review of proposals will be single-blinded (i.e., reviewers will not know the identity of the proposers).

 

Feedback will be given to the top 10 proposals with an opportunity for resubmission by September 30th, 2025. 

 

Prizes: Presenters from the top 10 proposals will have travel paid to present their ideas at our October 27-28 symposium on the Auburn University campus. The top five winners, which will be announced at the symposium, will receive cash prizes. Cash prizes will include:

5th        $1,000

4th        $1,500

3rd        $5,000

2nd       $7,500

1st        $10,000

 

 

Submission Guidelines:

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We look forward to seeing your innovative ideas that will shape the future of election funding.

 

 

 

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[1] By practical solutions, we refer to feasible alternatives to current funding rules, tools, and arrangements that do not simultaneously fundamentally change the political and economic structures of the United States, as well as solutions for which there is a market.

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[2] Proposals may focus on funding of election administration at all levels, they may also focus on the costs of a specific aspect of election administration (e.g., equipment, staffing, etc.), a specific function (e.g., voter registration, poll workers, mail ballots, precinct-based voting, etc.), or they may focus on general funding of the full infrastructure. The specific focus of the proposals will need to be articulated as part of the submission.

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[3] Note that these ideas will not be considered as part of the contest review as they were given as examples in the call.

Contest Registration

Please clink on the link below to register for the contest and submit your proposal.

Information Sessions

Individuals and teams interested in applying from disciplines outside of election administration are encouraged to participate in voluntary information sessions by zoom with national experts in election administration. These two-hour sessions will include materials and information that will help teams unfamiliar with the structure of US election administration to gain a more thorough understanding in order to facilitate the production of proposals that accurately reflect this complexity. Participants will receive $250 honoraria for participation in the session, which will be processed after a complete proposal submission is made (note that spaces are limited). 

Please click on the link below to register for one of the information sessions.

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