The National Association of Election Officials, Election Center, began in the early 1990s at a time when the profession was often considered a mere clerical role – too often thought to surface every two or four years. The founders of Election Center understood the sophisticated skills necessary to administer modern elections and the organization has evolved to address the profession’s needs. Election administration is a specialized profession that requires continuous education and training to ensure that officials have the skills necessary to deal with the myriad of challenges in the field. In addition, our comprehensive approach to professional development includes fostering productive practitioner partnerships with other areas of government, academic institutions, nonprofit stakeholders, and the corporate sector.

Our membership consists of election officials at the state and local levels, government officials involved in elections at every level of government, election-related corporations and service providers, and nonprofit partners. We have members in 48 of the 50 states as well as multiple territories and the District of Columbia.

Our Program History Timeline

• 1992: Election Center, in partnership with Auburn University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program, offered its first courses at the 1992 Annual National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
• 1994: Election Center creates the first professional certification for election officials, Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA).
• 1997: The first set of Principles and Standards of Conduct of Elections/Registration Officials are created. A significant milestone in the program’s history, these standards are the oath taken and upheld by program graduates.
• 2001: Formed the National Task Force on Election Reform and published a report on problems and solutions related to the 2000 Election. This Task Force helped to inform the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Highlights of HAVA include the creation of the Election Assistance Commission, funding for the modernization of voting equipment and the development of new standards and testing, provisional ballot options, and the nationwide requirement of the right to vote privately and independently.
• 2001: Certified Elections/Registration Vendor (CERV) is introduced as a new certification designation to train and certify vendors, manufacturers, and suppliers of election administration goods and services.
• 2007: Certified Elections Monitor (CEM) is introduced as a new certification designation for individuals observing international elections. The first international student from India graduated as the first CEM in 2008.
• 2010: Legislative Committee helps to inform the improvements to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Voting Act(UOCAVA) via the MOVE Act, requiring the mailing of materials 45 days before Election Day and the ability to request electronic delivery of the ballot to the voter.
• 2012: The Official Election Mail logo was created in collaboration with the United States Postal Service, the only such partnership in USPS history.
• 2017: The first Election Administration Symposium is held at Auburn University.
• 2018: Election Center and Auburn University solidify their partnership as the home of the certification program at the Institute of Election Administration, Research and Practice
• 2022: Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Journal of Election Administration, Research & Practice is published.
• 2023: electionline.org finds its forever home at Election Center with the first electionlineWeekly of the year.
• 2024: A new version of the Standards of Conduct is released after members revisited the standards following the 2020 election. This revision, reflecting the evolving landscape of election administration, underscores the program’s commitment to staying current and relevant.
• 2024: Election Center culminates an 18-month organizational modernization effort with new branding, website, member portal, and programming.

Election Center continues to create new ways to help our members grow and develop in their profession–as both a content creator and as connective tissue in the election ecosystem. This commitment to continuous improvement and staying abreast of the profession’s evolving needs ensures our ongoing relevance and effectiveness.