The Summit brought together more than 40 panelists, 15 academic presenters, and 200 attendees from across the nation to tackle the most challenging issues facing democracy and elections today. Together we discussed everything from the untenable demands on state and local election administrators to the independent state legislature theory to the need for Congress to better support election infrastructure. Three themes emerged: 

1. Focus. 

There is consensus that the 2022 midterm election was an administrative success – and that there is a mountain of work to be done to ensure that the 2024 presidential election is similarly successful. 

“My biggest concern for 2023 is that we do get tired of talking about threats to elections and we turn a blind eye to our state and local election administrators... Their jobs are getting harder, they’re getting more complicated, and they’re coming at the expense of their own personal wellbeing and at times their physical safety.”  -- Rachel Orey, Director of BPC’s Elections Project 

“Time after time, election officials keep bailing us out. They do more with less. The reality is... that is not fair. We have got to do more. We have got to give them the resources they need. That's federal resources, that’s state resources, and that’s local resources.” -- Ben Hovland, Commissioner, U.S. Election Assistance Commission 

2. Urgency. 

What happens in December 2022 will be essential to what happens in November 2024. Across six panels covering a wide range of election administration and democracy topics, speakers reiterated the weight of the moment. 

“The best chance we have for federal [election] funding over the next two years is the next month... If we’re going to get [federal election funding] ahead of the 2024 presidential election the time is now.” -- Matthew Weil, Executive Director of BPC’s Democracy Program  

“It is absolutely essential that we get a bipartisan update to the Electoral Count Act passed before the end of the year. The idea that we are going to pass this and it’s going to be a robust bill even closer to the presidential election is not a risk I'm personally comfortable taking.” -- Elise Wirkus, Legislative Director, Issue One 

3. Bipartisanship. 

At the Summit, Republican experts, election officials, elected leaders sat alongside Democratic experts, election officials, and elected leaders. Common-sense election administration solutions are supported by everyone working in good faith on these issues. 

“Elections are partisan. Election administration is not. Our elections are run with integrity, they are secure, and I am confident in the outcome of our elections.” -- Monica Holdman Evans, Executive Director of the DC Board of Elections 

“Just this year, I was joined by my predecessor former Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams in a PSA to alert Coloradans about disinformation... that’s how American politics should work. Republicans and Democrats should be able to run against each other and then put it all aside and do what’s good for the country.” -- Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold  

The 2022 Elections Summit kicked off the election community’s collective work learning from 2022 and preparing for 2023 and 2024. In the coming months and years, every Summit participant has a role to play in building a resilient election ecosystem that can withstand foreign and domestic threats. BPC’s Elections Project looks forward to continuing this work in the new year with focus, urgency, and bipartisanship.  

You can watch the six Summit panels here: 

• Federal Election Reform in 2023 

• Threats to Democracy, Election Infrastructure, and Election Officials 

• Recapping Election Administration in the 2022 Midterms 

• Election Reform Efforts in State Legislative Sessions 

• Election Information & Content Moderation – Review of 2022 and Projections for the 2024 Campaign 

• Elections and the Courts: Independent State Legislature Theory and Beyond