The Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) is a project of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR). EOLDN connects elections officials in need of advice or assistance with licensed, qualified pro bono attorneys at no cost. This service is available regardless of the election official’s political affiliation, or whether they work in a blue or red state or county.
EOLDN is the brainchild of former Presidential Commission on Election Administration co-chairs Bob Bauer (former White House Counsel during the Obama Administration) and Ben Ginsberg (longtime Republican election lawyer who represented President George W. Bush’s campaign). Bauer and Ginsberg serve as EOLDN’s co-chairs, and, along with EOLDN’s advisory board of experts, attorneys, and election officials, help guide this effort, recruit volunteer lawyers, and educate election officials about the services available.
CEIR is led by Executive Director David Becker, a well-known expert in the elections community, with over two decades of experience protecting democracy. Before founding CEIR in 2016, Becker was Director of the Elections Initiatives portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts. He also served seven years as a senior trial attorney in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
