Newsletter
EOLDN celebrates 40th annual Election Center conference
September 2025
Celebrating the 40th Election Center Conference
Last month, we greeted old friends and new faces at the 40th Election Center Conference in Salt Lake City. EOLDN Co-chairs Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg kicked off the conference, delivering the keynote address and encouraging the audience to request EOLDN pro bono help.
Over 800 attendees in the election administration field came together as a community to learn from each other and have a little bit of fun. Some attendees were awarded certificates of professional standing and recognitions of achievement, testaments to their exceptional dedication and innovation as public servants. Among the honorees, Arizona State Election Director and EOLDN Advisory Board member Lisa Marra was inducted into the Election Center Hall of Fame.
What's happening at CEIR
Can the president declare a national emergency for elections?
In an interview on CBS’s “The Takeout with Major Garrett,” CEIR Executive Director David Becker confirmed that the president does not have the constitutional power to influence elections, including by declaring a national emergency. The Elections Clause in the Constitution gives states the power to run elections.
“We have never had to postpone or declare an emergency with any election,” Becker said. Federal general elections have gone on as scheduled through the Civil War, world wars, and pandemics. There is no legal basis for 2026 to be any different.
Updated report: Restrictions on Private Funding of Elections
In August, CEIR’s research team released the latest update to the “Restrictions on Private Funding of Elections” report. This resource provides an overview of restrictions that limit agencies, officials, or government entities from receiving or spending private funds on the conduct of elections. Since the 2020 election, at least 29 states have enacted such restrictions, which are each summarized in this report. EOLDN continues to offer our legal service in all 50 states.
EOLDN at CO election officials’ training
EOLDN joined the Colorado election officials’ fall training of 22 counties in beautiful Salida, Chaffee County last month. We were grateful for the opportunity to present EOLDN services to the attendees in a state that has seen its share of intimidation and harassment.
If you would like to arrange a presentation for your fellow election workers, please reach out to us.
What is EOLDN?
EOLDN matches experienced pro bono attorneys with election officials who have been harassed and intimidated on the job or who fear targeting simply for doing their jobs.
Election officials: Request help
Request assistance on our website or contact us via email at help@eoldn.org or phone at 1-877-313-5210 anytime.
Click here to learn about EOLDN’s Terms and Conditions. If you
believe you’re eligible to receive help from EOLDN and are interested in
requesting assistance from a pro bono attorney, we encourage you to get
in touch.
Attorneys: Join our network
Please forward this message to attorney contacts so EOLDN is prepared for 2025 and beyond. We need all types of attorneys, as election officials can experience a wide variety of legal issues stemming from their duties, and many simply need general guidance. Learn about joining the network as a pro bono attorney or as a law firm.
Interested in helping us recruit other attorneys or firms into the network? We can help you present EOLDN to other lawyers. For more information, email outreach@eoldn.org.
Articles of interest
Election Official Turnover Rates through the 2024 Election | Bipartisan Policy Center
A recent report from the Bipartisan Policy Center found that “41% of election officials administering the presidential election were different from those who ran the presidential election four years prior.”
Trump’s DOJ wants access to Missouri voting equipment used in 2020 election | Missouri Independent
The DOJ contacted Missouri county election officials seeking to “access,
physically inspect and perhaps take physical custody” of Dominion Voting
Systems equipment used during the 2020 election.