October 9, 2025
Pipelines to Election Work
Election administration is in the midst of another structural shift – and this time, the change requires assessing how best 
to recruit and retain talent in election administration. In a new analysis, we argue that the field must be treated as a skilled profession with clear career pathways, competitive compensation, and multiple on-ramps that preserve and grow expertise.
Past moments of rapid change, such as the 2000 election cycle and the passage of the Help America Vote Act, shaped how jurisdictions register voters, deploy certified voting systems, and run early and absentee voting. Offices responded by retraining and expanding staff.
Today’s challenge looks different: election work has become more technical, more visible, and less forgiving of error. With immovable deadlines and no “do-overs,” success depends on deep, specialized knowledge across logistics, IT, communications, and compliance, both among chief election officials and the larger workforce that rarely reaches the top job. New skills are also expected in this era, from voter education to public relations.
This post is an excerpt from In Focus This Week from electionline! For the full story from Paul Manson, Paul Gronke, and TJ Pyche, visit: https://electionline.org/electionline-weekly/2025/10-09/