Timing and Burdens on Election Administrators

Election administrators are key to the implementation of changes in election timing. They are responsible for running local elections and are thus critical to ensure the efficient functioning of those elections. There is a reasonable expectation that shifting to on-cycle elections will reduce the administrative burden on elections officials by reducing the number of elections that these officials have to oversee. However, the
idea that fewer elections leads to easier (or better) elections has not been systematically or thoroughly tested.

We do know that the move to on-cycle elections has been tried and tested throughout the country. Multiple states and hundreds of cities have already moved to on-cycle dates. Across these cases there is no indication of major difficulties with the transition. Moreover, one survey of elections officials who went through the transition from off-cycle to on-cycle elections in California suggests that the transition went smoothly (Hajnal 2022). City clerks reported that the transition was easy and identified no problems related to the move to on-cycle elections. In most cases, a longer ballot did not create additional complications. City clerks also indicated that there was little to no opposition from local residents toward the move and that turnout significantly increased after the switch in timing.

What is less clear is whether the move to on-cycle elections reduces the burden on elections officials and allows them to run better or more efficient electoral contests. More research on this question would be helpful.