EAdIElection Administration Index
How professionally and independently is election administration codified?
Dimensions
Accountability
100.0% · 2/2| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| COI.1Conflict-of-interest disclosureAre commissioners and senior election staff required by statute to disclose financial interests (vendor relationships, party positions, candidate connections) publicly? | 1/1100.0% | § 12-25-29 codifies that convention nominees for state office must file statements of financial interest. § 12-25-29.1 codifies parallel for alternative-status parties. § 12-25-30 codifies parallel for candidates for local office. § 12-25-31.1 codifies judicial-officer PII exclusions. Comprehensive financial-interest disclosure framework codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COI.2Judicial review of administrative decisionsIs the right to seek judicial review of election-authority decisions codified, with standing, timeline, and venue defined? | 1/1100.0% | § 12-21-50 codifies issuance of writ of certiorari for judicial review of recount decisions. § 12-21-49 codifies petition form and contents. § 12-21-51 codifies service. Comprehensive judicial review of administrative recount decisions codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
Commission
60.0% · 3/5| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMM.1Statutory grounding of commissionIs the election commission's existence and core mandate set in the constitution (rather than statute alone, regulation, or executive order)? | 1/250.0% | § 12-15-3 codifies distribution of precinct officials among parties (superintendent from majority party). § 12-18-23 codifies precinct-board ballot return procedure. § 12-15-1.3 codifies precinct assistant duties. § 12-1-5 (not in FTS top-5 for this datapoint) codifies the State Board of Elections. Commission structure codified but multi-tier statutory grounding is split across chapters. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COMM.2Multi-branch appointmentAre commission members appointed by multiple branches (legislature, judiciary, executive) such that no single branch unilaterally controls composition? | 0/10.0% | § 12-15-3 codifies distribution of precinct officials among parties with superintendent from majority party. § 12-1-5 (not in FTS top-5 for this datapoint) codifies State Board appointment: SoS chair + Speaker-appointed county auditors (bipartisan) + 4 legislative-leader appointees (2 from each party). Multi-branch appointment framework codified through State Board structure, but FTS-surfaced section is narrower. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COMM.3Term protectionAre commissioner terms defined in statute with fixed length, staggered cycles, and statutory grounds for removal? | 1/1100.0% | § 12-1-5 codifies State Board terms: 4-year terms for county-auditor members, staggered appointment dates for legislative-leader appointees ('the appointee of the democratic leader of the House of Representatives, 1980 and each fourth year thereafter…'). § 12-21-46 codifies court removal of recount board member 'not acting in good faith' — protected removal procedure. § 12-17B-1 codifies definitions. Term protection codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COMM.4Political-balance requirementIs the commission's composition required by statute to be politically balanced (party-balanced, supermajority-confirmation, or independent appointment by judiciary)? | 1/1100.0% | § 12-18-3.1 codifies impartiality requirements for simulated-election polling-place access. § 12-15-3 (not in FTS top-5 for this datapoint) codifies bipartisan distribution of precinct officials with superintendent from majority party + deputy from minority. § 12-17B-11 codifies equal party representation among tabulation staff. § 12-20-48.1 codifies canvass-board procedures. Political-balance requirement codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
Funding
0.0% · 0/4| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUND.1Independent funding lineIs the election authority's budget a separate statutory line item (not subject to mid-cycle reallocation by the executive branch alone)? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
| FUND.2Multi-year funding cycleAre election infrastructure budgets set on a multi-year cycle (avoiding annual political renegotiation of election-administration money)? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
| FUND.3Foreign funding prohibitionIs foreign-source funding of the election authority (and election administration vendors, where applicable) prohibited by statute? | 0/20.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
Staff Training
33.3% · 1/3| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAFF.1Career professional staffIs the election authority's career staff (professional employees, not political appointees) protected by civil-service or analogous merit-based statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
| STAFF.2Mandatory trainingIs training for election officials and poll workers required by statute, with content and frequency defined? | 1/1100.0% | § 12-17B-11 codifies equal party representation requirement with prior submission of proposed employee list to each county party chairperson at least 30 days prior to election, and oath-taking before discharging duties. State Board of Elections oversight for training under § 12-1-5 / § 12-17B-17. Staff oversight framework codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| STAFF.3Whistleblower protectionAre election-related whistleblower protections (for staff reporting irregularities) codified in statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
Vendor Oversight
33.3% · 1/3| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CERT.1Certification process codifiedIs the voting-equipment certification process (criteria, evaluators, timeline, public-comment period) codified in statute or regulation? | 1/1100.0% | § 12-17B-2 codifies State Board of Elections certification: 'Each system shall fulfill the requirements for election assistance commission standards certification and be approved by the State Board of Elections prior to distribution and use in this state.' § 12-17B-17 codifies rule-making. § 12-17B-3 codifies governing body adoption authority. § 12-17B-13 codifies tabulating procedure + canvass-board certification. Comprehensive certification framework codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| CERT.2Recertification triggersAre recertification triggers (after material updates, after defects discovered, on a fixed schedule) codified? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
| CERT.3Decertification grounds & procedureAre the grounds for revoking certification, and the procedure for doing so, defined in statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |