Preserving Election Administration Institutional Knowledge is Essential for 2024

Heider Garcia became the elections director in Tarrant County, Texas, in 2018. Garcia quickly became known for his unique approach to inviting election skeptics into process, giving them tours of election facilities, and engaging with their questions. In April 2023, though, Garcia—described as a prototype of an election administrator—submitted his resignation, saying he felt his commitment to “respect and zero politics” could not be maintained due to differences with a new county executive.

Stories like Heider Garcia’s are far too common. A Brennan Center for Justice survey of local election officials conducted in March 2022 found that one in five local election officials plans to leave their role before 2024, citing efforts to undermine the election system, burnout, stress, and retirement plans. That means that at least 20% of election officials are expected to have no experience running a high-turnout presidential election in 2024. Policymakers should be doing what they can to stem the tide of turnover; it’s as important as ever to preserve as much of the election administration institutional knowledge we can.

The work of administering an election is complex and demanding, and even small mistakes can spiral into crises of public trust. Many departing election administrators not only bring decades of experience to their work, but have accumulated critical professional relationships and built trust within their communities. These are hard-earned relationships that equip them to pick up the phone and get a quick response to difficult questions, averting problems before they arise. When seasoned election administrators leave their roles, their experience and that public trust goes with them.

What’s worse? Some of this loss is preventable.

Take Meagan Wolfe, the non-partisan administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) and the state’s chief election official. Unanimously appointed by the bipartisan, six-member WEC in February of 2018, Wolfe ensures that Wisconsin’s 1,922 local election officials (more than any other state in the country) have the resources and technology necessary to conduct elections. Wolfe started as Wisconsin’s voter outreach coordinator in 2011 and has served as an Election IT Project Manager, Deputy Administrator, and IT Director.  The WEC will be voting on her reappointment in the near future.

Wolfe embodies the commitment to excellence and integrity that is the heart of our nation’s election administration. She served as president of the bipartisan National Association of State Election Directors and retains the respect and admiration of her Republican and Democratic peers across the country. Her multi-faceted experience makes her an invaluable asset to Wisconsin’s election officials as they prepare for a high-turnout, high-stakes 2024 presidential election. In a letter to Wisconsin clerks on June 14, 2023, she said, “while I would ultimately support the Commission’s decision to go in the direction of appointing someone new, there is no substitute for my decade-plus of experience in helping run Wisconsin elections at the state level. It is a fact that if I am not selected for this role, Wisconsin would have a less experienced administrator at the helm.”  When considering her reappointment next week, we encourage the WEC to keep in mind the vital role institutional knowledge plays in the safe and secure functioning of Wisconsin’s elections.

Preserving institutional knowledge is a critical step toward a free, fair, and trusted 2024 presidential election. Wisconsin has the opportunity to be an example to states nationwide who are reckoning with rising turnover in this mission-critical workforce. Yet as the presidential campaign season gets underway, we encourage policymakers in all states to support their election administrators by providing adequate funding and implementing commonsense, resilient policy.