U.S. Election Assistance Commission Releases 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey Report
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Recently, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) released the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) report. The EAC calls the report: The nation’s most comprehensive source of election administration data.
It covers topics such as voter participation, voter registration, voter list maintenance, and election technology, as well as early and Election Day polling place operations for the general election. These results reflect a 100% response rate from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
Nearly 65% of the citizen voting-age population participated in the general election, resulting in more than 158 million ballots being counted. Over 72% of voters cast their votes in person at a voting location, either before Election Day or on Election Day. Over 98% of election jurisdictions used voting equipment that has voters mark a paper ballot or produces an auditable paper record of voters’ ballot preferences.
“The EAVS gathers data directly from those who manage our elections: state and local election officials. This sets the EAVS apart, and further highlights why it is the most comprehensive review of the administration of elections nationwide. By providing the national story of the 2024 election, the EAVS offers policymakers and election stakeholders a better understanding of election trends and the challenges election officials navigate across the country,” said EAC Chairman Donald Palmer, Vice Chair Thomas Hicks, Commissioner Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland in a joint statement.
“Without the participation of thousands of election officials reflected in the EAVS report, we would not have the detailed picture of the general election that we do. Their dedication to serving voters and incredible work throughout 2024 resulted in professionally run elections.”
The 2024 EAVS Comprehensive Report and data, as well as previous EAVS reports can be found here.
Other key findings from the 2024 EAVS include:
Voter Registration
More than 211 million citizens were active registered voters for the 2024 general election — 86.6% of the citizen voting age population.
State motor vehicle offices and automatic voter registration were the two most used methods of voter registration. Motor vehicle offices accounted for 32.2% of transactions processed. Automatic voter registration was used for 26.4% of transactions.
States reported sending nearly 40 million confirmation notices as part of efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls. Accurate voter list maintenance is an essential part of a well-functioning voter registration system — having accurate lists helps reduce costs, decreases wait times and ensures that only voters eligible to vote can do so. Confirmation notices help ensure that voters are not removed in error.
Voting Methods
In-person voting remained the most common voting method in the 2024 general election, with over 70% of voters choosing to cast their ballots in person. And 35.2% voted in person before Election Day, while 37.4% voted in person on Election Day.
Voting by mail decreased to about 30% of total ballots cast in the 2024 election. Despite this shift, election officials continue to implement security measures to ensure this option is secure. Mail ballots are protected by state laws that determine how they must be filled out and returned by the voter, and then verified by election officials before they are counted.
Over 98% of election jurisdictions used voting equipment that has voters mark a paper ballot or produces an auditable paper record of voters’ ballot preferences. The percentage of jurisdictions that reported using voting systems without a verified paper trail has decreased significantly since the 2022 general election. In the 2024 EAVS, only 80 jurisdictions in three states reported using these systems, with just one jurisdiction reporting only using this type of voting system.
Voting Systems and Election Supporting Technology
Nearly 93% of states, the territories, and DC require voting system testing and certification either by statute or through a formal administrative rule or guidance. Some of these states require full EAC certification, while others require testing to federal standards or testing by a federally accredited laboratory.
Nearly 40% of jurisdictions used electronic poll books to assist with voting, which was the highest percentage reported to date in the EAVS. Given the rise in use, the EAC recently established a Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program to evaluate and test the security, accessibility, and usability of electronic poll books across the country.
Poll Workers
While 47.9% of jurisdictions reported facing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining poll workers, recruitment has become easier since the last presidential election. More than 770,000 individuals served as poll workers for the 2024 general election, the majority of whom were over 61 years old.
For more than 20 years, the EAC has conducted the EAVS following each federal general election.
In May, the EAC released a report on “The History, Evolution, and Future Directions of the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)” and comprehensive time series data files covering EAVS data from 2004 to 2022.
Prior to 2014, this data was reported in three different reports – the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) report, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) report, and the Election Day Survey/EAVS. Since 2008, this project has included a separate survey, the Election Administration Policy Survey (Policy Survey), that gathers information about state election laws, policies, and practices.
On May 27, the Commissioners of the EAC unanimously approved a policy formally affirming the agency’s support for voting systems that are auditable and software-independent.
On July 9, the EAC will host ”2025 EAC Data Summit: Election Administration by the Number” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. During the in-person public event, election officials, academics, and other key stakeholders will participate in panel discussions on election administration and related innovative and groundbreaking data and research. Topics will include the results of the 2024 EAVS, election funding, voter list maintenance, workforce development, and more. Information on how to register to attend in person or watch the livestreamed event is available here.
The EAC was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate, and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. The EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.
Bill Bruch
Bill Bruch is the WA State GOP Election Integrity Committee Chairman (5th year), WAGOP Executive Board Member (5th Year), Skagit County GOP Chairman (9th year), Citizen Journalist, Blogger, Business Owner, 2020 WA State House Representative Candidate, Former Council Member, and WA State 2016 and 2024 RNC National Convention Delegate.