In 2019, the National Academy of Public Administration announced its Grand Challenges beginning with the "Protect Electoral Integrity and Enhance Voter Participation" challenge.

Recognizing that free and fair elections are a core pillar of our democracy, and that many elements that hold that pillar together have been under attack in recent years, the Academy’s Board of Directors adopted the following statement.

“Protect Electoral Integrity and Enhance Voter Participation is first of the National Academy’s Twelve Grand Challenges in Public Administration. Public trust and active participation in our elections is fundamental to our democracy. Increasingly that trust is undercut by the spread of misinformation and a lack of knowledge regarding the election process itself and the extensive efforts at all levels of government to ensure that election results are fair, honest and accurate.

“As distinguished and accomplished academics and practitioners committed to a creating a just, fair and inclusive government, Fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration are well positioned to help restore confidence in our election system both as individuals and in their institutional roles. The Election Working Group has developed a Call to Action that highlights many of the ways in which Fellows can become engaged. The Call and additional resources can be found on the Academy's website. In addition, Academy staff working with the Election Working Group will be providing additional information and resources through Management Matter, podcasts and its social media accounts.

“The Board urges each Fellow to review these resources and the Call to Action and commit to finding at least one way that they can share the accurate information that is needed to help restore and preserve trust in our elections.”

If you are interested in becoming involved but do not know where to start, feel free to use the resources on this page or contact the Election Working Group.

If you are conducting research in this field, volunteering as a poll worker, or registering people to vote, please reach out to us and share your story. Email grandchallenges@napawash.org. Over the next year, NAPA will be highlighting the contributions its Fellows have made to this Grand Challenge.

Please be on the lookout for upcoming events this fall and beyond, hosted by the Academy.

Access the Board Statement on Fellow Involvement in 2024 Elections

If you want to learn more about Academy election initiatives, please get in touch with Miles Murphy (mmurphy@napawash.org).

The National Academy of Public Administration, a nonpartisan, non-political organization chartered under Federal law, provides the information on this page as a public service. None of the information on this page was paid for, financed by, or authorized by any candidate, candidate committee, or any other group or individual other than the National Academy of Public Administration, aka “NAPA,” located at 1600 K Street, N.W. Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20006; www.napawash.org. The Academy does not endorse any of the content.