Elections · Resolve
Fast, fair resolution of election complaints
Resolve, our Elections program, gives voters, candidates, and parties a way to raise a complaint about how an election is run, and to get a timely, reasoned decision from people who know how elections work. It is built on Administrative Election Dispute Resolution (AEDR).
Resolve, briefly
Resolving complaints before they become court cases
Since 2002, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA, the federal law that set minimum standards for federal elections) has required every state to run an administrative complaint process. In most states it exists on paper and is rarely used.
Resolve makes that process work. Complaints are heard quickly, decided on the record, and remain open to appeal and judicial review.
- Fast. Complaints are decided on the election calendar, in time for the decision to matter.
- Fair. Decision-makers are neutral, the procedures are published, and the reasons are given in writing.
- Low cost. Anyone can file without a lawyer, and fewer disputes need to go to court.
- On the record. Each decision leaves a written record that a court can review if the case goes further.
Working with election administrators
We build the process with the people who run elections
- We start from your current complaint process and the law you already have.
- We co-design procedures, intake forms, decision standards, and timelines with your staff, mapped to your election calendar.
- Where possible, we design the process so that it needs no new legislation.
- We train hearing officers and staff on sequencing, neutrality, and communication.
- We measure results against a fixed baseline, so improvement can be shown.
How a pilot runs
Each pilot follows five steps, carried out with our partners
We take on problems that others are often advised to avoid because they seem too sensitive, too political, or too specialized.
- 01 · Spot
Find the vulnerability
We look for a weak point that others have overlooked, or an opportunity that no one has used yet.
- 02 · Validate
Test it with the people who carry it
We check our findings with the administrators, judges, and lawyers who would live with the consequences.
- 03 · Co-design
Build the response with them
We draw on similar cases in other countries, but we do not copy another country’s system wholesale.
- 04 · Pilot
Run it in a real state, in a real cycle
We work with willing jurisdictions, keep the scope narrow, and measure the results against a fixed baseline.
- 05 · Scale
Reflect, adapt, hand it over
We review the results, make adjustments, and hand over a working system that the jurisdiction can run on its own.
Pilots
Our pilots start in Maryland, then move to North Carolina and Arizona
Maryland
We plan to run the first pilot in 2027 with one or two election administrator partners.
North Carolina
We will scope this pilot once the Maryland pilot shows results.
Arizona
We will scope this pilot once the Maryland pilot shows results.
The comparative research behind Resolve is summarized in Insights.
Partner on a pilot
If you administer elections and want a complaint process that works when it matters, we would like to talk with you.