Compliance — Election Security Glossary

Compliance is the practice of meeting the legal, regulatory, and procedural requirements that govern election administration. It is the operational counterpart to the standards and laws that establish what an election must look like. A compliant election is one that satisfies every applicable requirement: federal law, state code, local charter, court order, and the procedures adopted by the relevant election board.

Why this category matters for election security is that compliance failures create vulnerabilities. A jurisdiction that fails to maintain its voter registration database in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act does not just have a paperwork problem. It has an accuracy problem, a public confidence problem, and a potential legal challenge. Compliance is the discipline of doing what the rules require, consistently, and of being able to demonstrate that you have done so.

Compliance in election administration is multilayered. Federal requirements (HAVA, NVRA, ADA, UOCAVA) establish baseline obligations. State constitutions and codes add additional layers. Local jurisdictions may add their own. The Election Assistance Commission publishes voluntary guidance. Courts issue injunctions and consent decrees. Each layer must be tracked, satisfied, and documented.

The terminology in this category covers both the substantive requirements (what must be done) and the procedural disciplines (how compliance is tracked, demonstrated, and audited). The concepts here are practical. They describe what an election director does every day.