This Essay argues that election administrators should be subject to a
professional licensing regime, much like licensing in medicine and law.
Making election administration a licensed profession would not only expand
requirements for training, but also enhance the professional identification of
these officials, reinforcing norms of integrity and impartiality. By raising
barriers to entry, licensing would make it more costly for partisans to obtain
these offices. Licensing could also improve public confidence in the
professionalism of election administration. Such a reform meets our moment.
While many states have increased training requirements for election
administrators, significant gaps remain. Moreover, existing reforms to
election administration—ranging from creating nonpartisan structures to
disclosing more information to shame outliers—have either stalled or been
too indirect to confront the rising partisan challenges election administrators
face. The Essay concludes with a case study illustrating how such a licensing
regime could be implemented in Michigan.
