July 22, 2026 – Meredith Sumpter, president and CEO of FairVote, shared the following statement:

“FairVote celebrates recent statements from the bipartisan US Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties, and National Governors Association affirming local leadership of our elections. Our city, county, and state leaders are united on this issue – across party lines and geography. 

“The Constitution gives states the primary role in administering elections, and gives no independent authority to the federal executive branch. Thanks to hard-working state and local election officials across the nation, our system of federalism works – and Americans can trust that our elections are free, fair, and secure. 

“As the National Governors Association shared, ‘America’s election system is a model for the world and the bedrock of our 250-year-old democracy.’ 

“Continued innovation in our laboratories of democracy has helped make our elections a model for the world. Reforms like ranked choice voting and expanded voter registration, and election integrity measures like ballot tracking and risk-limiting audits, have all emerged from the local and state level. As the National Association of Counties shared in its resolution, ‘Federal policy should respect space for local innovation.’ 

“As election policy and administration is shaped in the coming years, we must continue to listen to local and state governments, invest in needed infrastructure, and support locally driven innovation across the nation – so that our elections continue to be a model for the next 250 years.” 

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FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. We research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.