Election Reformers Network
Election Reformers Network is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that conducts policy research and drafts model legislation to strengthen impartial U.S. election administration, serving election officials, policymakers, journalists, and reform advocates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBethesda, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Election Reformers Network does
Election Reformers Network (ERN) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by election experts with extensive international democracy-building experience, including senior advisors from The Carter Center. The organization conducts policy research, drafts model legislation, and produces comparative international case studies focused on strengthening impartial election administration in the United States. Its core products include the Election Overtime project (a journalist-support resource covering contested elections), the Election Litigation Tracker, multiple research reports (Ethical Frontlines, How Nonpartisanship Works, Guardrails for the Guardians), model ethics legislation co-developed with the Campaign Legal Center, recusal guidelines for election officials, and a Substack newsletter called The Guardrail. ERN serves election officials (federal, state, and local), policymakers and legislators, journalists covering elections in battleground states, and reform advocates.
ERN operates as a nonprofit advocacy organization funded primarily through individual donations (with tiers of $100, $250, $1,000, and custom amounts), foundation grants (including from the Bipartisan Policy Center), and planned giving instruments such as donor-advised funds, QCDs, and legacy gifts. The organization distributes its research, model legislation, and litigation tracking free of charge through its website, supplemented by a monthly news clipping service for recurring donors, virtual events and webinars, op-eds, and coalition partnerships with organizations such as The Carter Center, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and the National Steering Committee on Trusted Elections. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on direct policy engagement with secretaries of state, state legislators, and local election officials to translate research into enacted policy, as evidenced by ERN's role in supporting Utah SB 194 (the first-in-nation election ethics law passed in March 2026) and a precedent-setting firewall policy adopted by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in May 2026.
Election Reformers Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Election Reformers Network
- Legal name
- Election Reformers Network
- Website
- https://electionreformers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Election Reformers Network is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that conducts policy research and drafts model legislation to strengthen impartial U.S. election administration, serving election officials, policymakers, journalists, and reform advocates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Election Reformers Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Election Policy Advocacy
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN), Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Election Reformers Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bethesda
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Election Reformers Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: ERN receives donations from individual supporters through its website, with suggested amounts of $100, $250, $1,000, and custom amounts. The organization also accepts donations by check, DAF grants, stock gifts, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), wire transfers, and legacy gifts.
- Foundation Grants: ERN receives grant funding from foundations, including the Bipartisan Policy Center which funded the Ethical Frontlines report on local election officials.
- News Clipping Service (Monthly Donor Benefit): ERN offers a monthly news clipping service for election news as a donor benefit, keeping monthly donors informed about developments in secretary of state monitoring, ranked choice voting, redistricting, electoral college news, voting rights, and swing state developments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Donor tiers ranging from $100 to $1,000+ |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Election Reformers Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Election Reformers Network is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces original policy research, comparative international case studies, and model legislation focused on impartial election administration in the United States. It engages directly with election officials, secretaries of state, and state legislators through research reports, policy recommendations, recusal guidelines, and coalition partnerships, and supports journalists covering contested elections through the Election Overtime project and an Election Litigation Tracker.
Product overview
Election Reformers Network is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of research reports, policy products, and advocacy tools focused on strengthening election governance. The core offerings include research publications (such as the Ethical Frontlines Report, How Nonpartisanship Works, and Guardrails for the Guardians), policy tools (including model ethics legislation and recusal guidelines), and the Election Overtime Project—a comprehensive resource kit for journalists covering contested elections. Additional offerings include an election litigation tracker, news clipping service for donors, and webinars. The organization does not offer a software platform but rather provides research, policy frameworks, and educational resources for election reform advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Election Overtime Project A resource project that equips reporters to accurately cover close and contested elections and strengthens voter understanding through state-specific election law briefs, litigation tracking, speaker bureaus, and voter education materials.
- Election Litigation Tracker A tracker of election litigation cases around the nation with priority focus on states that are presidential 'battlegrounds' or locations for nonpartisan election observation. The tracker is regularly expanded as additional cases are introduced or identified.
- Ethical Frontlines Report National research report examining impartiality challenges facing local election officials, based on confidential interviews with officials in five key states, containing seven key findings and 12 national recommendations.
- How Nonpartisanship Works Report Comparative case study report examining how New Zealand, Germany, South Korea, and Costa Rica built safeguards for neutral election administration in response to periods of political crisis or institutional vulnerability.
- Guardrails for the Guardians Report First-of-its-kind analysis examining the track record of elected and appointed chief election officials in 40 states from 2000–2020, with recommendations for reforms.
- Election News Clipping Service Monthly news clipping service for donors covering secretary of state monitoring, ranked choice voting developments, redistricting, electoral college news, and swing state developments.
- Model Bill: Ethics Legislation for Senior Election Officials Model ethics legislation creating impartiality and conduct requirements for senior election officials, covering impartiality requirements, conflict of interest rules, and enforcement mechanisms; drafted with support from the Campaign Legal Center.
- Designing Guidelines for Recusal by Election Officials Guidelines document outlining five enabling steps for election officials regarding recusal when running for office, addressing a critical governance gap identified in comparative analysis.
Quantifiable outcome
- Secured passage of Utah SB 194, first-in-the-nation election ethics law with overwhelming bipartisan support (Senate 23-2, House 63-7)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Election Reformers Network
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Election Reformers Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Election Reformers Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Sutherland InstitutemajorLeading Utah think tank that endorsed Utah SB 194, the first-in-the-nation election ethics law that ERN provided policy support for.
- The Carter CentercoreCo-founder of the National Steering Committee on Trusted Elections alongside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. ERN was founded by election experts inspired by Carter's leadership and draws on decades of Carter Center experience in emerging democracies.
- Gerald R. Ford Presidential FoundationcoreCo-founder of the National Steering Committee on Trusted Elections, advancing principles for trusted elections and constitutional democracy.
- National Steering Committee on Trusted ElectionscoreCo-sponsored by The Carter Center and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, advancing Principles for Trusted Elections and strategies to strengthen U.S. electoral process. Organized by Team Democracy.
- Campaign Legal CentercoreCollaborated with ERN to draft comprehensive model ethics legislation for senior election officials, covering impartiality requirements, conflict of interest rules, and enforcement mechanisms.
- National Association of Secretaries of StateminorERN recommends that NASS support requirements that all secretaries of state who are candidates consider recusal from decisions impacting their races.
- The Election CentermajorPublished Standards of Conduct for Election and Registration Officials recommending election officials recuse themselves from decisions impacting their own races. Cited in ERN's recusal guidelines.
- American Law InstitutemajorPublished bipartisan report 'Ethical Standards for Election Administration' recommending laws to allow election officials to recuse themselves from conflicting decisions.
- Problem Solvers CaucusmajorBipartisan House caucus that proposed four redistricting reforms ERN endorses: once-a-decade redistricting, nationwide uniform standards, reducing partisan influence through independent commissions, and federal resolution process for disputes.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Election Reformers Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- R Street Institute: Centrist think tank with an election policy program covering election administration and reform — adjacent policy-research peer with overlapping bipartisan reform positioning.
Direct peers
- Campaign Legal Center: Nonpartisan election integrity organization that litigates and drafts policy on campaign finance, redistricting, and election administration — already an ERN partner on model ethics legislation and the most direct operational peer.
- Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy organization at NYU that conducts research, advocacy, and litigation on election administration, voting rights, and reform — directly comparable mission and policy output to ERN.
- FairVote: Nonpartisan election reform organization focused on ranked choice voting and structural democracy reforms — overlapping but more specialized reform niche than ERN.
- Issue One: Cross-partisan political reform organization focused on election integrity, congressional ethics, and money-in-politics reforms — comparable advocacy portfolio and bipartisan reform orientation.
- Common Cause: Nonpartisan citizen lobbying group with a long-standing election reform portfolio (redistricting, voting access, ethics) — comparable grassroots-and-policy model to ERN.
- League of Women Voters: Nonpartisan civic organization that has championed voting rights and election administration for a century — direct overlap with ERN's civic participation and election governance mission.
- Protect Democracy: Nonpartisan organization working to defend democratic institutions and the rule of law, including election administration reforms — closely overlapping mission with ERN's 'strengthen democratic resilience' framing.
- The Elections Group: Election administration consulting and research firm supporting local election officials — directly comparable end customer (election officials) and comparable service mix to ERN's policy support.
Broad incumbents
- The Carter Center: Large, established democracy and election-observation NGO that is also ERN's co-founding partner on the National Steering Committee on Trusted Elections — broader portfolio but overlapping election governance domain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Election Reformers Network social profiles
Digital presenceElection Reformers Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Election Reformers Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Election Reformers Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Election Reformers Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Election Reformers Network
What does Election Reformers Network do?
Election Reformers Network is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces original policy research, comparative international case studies, and model legislation focused on impartial election administration in the United States. It engages directly with election officials, secretaries of state, and state legislators through research reports, policy recommendations, recusal guidelines, and coalition partnerships, and supports journalists covering contested elections through the Election Overtime project and an Election Litigation Tracker.
Is Election Reformers Network a public or private company?
Election Reformers Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Election Reformers Network founded?
Election Reformers Network was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Election Reformers Network based?
Election Reformers Network is headquartered in Bethesda, United States, in the North America region.
How does Election Reformers Network make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants and news Clipping Service (Monthly Donor Benefit).
Who are Election Reformers Network's main competitors?
R Street Institute is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Campaign Legal Center, Brennan Center for Justice, FairVote, Issue One, Common Cause, League of Women Voters, Protect Democracy and The Elections Group. The Carter Center is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Election Reformers Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Election Reformers Network.
What industry is Election Reformers Network in?
Election Reformers Network's product category is Election Policy Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGADAN, Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit). Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8300.