The Center For Election Innovation & Research

What The Center For Election Innovation & Research does

The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 by David Becker and headquartered in Washington, DC. It operates with approximately 20 staff members and a four-person board of directors, and its stated mission is to work with election officials from both major political parties to build confidence in elections and address the historic decline in voter turnout, foreign interference, and threats facing election administrators. The organization is nonpartisan and emphasizes cross-partisan governance.

CEIR's core offerings include the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN), which matches licensed pro bono attorneys with election administrators needing legal advice or assistance regardless of political affiliation; a research division producing 31 reports, 10 briefs, and 7 data dives covering voter registration, voting methods, election security, and election data; the "CEIR Explains" educational video series (53+ videos); and "The Count with David Becker" podcast launched October 15, 2024. It also tracks state-level election policies through interactive dashboards and produces process guides for election administration best practices. In May 2026, CEIR launched a dedicated Legal Program led by former DOJ Voting Section Chief Tamar Hagler.

CEIR's business model is donation-funded: it provides all services free of charge to election officials and operates through charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and institutional donors, with contributions restricted to US-based donors. Go-to-market relies on direct relationships with election officials nationwide, earned media (671+ news mentions), and a multi-channel content distribution strategy including website, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and events. CEIR does not pursue commercial revenue, and no public disclosure of annual revenue or expense figures is available.

Name

The Center For Election Innovation & Research

Legal name

The Center for Election Innovation & Research, Inc.

Website

https://electioninnovation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Election Innovation & Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that provides research, pro bono legal defense, and educational resources to election officials nationwide on a nonpartisan basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Contributions and Donations: CEIR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and institutional donors. The organization states that donations support CEIR's mission including the Election Official Legal Defense Network. They note that CEIR only accepts contributions from those based in the United States. Institutional donors and those wishing to donate more than $5,000 are directed to contact [email protected]. Stock donations are accepted through Stock Donator platform.
2. Pro Bono Legal Services: The Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) connects pro bono attorneys with election administrators who need legal advice or assistance. This service is provided free of charge to election officials regardless of political affiliation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CEIR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces nonpartisan election administration research, policy analysis, and educational content, while operating the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) to match pro bono attorneys with election administrators. It also disseminates election information through the CEIR Explains video series, The Count podcast, newsletters, and process guides for election administrators, all provided free of charge.

Product overview

The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of research, advocacy, and legal support programs. The core offerings include the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN), which connects election officials with pro bono legal assistance, and comprehensive research reports covering election data, integrity, technology, and voter convenience. Educational content is delivered through the CEIR Explains video series and The Count with David Becker podcast. The organization also provides newsletter subscriptions to disseminate election-related information to stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EOLDN: Election Official Legal Defense Network - a project that matches pro bono attorneys with election administrators who need advice or legal assistance.
• The Count with David Becker

Products and services

• Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) A flagship CEIR program that matches licensed, qualified pro bono attorneys with state and local election administrators who need legal advice or assistance. Services are available to election officials regardless of political affiliation or whether they work in blue or red states/counties, and also includes professional communications support requests from election officials.
• CEIR Research Reports A library of comprehensive nonpartisan research and analysis on U.S. election administration, integrity, voter registration, election technology, and voting method expansion. Includes 31 reports, 10 briefs, and 7 data dives available free of charge to election officials, researchers, journalists, and the public.
• CEIR Explains Video Series An educational video series of 53+ videos explaining U.S. election processes, security measures, ballot counting, voter privacy, and constitutional requirements, designed to address common misconceptions and counter election disinformation.
• The Count with David Becker Podcast A weekly podcast hosted by founder David Becker covering election integrity, democracy, and election administration topics, providing nonpartisan expert analysis for election officials, journalists, researchers, and the public.
• CEIR Newsletter Program A subscription-based email newsletter program offering CEIR monthly newsletter, EOLDN monthly newsletter, research updates, upcoming events, fundraising emails, and legal program opportunities. Subscribers can self-select categories by audience type (election official, researcher, lawyer, reporter, other).

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 states and DC now have at least one innovative voter registration method (OVR, SDR, or AVR) for 2026, up from 7 states in 2000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN)coreOthersEOLDN is CEIR's flagship program that matches licensed, qualified pro bono attorneys with election administrators who need legal advice or assistance. The program is central to CEIR's mission of supporting election officials. Services are available regardless of political affiliation or whether officials work in blue or red states/counties. EOLDN also accepts professional communications support requests from election officials.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fair Elections Center: Nonpartisan organization that promotes voting access and election reform through litigation and research—aligned with CEIR's voter access and integrity work.
• Verified Voting: Nonpartisan organization that researches and advocates on voting technology and election security—a core part of CEIR's research portfolio.
• Issue One: Nonpartisan organization focused on election reform, ethics, and governance reform—closely aligned with CEIR's election integrity and reform mission.
• Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU that conducts research and advocacy on election administration, voting rights, and democracy—directly comparable to CEIR's research and advocacy mission.
• Bipartisan Policy Center: Think tank that works across party lines on policy research including election reform, reflecting CEIR's bipartisan approach to election administration issues.
• Protect Democracy: Nonpartisan organization working to defend American democracy through litigation, research, and advocacy—comparable to CEIR's democracy-protection mission.
• R Street Institute: Nonpartisan think tank with policy research on election issues—overlaps with CEIR's research-driven, bipartisan policy approach.
• The Election Center: Nonpartisan association of election officials providing training and resources—directly comparable to CEIR's election official support functions.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Secretaries of State: Professional association of state election officials—the largest established body of election officials CEIR engages with; broader in scope than CEIR's research focus.

Emerging players

• MIT Election Data and Science Lab: Academic research lab producing data-driven analysis on election administration and voting—comparable to CEIR's research output but operating in an academic context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/electioninnov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7J09L5Uej_zImc-fUHc-Ew/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElectionInnov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-election-innovation-&-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center For Election Innovation & Research