School Election Strategies

What School Election Strategies does

Election Center (also known as the National Association for Election Officials / NAEO) is a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation registered in Virginia and operationally headquartered in Katy, Texas. Founded in 1992, it is the largest national professional association for election administrators in the United States, with members in 48 states plus multiple territories and the District of Columbia. Its primary products are the CERA (Certified Elections/Registration Administrator) individual certification — a multi-year, 12-course curriculum taught by Auburn University MPA faculty — and the State REO certification, a state-specific variant delivered in partnership with state election associations. Supporting assets include the Journal of Election Administration, Research & Practice (a peer-reviewed biannual e-journal), the electionline nonpartisan news clearinghouse, the Principles and Standards of Conduct, and the Coalition of Election Association Leaders (CEAL) program that supplies state associations with a guidebook, self-assessment tools, and bylaws templates.

Revenue is generated through three membership tiers (Government at $199, Special at $399, and Corporate at $599 per person per year), per-course CERA tuition, certification and renewal fees (one renewal course required every three years), event registrations for the Annual Conference, JEOLC, special workshops, and the Auburn Symposium, sponsorships and exhibits, and fee-for-service consulting engagements for federal, state, and local jurisdictions. Distribution runs through the member portal (portal.electioncenter.org), in-person and remote CERA courses, five standing member committees, an annual national conference that graduated 140 CERA designees in 2025 (the largest class on record, up from 121 in 2024), and a Year 40 event cycle that includes Salt Lake City (2025) and Detroit (2024). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Susan Gill (CERA), with Kathleen Hale (Auburn Professor Emerita) as Executive Director and a staff of roughly eight including Chief Programs Officer Tammy Patrick (Hall of Fame 2022) and Chief of Staff Lauren Hill.

Strategic positioning rests on a tightly bundled set of structural advantages: a registered trademark — the Official Election Mail logo — created in 2012 in collaboration with the United States Postal Service (the only such partnership in USPS history); formal liaison relationships with CISA, EI-ISAC, the EAC, and the Government Coordinating Council; and a long-tenured academic alliance with Auburn University formalized in 2018 through the Institute of Election Administration, Research and Practice. Election Center markets its services through its website, the electionlineWeekly newsletter, social channels, the JEARP journal, the CEAL resources, press releases, and the annual conference and workshop calendar, while GTM motion centers on event-driven certification and membership enrollment.

Name

School Election Strategies

Legal name

Election Center NAEO

Website

https://electioncenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Election Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association — the largest U.S. body for election officials — that delivers the CERA certification, national conferences, standards, and consulting for federal, state, county, and municipal election administrators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Election Administration Professional Certification & Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal, Governance, Privacy & Audit Certifications (EDAAANAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA)

Keywords

• Election administration certification
• Professional association services
• Election official training
• Election consulting services
• Voter education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Katy

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees charged across three tiers: Government ($199/person/year), Corporate ($599/person/year), and Special ($399/person/year). Membership unlocks access to CERA certification, workshops, committees, member-only resources, discounted event registration, and the member directory.
2. CERA Course Tuition and Event Registration: Revenue generated from in-person and remote CERA course registrations, REO state-based courses, and registration fees for JEOLC meetings, Annual Conference, Special Workshops, and Auburn Symposium events. Discounts provided to members ($200 off standard registration).
3. CERA, CERV, and CEM Certification Fees: Fees associated with initial certification, renewal courses (one renewal course required every 3 years), and certification maintenance for election officials and vendor personnel.
4. Election Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements advising election officials on daily operations, voter outreach, workflow design, staff development, financial analysis, legislative impact analysis, compliance review, and continuity of operations planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

School Election Strategies (operating as Election Center / NAEO) provides professional certification (CERA individual certification and State REO certification in partnership with Auburn University), runs the annual national conference plus special workshops, delivers fee-for-service election consulting, and distributes member resources including the Journal of Election Administration, Research & Practice, electionline.org news, Standards of Conduct, and the CEAL program supporting state election associations.

Product overview

Election Center operates as a professional membership association offering a comprehensive portfolio of election administration education and certification services. The core offerings include the CERA (Certified Elections/Registration Administrator) individual certification program and State REO (Registered Election Official) certification, both delivered in partnership with Auburn University's Institute of Election Administration. Supporting these are the Journal of Election Administration, Research & Practice (a peer-reviewed biannual publication), electionline (a nonpartisan news clearinghouse), and the Standards of Conduct resources. The organization also provides consulting services, awards programs, and runs the Coalition of Election Association Leaders (CEAL) to support state associations. Events include annual conferences, workshops, and specialized training sessions. Membership tiers include Government ($199/year), Corporate ($599/year), and Special ($399/year) categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CERA Individual Certification Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) certification program covering legal, managerial, and technical aspects of election administration through 12 core courses taught by Auburn University MPA faculty. Awards the CERA designation, the highest professional achievement for election officials in the U.S.
• State REO Certification Registered Election Official (REO) state-based certification program offered in partnership between a state organization and Election Center, with state-specific programs tailored to individual state needs.
• Institute of Election Administration Joint partnership between Election Center and Auburn University serving as the home for the CERA certification program and the Election Administration Initiative research activities, established to professionalize the field of election administration.
• Journal of Election Administration, Research & Practice Biannual peer-reviewed e-journal developed in partnership between Election Center and Auburn University Election Administration Initiative, addressing practice, policy, research, vendor, and advocacy communities in election administration.
• electionline The nation's only nonpartisan, non-advocacy clearinghouse for election reform news and information, delivering curated daily news on election administration plus a weekly electionlineWeekly summary with blog posts, legislation and litigation updates, opinion pieces, and job postings.
• Standards of Conduct The Principles and Standards of Conduct developed by Election Center as the ethical standard for election/registration officials, helping bridge principles with action as officials communicate with the public.
• Coalition of Election Association Leaders (CEAL) Project of Election Center helping state election associations grow by providing guidance, networking opportunities, best practices, and data-driven tools including the Association Maturation Guidebook, self-assessment tools, bylaws templates, and case studies.
• Election Consulting Services Fee-for-service consulting engagements advising election officials on daily operations, voter outreach, workflow design, staff development, training, financial analysis, legislative impact analysis, compliance review, and continuity of operations planning.
• Events and Conferences Annual in-person events including JEOLC (January meeting in Washington, D.C.), February Special Workshop, April Special Workshop, Annual National Conference (August), and Auburn Symposium (October in odd-numbered years), along with remote/Zoom CERA courses.
• Professional Practice Awards Annual program recognizing excellence in election professionalism with awards across eight categories (Democracy, Freedom, Stars and Stripes, Eagles, Beacon, Stewardship, Independence, Guardian) plus the People's Choice Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award and Hall of Fame.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 new CERA graduates in 2025 — the largest graduate class in the program's history
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and moderate.

• Auburn UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Since 1992, Election Center has partnered with Auburn University's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program to offer the CERA certification curriculum taught by Auburn faculty. In 2018, the partnership was solidified as the home of the certification program at the Institute of Election Administration, Research and Practice. Auburn University co-directs the Election Administration Initiative with Election Center and co-publishes the Journal of Election Administration, Research & Practice.
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe EAC is a federal agency created by HAVA that works closely with Election Center. Multiple Election Center members serve on EAC advisory boards and councils. Tom Wilkey, former Election Center Executive Director, was the first permanent Executive Director of the EAC. Wesley Wilcox serves on the EAC Local Leadership Council.
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Election Center Security Committee monitors election security announcements and notifications from CISA and the EI-ISAC. Committee leadership represents Election Center to the Government Coordinating Council.
• Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC)coreTechnology or IntegrationEI-ISAC provides election security information sharing for the election community. The Election Center Security Committee monitors EI-ISAC notifications and the EI-ISAC Center for Election Security. Wesley Wilcox (Election Center Board) currently serves as Chair of the EI-ISAC Center for Election Security.
• United States Postal Service (USPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2012, Election Center and USPS created the Official Election Mail logo — the only such partnership in USPS history. Election Center's Postal Committee provides leadership to USPS's Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) and works closely with the USPS Inspection Service. Tammy Patrick has represented Election Center to USPS MTAC for over a decade.
• Bipartisan Policy CentersignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bipartisan Policy Center partnered with the Arizona Secretary of State and county election officials on the Arizona Election Administration Student Fellowship Program, which won the 2025 Beacon Award. Tommy Gong is a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Task Force on Elections.
• Government Coordinating Council (GCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GCC is the primary coordinating body for election infrastructure security between all levels of government. Election Center Security Committee leadership represents the organization to the GCC and reports status updates after GCC meetings to the committee and its members.
• Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerTommy Gong, Election Center Board Member, serves as an advisory board member for the Election Official Legal Defense Network. Wesley Wilcox also serves on the Advisory Board of EOLDN.
• Issue One — Faces of Democracy CampaignmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerTommy Gong, Election Center Board Member, is a member of Issue One's Faces of Democracy campaign, which highlights election officials across the country.
• California Voter FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerTommy Gong, Election Center Board Member, serves as a Board Director for the California Voter Foundation.
• ASU AI and Democracy LabsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerTonya Wichman, Election Center Board Member, contributes to innovation through the ASU AI and Democracy Lab alongside her Election Center board service.
• McCain InstitutesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerTonya Wichman, Election Center Board Member, was selected as part of the 2026 cohort of the McCain Institute American Democracy & Technology Fellowship. The fellowship advances thought leadership and policy advocacy on democracy and technology in the United States.
• University of Southern California Schwarzenegger InstitutemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe USC Schwarzenegger Institute partnered with Arizona Secretary of State and the Bipartisan Policy Center on the Arizona Election Administration Student Fellowship Program, which won the 2025 Beacon Award.
• USPS Inspection ServicemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerElection Center's Postal Committee works closely with the United States Postal Inspection Service as part of its liaison activities to the USPS Mailers Technical Advisory Committee.
• MIT Election and Data Sciences LabmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerKathleen Hale, Executive Director of Election Center, serves on the advisory board of the MIT Election and Data Sciences Lab, contributing academic and practitioner expertise to election data research.
• McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn UniversitymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerKathleen Hale, Executive Director, serves as a faculty fellow for the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Democracy Fund: Democracy Fund is a philanthropy focused on elections and government, and previously employed Election Center's Chief Programs Officer. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant that funds many of the same reform areas Election Center's members work in.
• Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR): CEIR works directly with election officials on election administration improvement, similar to Election Center's consulting arm. It is a nonprofit peer in the election administration support space but does not offer certifications.
• Bipartisan Policy Center: BPC is a Washington think tank with a Task Force on Elections that co-created award-winning fellowship programs with Election Center members. It is thematically adjacent — both convene election officials and policymakers — but is not a competing membership association.
• Verified Voting: Verified Voting is a nonprofit focused on election integrity and technology. It operates in the same ecosystem as Election Center (serving election officials on security and technology) but is advocacy-oriented rather than a credentialing association.
• Brennan Center for Justice: The Brennan Center runs an Elections & Government program that partners with election officials. While not a peer membership association, it intersects with Election Center's stakeholder community and has recognized its members through Hall of Fame awards.

Broad incumbents

• International City/County Management Association (ICMA): ICMA is the leading professional association for local government managers, including county and city administrators who oversee elections. It is a comparable professional credentialing organization (ICMA Credentialed Manager) for an overlapping public administration membership.
• American Society for Public Administration (ASPA): ASPA is the largest national professional association for public administration, with a broader scope but overlapping mission around credentialing, continuing education, and a peer-reviewed journal — analogous to how Election Center operates within the narrower election-administration niche.
• National Association of Counties (NACo): NACo is a large, established membership association for county officials, including county clerks and election administrators who are core Election Center members. It offers a broader portfolio but competes for the same county-government attention and training budgets.

Direct peers

• National Association of State Election Directors (NASED): NASED is the professional association for state-level election directors, the most direct comparable organization to Election Center. Both organizations serve elected and appointed election administrators, run training and professional development, and engage federal partners on election policy.
• National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS): NASS represents the chief election officials in most states (Secretaries of State), many of whom are Election Center members. Both organizations sit at the intersection of state election administration, federal liaison, and professional standards, making them natural peer associations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ElectionCenter2
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheElectionCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElectionCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/electioncenternaeo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/election-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries4 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 School Election Strategies