"For three days, the Institute for Election Administration Research & Practice, a collaboration of Auburn University and the Election Center (National Association of Election Officials), highlighted innovative funding solution proposals based on the contest challenge they ran over the summer."
Election administrators in the U.S. face persistent financial strain with local governments and their tax bases shouldering most costs while state and federal support remains limited. At the same time, states collect billions each year in unclaimed funds, which are assets like abandoned bank accounts and forgotten insurance proceeds. States are increasingly using unclaimed funds to support public programs like education and housing, but none have earmarked them for election administration.