Call for Proposals to Host

The mission and purpose of the ESRA Conference

The mission of ESRA is to create a community of academics and practitioners who are dedicated to the improvement of election administration in the United States through the application of evidence-based methods.  The conference accomplishes this mission by convening academics and practitioners to share research findings and learn from one another about the challenges faced by election administrators, as well as how rigorous methods can be applied to address those challenges.

The conference differs from traditional conferences sponsored solely by academics and election officials.  ESRA is an opportunity for academic researchers to communicate the practical importance of their findings to a broader, yet informed, audience.  It is also an opportunity for election officials to dive deeply into empirical findings about their field.

ESRA is similar to traditional conferences in that networking and community building are high priorities.  ESRA is distinct in providing the opportunity for both researchers and practitioners to expand their networks and benefit from each other’s perspectives.

Conference details

Although no two conferences have been organized exactly alike, the Association has identified a series of features that should serve as a starting point:

• A minimum of two full days of programming, with an opening social event the night before the first day of programming, and an event such as an election facility tour, which can occur after the second day of programming and is optional for conference participants.
• Meeting facilities (including suitable AV equipment) as follows:
  • A single (or multiple) meeting room(s) capable of accommodating 200 for plenaries and meals
  • Two additional breakout rooms capable of accommodating 50 each, or other rooms sufficient to accommodate a total of 200 attendees in smaller breakouts and programming space
  • A public circulation space sufficient for breaks and breakfast and lunch
  • A public space sufficient for poster sessions
  • A public display space for sponsors
     
• Local election or other suitable election-related facility tour, site visit, or other programming

The expectations of the host institution are as follows:

• Arrange and pay for all meeting facilities (i.e., space for the conference)
• Arrange for the reception, conference dinner, lunch, and breaks
• Arrange for a block of hotel rooms to accommodate up to 200 participants
• Work with the program committee as it develops the agenda
• Arrange for a tour of a local election facility or other facility of interest to the community

In past years, hosts have added special events beyond the formal conference and distributed swag to attendees, but this is not a requirement of hosting.

ESRA plans to actively fundraise for the 2026 and 2027 events, as well as to institute a registration fee to help underwrite the conference costs.  The board commits to raising $100,000 annually through registration fees and foundation support to underwrite the event's costs for the host institution and the Association.

In addition to committing to fundraising to meet the basic costs of ESRA, the Association will provide the following assistance to the success of the conference:

• Finalize the overall program
• Coordinate the event overall
• Provide back-office support in publicizing the conference and handling registration.
• Maintain and update the conference webpage.
• Perform post-conference assessment of the event