Election officials routinely face the possibility of last-minute changes to their election data, systems, or processes due to court orders, new legislation, candidate withdrawals or deaths, and other unforeseen events. In 2026, many jurisdictions must prepare for an unusually broad range of disruptions, including late changes to district boundaries, what equipment can be used, as well as absentee or mail-in voting processes, and delayed or bifurcated elections (i.e., running two separate elections simultaneously).
Last-minute changes carry real risk. Every late modification adds another layer of complexity. When multiple changes stack on top of each other, the risk of error rises significantly. The public may not understand why or how much extra work goes into mitigating that risk. Even minor mistakes or delays can be misunderstood or taken out of context, fueling false narratives and undermining public confidence.
Election officials who know last-minute changes are likely should begin educating the public early and clearly about the challenges those changes create and the safeguards in place to protect the process. Early communication helps set realistic expectations and gives voters the context they need to understand why changes are occurring and how election officials are managing them.
Actions You Can Take Now
- Build contingency time into your schedule. Election timelines are tight. When possible, build in time for additional testing, ballot proofing, training, and quality control checks in the event of last-minute data or systems modifications.
- Document changes clearly. Maintain clear records of what changed, why it changed, and what validation steps were completed.
- Prepare communications in advance. Have messaging ready to explain what changed, why the change occurred, and what standard procedures and safeguards are in place to ensure a secure election.
- Plan for mistakes and scrutiny. No election is perfect. Should an error occur, acknowledge it, explain what happened, describe how it’s being corrected, and communicate what steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again.
Additional Resources
- Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions: Toolkit: Best Practices for Media Engagement
- Election Security Exchange: Communicating During an Election Incident
- CISA: Election Infrastructure Incident Response Communications Guide
- CISA: Enhancing Election Security Through Public Communications
- The Elections Group: Systems Check: A Guide to Testing Election Technology
The Planning Desk is a running timeline of key election security tasks. You can find prior editions in the newsletter archive.