Role of the municipal Chief Administrative Officer in establishing free and fair local elections

Abstract

Free and fair elections are one of the hallmarks of democracies. While there is no original right to vote in the U.S. Constitution, thus restricting the right to states, over the centuries, amendments have been put in place to extend voting rights to women, all races, all citizens, and those 18 years of age. At the municipal level, there is considerable power held by the county administrators, city managers, and county managers collectively called Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) The CAO, as administrative lead, sets and oversees local election administration, recommends policy, and controls budgeting. This project aims to analyze the perception elected officials and public managers have of city managers' ethics in setting election administration policy in the city of Palmdale, California, and compare them with perceptions among the general and civic population of Palmdale. Our research objective is to understand the range of perceptions on election administration among elected officials, public managers, and Palmdale citizens.