Ben Hovland

Ben Hovland is a senior fellow at American Progress, where he focuses on democracy and government reform. Prior to joining American Progress, Hovland was confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on January 2, 2019, as a member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and served as chairman in 2020 and 2024. His leadership during an unprecedented time for election administration helped transform the EAC to better support election officials and voters across the United States. In 2020, the EAC administered nearly $825 million in federal grant money and strategically pivoted resources to help election officials respond to the pandemic and enhance election security. Previously, he served as acting chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and deputy general counsel for the Missouri secretary of state’s office. In addition to undergraduate and law degrees, Hovland also has graduate certificates in cybersecurity strategy and policy as well as information and influence intelligence.