Washington, D.C. — The Center for American Progress is welcoming Ben Hovland, former commissioner of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), as a senior fellow to lead the organization’s elections work.
Hovland will lead CAP’s work on elections, most immediately to safeguard the integrity of U.S. elections, including from any political interference from partisan actors. He will also work to strengthen voting rights, which have come under attack, and help make our electoral system fairer and more representative for voters.
“Ben is an incredibly skilled and trusted leader with battle-tested experience administering and safeguarding our nation’s elections,” said Ben Olinsky, senior vice president for Structural Reform and Government at CAP. “We’re thrilled to have him lead our election work at a time when his expertise and leadership will be more critical than ever.”
Over his 20-year career in elections, Hovland has been committed to improving election administration and removing barriers to voting. His leadership during eight years as commissioner on the EAC—including two stints as chairman in 2020 and 2024—helped transform the commission to better support election officials and voters across the United States.
Previously, he served as acting chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he was a driving force behind Congress appropriating $380 million in Help America Vote Act funds to enhance election security to the states in 2018.
Earlier in his career, Hovland served as deputy general counsel for the Missouri secretary of state’s office. In that post, he focused on legal issues related to the administration of state and federal elections, including recounts, poll worker training, voter registration list maintenance, statewide database matching, voter education resources, and ballot initiative litigation.
Hovland received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a law degree from the University of Oregon. He also has graduate certificates in cybersecurity strategy and policy as well as information and influence intelligence.
For more information, or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].