There is no single national election in the United States. Instead, elections are administered locally — by counties and municipalities — under rules set by each state. This decentralization is one of the system's most important security features.
Who Runs Elections
Most elections are run by county or local election offices, staffed by trained officials and thousands of temporary poll workers from the community. State election officials set the rules and provide oversight.
How Ballots Are Counted and Verified
Ballots are counted using a mix of equipment and procedures that vary by state, almost always with a paper record that can be re-checked. Post-election audits compare paper ballots to reported results to confirm the count.
Understanding the process is the best defense against misinformation. When you know how something works, it is much harder to be misled about it.