Election Law Navigator (formerly the State Election eBenchbook) is a legal advocacy database compiles research into state-level election codes as well as information on judicial and legal practitioners. It is a project of the electoral advocacy group Election Law Program (ELP), which claims to have created the database due to “the contemporary surge in election litigation.” ^{1 2}

Election Law Navigator was created through funding from Democracy Fund, Election Trust Initiative (ETI), Hewlett Foundation, Klarman Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. ^{3 1}

Background

Election Law Navigator, formerly known as the State Election eBenchbook, is a legal advocacy database and a project of the Election Law Program, an electoral advocacy group which claims to have created the database due to “the contemporary surge in election litigation.” ¹ ELP is a fiscally-sponsored joint-project of the William & Mary Law School and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). ^{1 2}

Activities

Election Law Navigator is a legal research database that claims to provide the election codes for every U.S state as well as information on legal cases, regulations, and searchable web tools for legal practitioners and activists. As of 2025, the group claims to have data on law cases dating back to 2019 as well as all advisory opinions concerning state election statutes and regulations. ^{1 4}

The group’s website also features an interactive map of the United States containing data on each state’s election and voting statutes as well as campaigns to amend or change local election laws. ^{1 5 4}

Funding

Election Law Navigator was created through funding from Democracy Fund, Election Trust Initiative (ETI), Hewlett Foundation, Klarman Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. ^{6 1}

The National Center for State Courts, one of the parent organizations of Election Law Program (which operates the Election Law Navigator), reported total revenue of $104,338,175, total expenses of $102,040,636, and net assets of $34,687,856 in 2023. It received $84,475,065 in government grants that year. ^{7 8}

Leadership

As of 2025, Election Law Navigator’s parent group, Election Law Program, was led by senior director James Alcorn and co-directors Rebecca Green and Amy McDowell. ²

Senior Director James Alcorn works as a professor of election law at William & Mary Law School. Previously, he served as the Deputy Secretary of the Virginia Department of Elections and the Chair of the Virginia State Board of Elections. ²

Co-Director Rebecca Green is an associate professor of law and an associate reporter for the America Law Institute’s “Restatement of the Law Election Litigation.” ²

Co-Director Amy McDowell is the chief legal officer of ELP parent organization National Center for State Courts (NCSC). She was previously a fellow at the NCSC’s Institute for Court Management. Previously, McDowell had worked as the director of the NCSC’s Center for Judicial Ethics. ²

1. “Election Law Navigator.” Election Law Navigator. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://electionlawnavigator.org/.
2. “About.” Election Law Navigator. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://electionlawnavigator.org/about/.
3. “About – Acknowledgments.” Election Law Navigator. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://electionlawnavigator.org/about/
4. “Help.” Election Law Navigator. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://electionlawnavigator.org/help/.
5. “New York.” Election Law Navigator. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://electionlawnavigator.org/state/new-york/.
6.  ^[1] “About – Acknowledgments.” Election Law Navigator. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://electionlawnavigator.org/about/.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). National Center for State Courts. 2023. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). National Center for State Courts. 2023. Part VIII – Statement of Revenue.