The Column: May 2026
Welcome to The Column, a monthly newsletter from the Pillars of the Community team. Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, we will provide monthly updates on how Pillars across the country are examining the election process, building trust in the system, and getting their networks involved.
As this election year progresses, we have seen more election law and administration in the news. We have often noted the exceptional challenges now facing election officials: policy and legal conflicts heightened by political polarization, resource constraints, and an information environment so often characterized by confusion, misinformation, and disinformation.
Now the changing congressional districts that have emerged from unprecedented mid-decade redistricting and court decisions in some states add even more to the challenges these officials must meet only months before the election. In some cases, district lines have been re-drawn after thousands of ballots have been cast, and officials face voter confusion over what the changes mean for where they vote and for whom. These developments present fresh impediments to voter confidence.
All this is now playing out week-by-week. But the election officials who have engaged with our Pillars seem determined and not discouraged, fully committed to running elections that merit public trust.
And there is a key point we want to emphasize as we continue with our program to bring these election officials together with the community leaders who are our Pillars. Officials welcome these discussions and the questions they get. They appreciate the feedback. At every turn that we ask for their involvement, they respond positively and clearly see this engagement as an important part of their job. We have seen this throughout the last months in virtual kick-off calls and state visits.
Professional election administration is one requirement of good government on which members of all parties and independents, who differ on so much else, can and do agree. Pillars play a key role in election processes in their communities. Whether during our virtual or in-state programs or in response to the news reports or this newsletter, the engagement of Pillars and the questions they ask have proven to be of central importance. Communities count on Pillars’ engagement; election professionals count on it too.
So keep the questions coming, now more than ever. We are honored to work with you.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
With midterm elections on the horizon and conversations about election administration already in the headlines, the Pillars of the Community team has been hosting meetings between community leaders and elections officials in battleground states, which likely will receive the most attention and therefore need the most education. In the last month, we’ve hosted virtual roundtables with Pillars from Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. While the contours of each conversation have differed and election rules vary from state-to-state, we have been overwhelmingly impressed with the knowledge and candor of election officials and the engagement of the Pillars who asked key questions about election processes and safeguards.
Looking ahead, plans for in-person meetings, tours, and roundtables are in the works, and we look forward to seeing many of you in-person and virtually soon!
CONNECT YOUR COMMUNITY
Last month, a member of the Wisconsin Pillars community connected election officials from Winnebago and Fond du Lac Counties with local Republican Party members for a thoughtful educational conversation on Wisconsin’s election system and administration. The event drew approximately 20 attendees, including local elected officials, grassroots activists, and community leaders. Featured presenters included Oconto County Clerk Kim Pytleski and Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Frieberg, who led an interactive discussion focused on election administration and voting processes in Wisconsin.
The event generated strong engagement and constructive discussion around topics including absentee ballot security, early voting policies, voter ID requirements, inactive voter lists, and election day ballot counting procedures. Attendees remained highly engaged throughout the nearly 80-minute presentation, with respectful dialogue and even friendly policy debates among elected officials helping reinforce the value of open, informed conversations around election administration.
Pillars of the Community is a non-partisan, non-profit that is committed to fostering productive educational dialogues about the safeguards in place around our elections. This opportunity was facilitated by one of our Wisconsin Pillars, and we’d welcome the chance to bring candid conversations about how elections are run to other organizations, regardless of political affiliation.
NEWS ON THE GROUND
Pillars of the Community is active in seven of the most pivotal and contentious states in the United States, and with the 2026 midterms on the horizon, we’re tracking election news on the ground.
Here are the highlights:
ARIZONA: A growing dispute in Maricopa County over who controls election administration has intensified after a judge ordered the county Board of Supervisors to return several election functions to Recorder Justin Heap, including key IT and ballot-processing responsibilities. Supervisor Mark Stewart is now seeking court-ordered mediation to avoid further disruption ahead of upcoming elections, arguing that ongoing legal and political conflicts over authority could complicate election operations in one of the nation’s most closely watched swing-county jurisdictions.
WISCONSIN: A Wisconsin appeals court upheld the voter fraud conviction of former Milwaukee election official Kimberly Zapata, rejecting her argument that she acted as a whistleblower when she fraudulently requested military absentee ballots to expose perceived flaws in the election system.
GEORGIA: Governor Kemp announced Wednesday that he is calling a special legislative session on June 17th to address two major issues: the looming July 1st voting system conflict created when lawmakers failed to resolve the QR code ban before adjourning in April, and a full redistricting overhaul to redraw Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps.
PENNSYLVANIA: Lehigh County acknowledged that a clerical error involving outdated voter files impacted more than 4,000 voters ahead of Pennsylvania’s 2026 primary, prompting the county to issue corrected ballots and launch voter outreach efforts to avoid disenfranchisement.
CONTACT US
Do you have a question about the Pillars of the Community program? Are there any questions that you have about the election process that you’re particularly interested in? Would you like to add a friend or colleague to our mailing list? Send us an email at [email protected].