As voters prepare to cast their ballots this November, attention is turning not only to high-profile contests but also to a series of down-ballot races that could have significant implications for the administration of future elections. In 26 states, secretary of state positions—key offices responsible for overseeing election processes—are up for election. This cycle has drawn increased scrutiny amid concerns about candidates who reject the legitimacy of past election results and promote unfounded claims of widespread fraud.

The office of secretary of state, once largely seen as a routine administrative post, has grown politically contentious in recent decades, especially after the 2000 presidential election controversy in Florida. More recently, the role gained heightened prominence due to persistent false claims about the 2020 election outcome, primarily fueled by former President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept defeat. Trump and some of his supporters have repeatedly alleged systemic fraud without evidence, efforts that critics argue have undermined public confidence in electoral integrity.

In 2022, a group known as the America First SOS Coalition backed a slate of candidates who echoed such election denialism in 14 states, including pivotal battlegrounds like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Nearly all these candidates were defeated, with one exception in Indiana. However, election deniers have not disappeared from the field; according to the nonpartisan States United Democracy Center, more than two dozen such candidates sought secretary of state nominations this year, and six secured spots on the November ballots.

Among the closely watched contests is Nevada, where Democrat Cisco Aguilar will face Republican Jim Marchant, who narrowly lost the 2022 race and continues to promote debunked allegations of voting machine tampering. Marchant has proposed controversial ideas, such as measuring voters’ heartbeats for identity verification.

In Arizona, incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes is challenged by Republican State Representative Alexander Kolodin, an attorney who has faced sanctions for pushing baseless legal claims disputing the 2020 results. Courts have swiftly rejected some of Kolodin’s lawsuits due to a lack of credible evidence.

Wisconsin’s race also draws attention. Republican Jay Schroeder is campaigning to dismantle the state’s bipartisan six-member elections commission, labeling it a “failed experiment.” Schroeder has stated he would not have certified Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin in 2020 had he held the secretary of state office.

Experts underscore that the authority exercised by secretaries of state can significantly affect election administration, including voting access and the interpretation of rules. Peverill Squire, a University of Missouri scholar on state elections, noted the importance of determining whether officeholders seek to facilitate or hinder voter participation and how they might shape public trust in electoral fairness.

While major campaigns for Congress and gubernatorial races dominate headlines—especially with control of the House and Senate at stake—these down-ballot secretary of state contests warrant close attention. The individuals elected to these roles will influence how future elections are conducted, potentially affecting the democratic process as a whole.