§20924 — Title 52 Voting and Elections | U.S. Code

§20924 Staff

Title 52 › Subtitle Subtitle II— Voting Assistance and Election Administration › Chapter 209— ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IMPROVEMENT › Subchapter II— COMMISSION › Part A— Establishment and General Organization › Subpart 1— election assistance commission › § 20924

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Commission must have an Executive Director who is paid no more than the basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5. The Executive Director serves a 4-year term and can be reappointed for more terms by the Commission. If the job is open, the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors each must pick a search committee to recommend at least three nominees. The Commission must consider those nominees. While the job is empty, the General Counsel will act as Executive Director until a new one is chosen. The Commission can also name a short-term interim Executive Director before those recommendations arrive, but that interim service cannot exceed 6 months. The Commission must appoint a General Counsel who works under the Executive Director and serves a 4-year term. The Executive Director may hire staff and set pay under Commission rules. The Executive Director, General Counsel, and staff may be hired outside normal competitive civil service and pay rules, but no one can be paid more than level V of the Executive Schedule. The Executive Director may buy temporary services under section 3109(b) of title 5 with the Commission’s approval. Federal agencies may lend staff to the Commission on a reimbursable basis. The Commission can also arrange help for the Boards when asked. The Executive Director and staff must consult the Boards when making goals and plans.

Title 52, §20924

Voting and Elections — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Commission shall have an Executive Director, who shall be paid at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5.

(2)The Executive Director shall serve for a term of 4 years. An Executive Director may serve for a longer period only if reappointed for an additional term or terms by a vote of the Commission.

(3)(A)When a vacancy exists in the position of the Executive Director, the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors shall each appoint a search committee to recommend at least three nominees for the position.

(B)Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the Commission shall consider the nominees recommended by the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors in appointing the Executive Director.

(C)If a vacancy exists in the position of the Executive Director, the General Counsel of the Commission shall serve as the acting Executive Director until the Commission appoints a new Executive Director in accordance with this paragraph.

(D)(i)The Standards Board and the Board of Advisors shall each appoint a search committee and recommend nominees for the position of Executive Director in accordance with subparagraph (A) as soon as practicable after the appointment of their members.

(ii)Notwithstanding subparagraph (B), the Commission may appoint an individual to serve as an interim Executive Director prior to the recommendation of nominees for the position by the Standards Board or the Board of Advisors, except that such individual’s term of service may not exceed 6 months. Nothing in the previous sentence may be construed to prohibit the individual serving as the interim Executive Director from serving any additional term.

(4)The Commission shall have a General Counsel, who shall be appointed by the Commission and who shall serve under the Executive Director. The General Counsel shall serve for a term of 4 years, and may serve for a longer period only if reappointed for an additional term or terms by a vote of the Commission.

(5)Subject to rules prescribed by the Commission, the Executive Director may appoint and fix the pay of such additional personnel as the Executive Director considers appropriate.

(6)The Executive Director, General Counsel, and staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that an individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title.

(b)Subject to rules prescribed by the Commission, the Executive Director may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5 by a vote of the Commission.

(c)Upon request of the Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this chapter.

(d)At the request of the Board of Advisors or the Standards Board, the Commission may enter into such arrangements as the Commission considers appropriate to make personnel available to assist the Boards with carrying out their duties under this subchapter (including contracts with private individuals for providing temporary personnel services or the temporary detailing of personnel of the Commission).

(e)In preparing the program goals, long-term plans, mission statements, and related matters for the Commission, the Executive Director and staff of the Commission shall consult with the Board of Advisors and the Standards Board.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 107–252, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1666, known as the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 15324 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.