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John Lindback is a senior officer for Election Initiatives, providing key leadership on Pew’s portfolio of work in election administration, including research and reform efforts to improve military and overseas voting; assess election performance through better data; use of technology to provide voters with information they need to cast a ballot; and upgrade voter registration systems.

As a lead on Pew’s work to upgrade voter registration, Lindback works with state and local elections officials and other stakeholders to identify solutions to the problems of inaccuracy, inefficiency, and high costs of voter registration in the states. He meets with elections officials throughout the nation to share results of key research, explain evidenced-based policy options, and urge state and local action.

Prior to joining Pew, Lindback served for 14 years in state elections administration. He spent eight years as director of elections in Oregon, which made him the chief administrator for the conduct of all elections in Oregon, the state’s campaign finance system, and Oregon’s ubiquitous and contentious initiative and referendum process. During his tenure with the Oregon Secretary of State, he was elected president in 2008 of the National Association of State Elections Directors.  He was also chosen to serve on the executive board of the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission’s Standards Advisory Board. Prior to his work in Oregon, Lindback worked as chief of staff to the lieutenant governor of Alaska for six years, including administrative oversight of the Alaska Division of Elections.  In addition, he served on a National Academy of Sciences panel that studied state voter registration databases. Since 2006, he has volunteered as an advisor to Design for Democracy, an organization that assists elections officials with designing voter-friendly ballots and other elections materials.

Lindback holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona.