Call for Papers: Third Annual Election Law Conference 2027, USC Gould School of Law, Los Angeles

The Annual Election Law Conference is a gathering of scholars working on election law and the law of democracy. The third edition will be held in person in Los Angeles at the USC Gould School of Law from 26 to 27 February 2027.

The organisers have issued an open call for paper abstracts. The conference is convened by Franita Tolson, Abby Wood, Travis Crum and Jacob Eisler, and the call was circulated through the Election Law Blog, the field's principal announcement venue.

Papers may focus on any topic in election law and the law of democracy. The organisers specifically welcome papers examining:

• Substantive doctrine
• Election law reform
• Interdisciplinary study of democracy

The call is deliberately broad; there is no narrow prescribed theme.

The call is addressed to scholars working on election law and the law of democracy. It is an academic paper conference, so submissions are expected to be works of original scholarship. The organisers do not restrict the call by rank or institution, and interdisciplinary work on democracy is expressly invited.

Papers will be selected on:

• Substantive merit
• Program fit
• Panel compatibility

Because selection weighs panel compatibility alongside merit, abstracts that clearly signal their subfield and method are at an advantage.

Submit an abstract of no more than 500 words by email to Travis Crum at crum@wustl.edu.

The abstract deadline is 4 September 2026. Selected authors will be notified by early October 2026, leaving roughly four months to develop the paper before the February 2027 conference.

The conference is held in person in Los Angeles and the call does not mention a virtual option or travel funding. Applicants based outside the United States should factor in travel, accommodation and visa timelines, and may wish to raise these with the organisers before submitting.