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Highlights from this month’s newsletter include:
- National Poll Worker Recruitment Day Recap
- New Resources: AI Toolkit and Voting Process Changes Simulations Series
- Commissioner Hovland’s video on Engaging Student Voters in College Communities
Thank you for making National Poll Worker Recruitment Day 2023 a success!
The EAC’s third annual National Poll Worker Recruitment Day was a resounding success thanks to the efforts of election offices, organizations, and individuals across the country. Social media was flooded with information on how to sign up to be a poll worker in your local community. State and local election offices across 40 states and the District of Columbia participated in National Poll Worker Recruitment Day this year.
While National Poll Worker Recruitment Day 2023 has passed, EAC resources, such as the customizable graphics, can be used at any time for poll worker recruitment efforts. In addition to social media, you can add them to mailers, flyers, newsletters, videos, and other creative efforts.
The EAC also added the following resources on poll workers to its toolbox in August:
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A new blog post, Best Practices for Recruiting High School and College Students is aimed at supporting recruitment efforts among high school and college students.
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To help understand the different legal requirements and regulations for serving as a poll worker in each state, territory, and the District of Columbia, the EAC put together a State-by-State Poll Worker Compendium.
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The EAC also released this Quick Tips Guide to help election officials recruit poll workers, from general to targeted demographics.
Commissioner Donald Palmer interviewed election officials about their poll worker best practices and activities for National Poll Worker Recruitment Day to mark the occasion. You can watch the interview here.
Make sure to mark your calendars for next year!
Help America Vote Day will be on January 30, 2024
National Poll Worker Recruitment Day will be August 1, 2024.
Information on these efforts will be available at helpamericavote.gov and the EAC’s newsletter.
AI Toolkit for Election Officials
The impact of artificial intelligence is yet to be seen, but like any technology, AI tools are used for a variety of purposes—good, bad, and neutral. This new EAC toolkit provides election officials with a general understanding of AI tools, and the opportunities and threats that they create for effective election administration. View it here.
The resource includes:
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An overview of existing AI tools;
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A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of these tools in the field of election administration;
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Communications Tips and Best Practices for Navigating AI-generated Content;
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A handout template that election officials can use to direct voters and constituents to verifiable sources of accurate information.
Voting Process Changes Simulations Video Series
The EAC released the fourth set of videos as part of the simulation series intended to help election officials develop strategies for incorporating new processes and equipment at polling places. The simulations in this series explore different strategies based on voting processes, available resources, and voter arrival patterns. Through seven videos, election officials will be able to visualize how these strategies may work in practice at a voting location.
The EAC partnered with the University of Rhode Island (URI) to use simulation technology to replicate common Election Day issues. More information on this project and for information on the first simulation series on polling place consolidation visit the EAC’s website.
Back to School: Engaging Student Voters in College Communities
As students return to campus this fall, they may have questions about their voting options and how to cast a ballot if they are registered at their home address. Commissioner Hovland spoke with experts about best practices for engaging college students in the voting process. Participants highlighted the value of using college interns and campus media organizations to engage with students and get the word out about voting resources. They also recommended using social media to engage students and having resources in multiple languages to reach language-diverse college communities.
Participants included:
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Clarissa Unger, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition
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Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Ph.D., Executive Director, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
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Marissa Corrente, Registrar of Voters, District of Columbia Board of Elections
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Yael Bromberg, Principal, Bromberg Law LLC and Rutgers Law School, Lecturer, Election Law & the Political Process
Commissioner Hovland previously interviewed election officials on how they serve and engage student voters in their communities.
EAC Commissioners and Staff Earn CERA Certification
Congratulations to EAC Vice Chair Ben Hovland (left), Kim Smith, EAC Senior Election Subject Matter Expert (center), and EAC Commissioner Thomas Hicks (right), who graduated from the Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) program. This is the highest professional achievement for those who work in elections. This multi-year course of study is taught by faculty from Auburn University’s Master in Public Administration program in partnership with the Election Center. The program focuses on the management of elections administration, as well as the promotion and preservation of public trust in the democratic process. The EAC’s Clearinghouse team includes several subject matter experts who previously earned CERA certifications, including Steven Daitch, Sara Brady, and Heider Garcia.
VVSG 2.0 Migration
Reminder: VVSG 2.0 Migration tools and resources are available on eac.gov. These resources include talking points to help communicate with media, the public, and stakeholders, as well as customizable graphic templates, the Secure Elections Toolkit, and the EAC Testing and Certification Factsheet.