This month, the EAC is highlighting:
- EAC Adopts New Policy for Allocation of HAVA Funds
- Collaboration Between Election Officials and Law Enforcement
- Election Mail for the 2024 Presidential Election Memo
- Tips for Managing Workplace Stress and Challenging Interactions, from the American Psychological Association and the EAC
- Join NASS for #TrustedInfo2024 the Week of September 9-13
- Register for the Next Election Threat Intel Briefing on September 25
- Vote.gov Redesigned to Make Finding Information Easier
- National Voter Registration Day is September 17
- Watch the EAC’s “Closing the Accessibility Gap: Voting in 2024 and Beyond” Event On-Demand
- On September 26, the EAC is Hosting the Event, "Working Together: Supporting the 2024 Elections Through Federal Partnerships"
- Chairman Hovland Celebrates National Poll Worker Recruitment Day with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
EAC Adopts New Policy for Allocation of HAVA Funds
On August 28, 2024, the EAC adopted a policy to allow election offices to fully allocate the cost of allowable, reasonable, and necessary funds for the implementation of Federal requirements.
What does this mean for election officials? Simply stated, this new policy allows jurisdictions to fully fund improvements to federal elections using HAVA grants, even if it also benefits others.
As described in the policy memo "Grantees...have expressed difficulty in meeting and/or defining allocation requirements when implementing Federal requirements, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A specific example of this is where the election office is in a shared space with other local offices. Based on the current EAC guidance, a grantee would be required to allocate any accessibility improvements to the general office space amongst the different offices within that building. So, if there were four offices in a building and the election office wanted to build a ramp on that building, only a portion of that cost could be covered with HAVA funds based on current allocation guidance. This would be true even if the other offices present in the building did not request the ramp. Grantees have noted that this is cost-prohibitive and often results in local election offices being unable to implement the project based on the allocation requirement."
In sum, this policy clarifies that there wouldn't be a requirement for shared cost in the above example. It is important to note that all other requirements still need to be met.
A copy of the full policy recommendation can be found here: Memorandum on Use of HAVA Funds to Implement Federal Requirements
Collaboration Between Election Officials and Law Enforcement
Election officials and law enforcement collaborating on security is important to keeping polling locations and election workers safe. EAC Chairman Hovland led a discussion on ways election offices can collaborate with law enforcement featuring Maribeth Behl, City Clerk of Madison, Wisconsin; Nathan Jaramillo, Bernalillo County Bureau of Elections Administrator; and Chris Harvey, Deputy Director of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
Election Mail for the 2024 Presidential Election Memo
The EAC has heard from election officials that there are concerns regarding election mail. In response, the EAC has issued a new Memo on Election Mail for the 2024 Presidential Election. The memo includes feedback from EAC advisory board members as well as additional insight, and support, such as:
- Key Election Mail Survey Findings
- United States Postal Service (USPS) Resources
- Election Mail Best Practices
Tips for Managing Workplace Stress and Challenging Interactions from the American Psychological Association and the EAC
To support election officials and public servants delivering essential services, the American Psychological Association in partnership with the EAC developed two videos, both available on YouTube.
The first video is focused on understanding, recognizing, and managing stress in the workplace. This resource offers practical strategies to help you maintain your well-being and stay resilient during high-pressure election cycles. Election officials are encouraged to apply these suggested strategies to reduce daily stress for themselves and their staff.
The second video is designed to use in poll worker training classes. This resource provides election workers with practical strategies to manage challenging interactions, grounded in psychological science.
Join NASS for #TrustedInfo2024 the Week of September 9-13
The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) #TrustedInfo2024 initiative highlights election officials as the trusted sources of election information. To promote this important message, NASS will host a #TrustedInfo2024 week on September 9-13. Each day will have a different elections-related focus.
The EAC is happy to join NASS on their “Voting Methods” day on September 12, with a conversation between NASS leadership and EAC Chairman Ben Hovland and Vice Chair Donald Palmer. The goal is to inform the public on methods like voting in person or absentee from a national lens and turning to election officials for trusted information about the process. Stay tuned to NASS’s social media channels (Facebook, X and YouTube) to view this video and to participate in this week.
Register for the Next Election Threat Intel Briefing on September 25
The EAC with Mandiant is hosting the next quarterly Election Threat Intel Briefing on September 25 at 2 p.m. EST. The briefing will include a strategic outlook and provide recommendations to reinforce election offices against cyber-enabled threats that target U.S. elections infrastructure.
This webinar is open to election officials and colleagues who may benefit from this briefing, such as IT or cyber staff. Registration is required to receive the Webex meeting link. Register here.
Vote.gov Redesign Makes Finding Voter Registration Information Easier
Vote.gov has been a source for accurate and official voting information from the U.S. government to voters since 2016. In 2021, GSA was tasked with modernizing and improving the user experience of Vote.gov. In August 2024, Vote.gov updated to make it easier for all eligible voters to find the information they need.
The updates include improvements to:
- Information in more languages, bringing the total to 19.
- Better accessibility features to accommodate visual, aural, motor, and cognitive challenges.
- More information on registration and voting.
For more information, check out the full announcement from the General Services Administration (GSA).
National Voter Registration Day is September 17!
This civic holiday is an opportunity to share trusted sources of information on voter registration, how to update your voter registration, deadlines, forms, and more for voters to be #VoteReady.
National Voter Registration Day offers a toolkit for election offices, including templates for proclamations and press releases as well as social media graphics and content. Visit nationalvoterregistrationday.org for more information. Additionally, the EAC’s Election Official Social Media Toolkit offers customizable graphics for National Voter Registration Day and other voter education messages.
Watch the EAC’s “Closing the Accessibility Gap: Voting in 2024 and Beyond” Event On-Demand
On August 28, the EAC held “Closing the Accessibility Gap: Voting in 2024 and Beyond.” During the meeting, EAC Commissioners moderated two panels to examine ways to close the remaining gap— “Accessibility Landscape and Progress” and “What Comes Next for Accessibility in 2024 and Beyond.” Panelists discussed progress made on serving voters with disabilities and new advances in technology, best practices, and funding opportunities to support accessibility efforts.
Watch the event recording on the EAC’s YouTube channel.
Save the Date: September 26, 2024
Working Together: Supporting the 2024 Elections through Federal Partnerships
On September 26, join the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for "Working Together: Supporting the 2024 Elections through Federal Partnerships" in the agency’s hearing room at 1 p.m. ET. During this event, representatives from key federal agencies will discuss the ways they are working together to support local and state election officials as they prepare for the 2024 elections.
This event will be held in person and live streamed on the EAC’s YouTube channel. Please only register if planning to attend in person.
EAC Chairman Celebrates National Poll Worker Recruitment Day with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
(Jumbo Shrimp Executive VP and GM Harold Craw, Owner Ken Babby, EAC Chairman Benjamin Hovland, and Jumbo Shrimp VP of Marketing and Media Noel Blaha.)
On July 31, EAC Chaiman Benjamin Hovland spent time in Northeast Florida, where he met with the Supervisors of Elections in Duval and Clay Counties ahead of National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. One of the ways the office boosts its recruitment efforts is by partnering with local sports teams, including the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Chairman Hovland had the opportunity to throw the first pitch at the team’s Triple AAA baseball game and was interviewed as part of the Jumbo Shrimp TV and Radio game broadcast to highlight the need for poll workers for the 2024 elections.
Listen to the interview Chairman Hovland did with Jumbo Shrimp Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations Scott Kornberg.