Poll workers play a crucial role in elections, and leading a successful poll worker program involves handling many different moving parts. Join the Center for Tech and Civic Life for four free 90-minute trainings exploring the components of a successful poll worker program, beginning with recruitment, through training, day-of management, and retention.

Whether they are called poll workers, election judges, or something else in your area, the individuals who join you to directly serve voters are key members of the team. During their term of service, poll workers are representatives of the offices they serve, and impact both voters’ experiences and how well elections are run.

While poll workers are valuable resources to election offices, it is important to ensure they are set up to be as effective as possible. Being thoughtful about recruiting, training, managing, and retaining poll workers can improve the administration of elections, preserve election security, and increase voter satisfaction and confidence.

Courses in “Leading a Successful Poll Worker Program” have been designed to support the Values and Standards of the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence. Each course is directed at helping you improve on one or more Standards or simply up your game generally. For more information on the Values and Standards of the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, and how you can help build them, check out ElectionExcellence.org.

You can register for the courses in this free, self-paced series today.

This series will help you:

• Explore frameworks, strategies, resources, and case studies to understand the ins and out of poll worker programs

• Get inspired by local election officials from across the country as they share what works in their communities

• Integrate relevant poll worker practices to better serve voters in your area

Who is this series designed for?

• Local election administrators who oversee or manage poll worker programs
• Others looking for an overview of the full scope and impact of poll worker programs

Sound like you? Register today!

Courses

Explore all four courses or pick and choose which to sign up for. Keep in mind that content in each session builds on topics covered in preceding courses.

Poll Workers 101: Recruiting Poll Workers for Your Jurisdiction

By completing this course, you will:

• Develop a better understanding of poll workers’ demographics, motivations, views of their work, and concerns
• Learn about resources and new strategies for recruiting poll workers that are representative of your jurisdiction’s voting community
• Practice skills in written communication and strategy planning around poll worker recruitment

Poll Workers 102: Training Knowledgeable and Confident Poll Workers

By completing this course, you will:

• Learn about new strategies and resources for comprehensive and engaging poll worker trainings
• Consider accessibility, impartiality, and customer service skills as crucial elements to include in your trainings
• Explore the importance of poll worker training in dealing with unexpected or exceptional situations at polling locations

Poll Workers 103: Managing & Communicating With Poll Workers

By completing this course, you will:

• How to plan for communicating with poll workers when they are in the field
• How to use some tech tools to enhance your poll worker management and communications from recruitment through post-election
• How to prepare your resources for supporting poll workers in their work

Poll Workers 104: Assessing & Retaining Experienced Poll Workers

By completing this course, you will:

• Assess your poll workers aptitudes, performance, and experiences at their voting location
• Build relationships and systems that encourage poll workers to come back
• Use post-election debriefs and surveys with your poll workers