The COVID-19 pandemic impacts nearly every aspect of election administration. For instance, a surge in mail ballot requests can overwhelm jurisdictions that don’t already have comprehensive vote-by-mail processes in place, and election worker shortages and polling place changes can complicate in-person voting.

That’s why we’re creating 12 free webinars for election officials on topics ranging from ballot dropoff locations to virtually training election workers. If you’ve watched our webinars, you know what to expect: experienced guest speakers with detailed, actionable practices that you can implement in your office. Plus, plenty of time for Q&A.

These webinars supplement existing COVID-19 response FAQs & consideration documents, created as part of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and Sector Coordinating Council’s Joint COVID Working Group.

We’ll host two webinars each week from May 19 through June 30 (except the week of June 2). Each session is stand-alone, so register for the ones that are useful for you. We’ll also post the captioned recordings and slides on this page after each webinar.

This 12-webinar series builds on the other CTCL COVID-19 resources provided at no cost to election officials.

Questions? Email us at [email protected].

 

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Webinars

Orientation: COVID-19 and Election Administration

Making sense of the moment

Supporting election officials
Planning 2020 workload & resource allocation
Ensuring access, equity, and inclusion
Educating voters about their options

Getting ballots to voters

Maintaining voter lists
Managing mail ballot request forms

Receiving and processing ballots

Organizing ballot dropoff locations
Streamlining the inbound ballot process
Verifying and curing signatures

Conducting in-person voting

Recruiting and training election workers
Implementing public health guidelines for voting locations

 

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Orientation: COVID-19 and Election Administration

Guest speaker: Matt Masterson – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

• Get clear on terminology and processes associated with mail balloting and other pandemic-related election responses
• Review key election timelines to prioritize policy, process, and tech decisions
• Preview resources to support your work, including the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) framework and this CTCL webinar series

Download the Orientation slide deck, PDF, 3 mb

 

Making sense of the moment

 

Supporting election officials

Guest speakers: Pam Anderson – Colorado County Clerks Association & Jennifer Morrell – Elections Group

• Put together a resiliency plan for you and your team
• Know who to reach out to (colleagues, state officials, and experts) when questions come up
• Engage your state association in an effort to support fellow local election officials

Download the Supporting Election Officials slide deck, PDF, 3mb
Download the Election Staff Backup Planner, xlsx, 6kb

 

Planning 2020 workload & resource allocation

Guest speakers: Katy Peters – Civic Technologist and Democracy Works Co-Founder & Noah Praetz – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

• Estimate the number of voters requesting mail ballots in your community
• Understand how shifts in voting methods impact your resource allocation plans
• Use new tools to update plans as pandemic conditions change

Download the Planning 2020 Workload slide deck, PDF, 3mb

 

Ensuring access, equity, and inclusion

Guest speakers: Indra Arriaga – Alaska Division of Elections & Michelle Bishop – National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)

• Ensure all voters can cast a ballot by prioritizing practices like curbside voting, electronic ballot delivery, and partnerships with local community groups
• Translate election materials appropriately, including new mailed materials
• Respond to the needs of voters displaced by the pandemic

Download the Access, Equity, and Inclusion slide deck, PDF, 5mb

 

Educating voters about their options

Guest speakers: Steve Daitch – Ottawa County, MI & Jeff Narabrook – Minneapolis, MN

• Clearly communicate changes with voters using principles of plain language and design
• Proactively answer voters’ top questions online and over the phone
• Explain expanded options for casting a ballot, including their history of security and reliability

Download the Educating Voters slide deck, PDF, 5.5mb

 

Getting ballots to voters

 

Maintaining voter lists

Guest speakers: Ericka Haas – Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) & Dan Wade – Weber County, UT

• Understand how the COVID-19 pandemic may result in new voter registration patterns
• Implement best practices for increasing voter list accuracy
• Proactively streamline voter registration and mail ballot requests

Download the Maintaining Voter Lists slide deck, PDF, 4mb

 

Managing mail ballot request forms

Guest speakers: Whitney Quesenbery – Center for Civic Design & Tom Tasche – ideas42

• Apply best practices to plan for and respond to increased volume
• Adapt simplified templates for your office’s forms
• Consider creative approaches for distributing and receiving mail ballot requests

Download the Managing Mail Ballot Request Forms slide deck, PDF, 4mb

 

Receiving and processing ballots

 

Organizing ballot dropoff locations

Guest speakers: Espie Martinez – Orange County, CA & Julie Leathers Stahl – Wayne County, OH

• Create a ballot dropoff plan for your community based on voter preferences
• Implement best practices for the ongoing management of ballot dropoff locations
• Communicate with voters about ballot dropoff locations, rules, and timelines

Download the Organizing Ballot Dropoff Locations slide deck, PDF, 7mb
Download the Ballot Dropoff Locations Criteria Planner, Word Doc
Download Orange County’s examples of their ballot retrieval daily log, chain of custody, and incident report.

 

Streamlining the inbound ballot process

Guest speakers: Ryan Chew – Elections Group & Ricky Hatch – Weber County, UT & Leanne Scott – Rochester Hills, MI

• Use simple tools to estimate ballot volume, processing time, and resource needs
• Plan for time-intensive processes like ballot remakes and spoiled ballots
• Update guidelines for tracking, reconciling, adjudicating, and securing more mail ballots

Download the Streamlining the Inbound Ballot Process slide deck, PDF, 6mb

 

Verifying and curing signatures

Guest speakers: Brittny Petersen – Cherry County, NE & Rey Valenzuela – Maricopa County, AZ 

• Train election workers on the fundamentals of signature verification
• Review options for helping voters “cure” signature issues after they submit their ballots
• Audit and expand your existing signature files

Download the Verifying and Curing Signatures slide deck, PDF, 2mb
Download the Signature Comparison Guide, PDF, 1mb
Download the Signature Comparison Quick Reference, PDF, 3mb

 

Conducting in-person voting

 

Recruiting and training election workers

Guest speakers: Meghan Goldenstein – Mikva Challenge & Sally Marsh – Michigan Department of State

• Recruit more people from less vulnerable populations and keep them safe
• Plan efficient and effective online trainings for election workers
• Prepare election workers to handle questions, paperwork, and processes related to the pandemic

Download the Recruiting and Training Election Workers slide deck, PDF, 4mb

 

Implementing public health guidelines for voting locations

Guest speakers: Brenda Cabrera – City of Fairfax, VA & Gretchen A. Macht, PhD – University of Rhode Island

• Adjust voting location processes, layouts, and supplies lists based on public health guidelines
• Plan for a variety of voting location types, such as clerk offices and consolidated precincts
• Communicate clearly with voters, before election day and on-site, to keep everyone safe

 

Download the Public Health Guidelines for Voting Locations slide deck, PDF, 6mb
Download the URI Votes “Designing for Distance” presentation, PDF, 5mb