Quick Start Guides

Quick Start Guide: Elections Office Administration
Provides information about how an election official coordinates an election. The guide includes tips for managing internal procedures such as developing written policies, how to work with key staff members in the months leading up to an election, facilities and equipment management responsibilities, budgeting, training options and the collection of statistical data in all areas of election administration in order to improve elections.

Quick Start Guide: Managing Change in an Election Office
Provides information about dealing with new Federal, State and local election requirements, new technology, budget adjustments, and staffing changes. The guide includes tips about evaluating the need to change existing policies and procedures, developing and implementing a change management plan, and minimizing the impact that change may have on an elections office.

Quick Start Guide: Managing New Voting Systems
Provides information about policies and procedures that election officials might consider when implementing a new voting system. Topics include confirming delivery of equipment and supplies, conducting a mock election to evaluate performance, providing community outreach to increase public awareness of new equipment, training poll workers, programming the new systems, and providing for the security of equipment within Election Day procedures.

Quick Start Guide: Media and Public Relations
Provides information about managing and distributing accurate and timely information to the public. The discussions include educating and informing candidates and election officials about filing requirements and deadlines. They also detail the creation of media packets with vital election information including an overview of State laws regarding electioneering, a list of polling places, district maps, and precinct information. Tips for building a partnership with the media and developing internal and external communication networks are also provided.

Quick Start Guide: Poll Workers
Provides information and tips about how to reach out and recruit poll workers using technology, the community, and staff. The guide notes that successful recruitment campaigns include using the elections office Web site, posting links to other government agency Web sites, partnerships with local schools and civic organizations, and tasking existing staff with encouraging others to become poll workers. In addition, steps for reviewing your training program and how best to update procedures and information are included.

Quick Start Guide: Polling Places and Vote Centers
Provides information for local election officials about locating and inspecting potential voting sites. The guide also includes tips for notifying voters about new voting locations along with considerations unique to vote centers, including staffing, training, and facility management.

Quick Start Guide: Provisional Ballots
Provides information about Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) that established the Federal right for a voter to cast a provisional ballot if his or her name is not listed on the registration list or the voter’s eligibility is challenged by an election official. This guide provides information about educating the public, hands-on training for poll workers and staff, the auditing process for provisional ballots, and collecting and using data to improve performance.

Quick Start Guide: Serving Voters in Long-Term Care Facilities
Provides information about helping those voters in long-term care facilities to register and to vote. The guide includes recommendations about developing a voting assistance plan within a long-term care facility with help from State and local election officials. Other topics include the importance of outreach efforts within the community and information about how staffing, volunteers, and the facility can offer residents safeguards to preserve and protect the integrity of the voting process.

Quick Start Guide: Technology in Elections
Provides information about innovative uses for technology such as real-time transfer of State voter registration data, on-line voter registration, Geographical Information System (GIS), Content Management Systems (CMS), using the internet for voter outreach, and ballot options for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters. Other topics cover voting system certification, costs, and replacement procedures.

Quick Start Guide: Uniformed and Overseas Voters
Provides information and a description of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), suggestions about communicating with these voters, ballot delivery information, confirming residency, and forms and procedures pertaining to Federal elections. The guide includes important things to remember for processing UOCAVA ballots.