2024 - Honorable Mention for Innovations or New Practices in Election Administration

The Gibson County Election Learning Lab is a hands-on experience for both poll workers and voters. The lab is set up as a mock precinct, like what a voter or poll worker would see on Election Day at their polling location. Each participant has a chance to check in on the electronic poll pad, obtain a paper ballot, or choose the Verity Touch Writer, which is an ADA ballot marking device. Once voters have marked their ballot, it is cast on the Verity Scan election system. This process allowed poll workers to gain more knowledge and experience for their Election Day responsibilities. In the Learning Lab, poll workers can train from setup to teardown, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the poll pads and voting systems, experience real-life scenarios that occur on Election Day, and overall increase their confidence. For the voters, this hands-on experience enables voters to become comfortable with voting and opens the door to increase their confidence as they choose to vote on Election Day. It allows the residents of the community to ask questions and learn how voting systems work, creating transparency within the County.