The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is committed to helping election officials and their staff address key workforce challenges, including recruitment, retention, classification, compensation, and professional development.
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For best practices, tools, and guidance on other topics, refer to the main Clearinghouse Resources page.
Strengthening the Election Workforce: Opportunities to Enhance Capacity and Readiness
Election officials know better than anyone that the demands of conducting safe, secure, and efficient elections have grown significantly. Workloads are intense, turnover is high, and recruiting staff with the right skills is increasingly difficult.
This report documents these challenges and outlines what the EAC is doing to help.
EAC Voluntary Election Workforce Classification Framework
The EAC is developing a framework that will help provide a common language around the work that goes into election administration.
This framework can help election offices:
- Ask for appropriate classification, compensation, and staffing with human resources partners and budget decision-makers.
- Create or update job descriptions that reflect the real-world work of elections, aiding recruitment efforts.
- Support long-term succession planning by clarifying the skillsets and competencies needed to support elections.
- Identify training needs and align professional development with the skills required to do the job well.
For more information, contact [email protected].
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EAC Learning Lab Professional Training Program
The EAC Learning Lab is a no-cost, interactive professional development and certification program built exclusively for election officials and staff. Developed by experienced election professionals, it delivers practical, accessible training in formats that work for offices of every size and experience level.
The EAC's training catalog includes several workforce-focused courses covering succession planning, standard operating procedures, workplace stress management, and more.
To learn more about the EAC Learning Lab.
Additional Workforce Development Resources from the EAC
- Poll Worker Recruitment, Training, and Retention Resources. Includes recruitment guides, retention strategies, information about student poll worker programs, and examples of successful practices from jurisdictions nationwide.
- Report: Election Worker Recruitment, Training, Retention, and Evaluation. This EAC report provides an extensive overview of the statutory requirements for serving as a poll worker, along with the various methods utilized by federal agencies, and state and local election offices.
- EAC Clearinghouse Community. Peer-to-peer community for election officials that supports knowledge sharing, professional networking, and resource exchange.
- EAC Clearinghouse Awards (Clearies). Annual awards program recognizing innovative election administration practices, including poll worker recruitment, training improvements, retention programs, and community partnerships.