This month, the EAC is highlighting:
- May is Military Appreciation Month
- Military and UOCAVA resources
- West Virginia’s Effort to Recruit U.S. Veteran Poll Workers
- Heroes at the Polls: Recruiting Alabama's Veterans as Poll Workers
- Public Service Recognition Week: May 5-11
- New Accessible Voting Data: “Voting Experiences Since HAVA: Perspectives of People with Disabilities” Report
- NCSL Spring Webinar Series with the EAC on U.S. Elections Practice and Policy
- Focus on the Voters - May 10 at 2 p.m. ET.
- The Standards Board and Board of Advisors Annual Meetings Recap
- CISA Physical Security Checklist for Polling Locations
- CISA Priority Telecommunications Services
May is Military Appreciation Month!
This month, the EAC honors the military personnel who serve our country.
The EAC has several resources available to support military voters and the election officials who assist them, including a Fact Sheet and Pocket Guide created in partnership with the Federal Voting Assistance Program, as well as policies broken down by state, research, reports, and more. Election officials may also find this EAC blog post with advice on how to support military and UOCAVA voters helpful.
In fact, many veterans continue to serve our country as poll workers. To learn more, watch these interviews EAC Vice Chair Donald Palmer conducted with West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner and Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen on their Heroes at the Polls programs. They offer guidance and best practices on how to recruit veterans for these important roles.
Voting Experiences Since HAVA: Perspectives of People with Disabilities
A new EAC report, developed in partnership with Rutgers University, explores how the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) impacted the voting experiences of voters with disabilities since it was passed in 2002. Qualitative data from focus groups highlights voters with disabilities’ perspectives on voting experiences and examines how their experiences have changed over time. The research reveals that since its passage, HAVA has improved the voting experiences of people with disabilities and that it can be used to continue to address the challenges people with disabilities face when voting. Other key findings include:
- Turnout of voters with disabilities has increased since HAVA was adopted.
- The accessibility of polling places has improved significantly over the last 20 years.
- About half of the decrease in voting difficulties since 2012 reflects a changed composition of in-person voters.
- The ability to vote by mail helped participants avoid many difficulties voting in person, but some participants expressed mistrust about voting by mail.
This report builds on joint EAC/Rutgers reports published in 2023, 2022, and 2021. The EAC’s partnership with the Rutgers Program for Disability Research has provided important insights that will guide the development of resources to meet the voting needs of people with disabilities.
NCSL Spring Webinar Series: “U.S. Elections Practice and Policy”
The EAC Commissioners are joining the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) for the “U.S. Elections Practice and Policy” webinar series to discuss critical topics for this election year.
Upcoming Live Webinars:
Commissioner Thomas Hicks will participate in “Focus on the Voters” on May 10 at 2 p.m. ET. This will cover questions voters often ask and how states “get out the information” to voters, as well as ensuring the right to vote for people with disabilities and citizens living abroad (military and otherwise).
Commissioner Christy McCormick will participate in “Voter Confidence: What Can Move the Needle” on June 14 at 2 p.m. ET. This will cover state policies, processes, and procedures that can increase voter confidence.
Previously Recorded Webinars:
Vice Chair Donald Palmer participated in “After the Voting Is Over: Counting, Results Reporting, Recounts (and More),” which covered how states address these tasks to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Read the recap or watch the video.
Chairman Ben Hovland participated in “The Election Workforce: The Front Lines of Democracy,” on the responsibilities and perils of public servants, and the benefits of civic engagement and state policies that support them. Read the recap or watch the video.
Get more information on the series here.
The EAC’s Standards Board and Board of Advisors held their 2024 Annual Meetings
The EAC’s Standards Board and Board of Advisors held annual meetings in Kansas City, Missouri in April. This was a great opportunity for the EAC to hear directly from election officials and key stakeholders on the challenges and needs ahead for this year’s elections. Panel discussions covered lessons from the presidential primaries, planning for the general election, artificial intelligence, elections in the territories, communications, ethical standards for election administration, and updates on EAC programs and resources.
The Board of Advisors also elected board leaders at their annual meeting. The new Board of Advisors Executive Officers are:
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Chair – Ricky Hatch, Weber County (UT) Clerk/Auditor
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Chair-Elect – Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Kansas
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Secretary – Christine Walker, Jackson County (OR) Clerk
Thank you to everyone who attended and made these meetings a great success!
You can read more about the annual meetings here.
CISA Physical Security Checklist for Polling Locations
Security at polling locations is a priority to making voters and election workers confident in the voting process. CISA released a new easy-to-use tool designed to bolster security preparedness for these locations. As part of CISA’s election security resources, this checklist is tailored to empower election workers with actionable and accessible security measures for locations serving as temporary election facilities.
The checklist requires no prior security expertise to successfully implement. It covers pre-planning and Election Day procedures and is adaptable to individual facility needs and resources. With some simple questions, election workers and volunteers can assess potential security threats and incidents, aiding in the establishment and improvement of physical security measures.
Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) Highlight: Priority Telecommunications Services
When facing adverse conditions such as weather events, mass gatherings, cyber-attacks or events arising from human error, prioritizing communications is crucial to the continuity of operations. Check out these resources on CISA’s priority telecommunications services which enable essential personnel to communicate when networks are degraded or congested. These services cover GETS (landline phones) and WPS (cell phones) telecom prioritization at all levels of government.
The EAC also has several COOP materials, including a plan template, a quick start guide, a chapter in the Election Management Guidelines, and more.