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WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced the launch of its program to recognize state and local election officials for completing Learning Lab on-demand training. Anyone working in an election office can now earn an EAC Certificate of Federal Professional Training, a national credential for election professionals dedicated to expanding their knowledge, skills, and expertise.
The EAC's no-cost certification program offers professional development for election administrators across the country. The curriculum offers over 40 trainings that span seven categories, including:
- Election Office Administration,
- Accessibility,
- Communications,
- Voting Systems & Election Technology,
- Voting,
- Post-Election, and
- Federal Government & Elections
Candidates must complete 30 training credits to qualify for certification.
EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland issued the following joint statement on this new recognition program:
“This certification phase of the EAC’s training program signifies another milestone in the evolution of this initiative. Three years ago, this was just an idea, and now we have engagement from thousands of election officials across the country. Professional training benefits the participating election officials as well as the millions of voters they serve. By offering this at no cost, we estimate this has saved election offices and taxpayers about $1.3 million. The EAC has heard what an impact this investment has made and we will work to continue providing up-to-date programs that prepare the front lines of our democracy, our election officials, for years to come.”
Learning Lab training focuses on fundamental aspects of election administration that apply no matter the size or location of the election office. The recognition program supplements training local election administrators receive from their state election offices and associations.
In May, the EAC held an Election Training Roundtable to gather feedback from 10 election officials on how well the EAC’s program is serving election officials and opportunities for expansion. A recording of the event is available on the EAC’s YouTube channel.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) tasked the EAC with creating and maintaining a clearinghouse of election administration information. To fulfill this mission, the EAC provides best practices, recommendations, training materials, and other resources for election officials. The Learning Lab is one part of a growing library of election administration resources produced by the EAC. By providing election officials with timely, practical training on election administration, the EAC aims to improve the safety, security, accuracy, and accessibility of elections.