Election Administration Resources for CACEO

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Toolkit/Resource	Keywords	Description	Group	Link

2	Field Guides	communications; voter education	Design field guides on several topics relevant to election administration, including communications topics like: Choosing how to communicate with voters Designing voter education booklets and flyers Designing election department websites Writing instructions voters understand *And more!	Center for Civic Design	https://civicdesign.org/fieldguides/
3	Election Websites	communications; voter education	Resource page on best practices for using an elections website to educate voters	Center for Civic Design	https://civicdesign.org/topics/election-websites/
4	Electiontools.org	MDM, cybersecurity, social media, websites, voter education; election management	Electiontools.org offers several free, practical resources and guides to help elections officials. Communications tools include: Checklist for combating election misinformation Election website template Cybersecurity conversation starters Pocket voter guide template Civic icons and images Usability testing kit RFP how-to guide for election officials Voter outreach graphics	Center for Civic Design, Center for Tech and Civic Life	https://www.electiontools.org/
5	Courses	communications; voter education	Self-paced courses covering various aspects of election administration, including communications	Center for Tech and Civic Life	https://www.techandciviclife.org/our-work/election-officials/courses/
6	5 Steps to Safer Elections	public safety; physical security; law enforcement	CSSE’s Five Steps to Safer Elections provide information on how election administrators and law enforcement can work together to strengthen our elections.	Committee for Safe and Secure Elections	https://safeelections.org/csse-five-steps-to-safer-elections/
7	5 Steps in Focus	public safety; physical security; law enforcement	Further information about each individual step can be found in Five Steps in Focus.	Committee for Safe and Secure Elections	https://safeelections.org/five-steps-in-focus
8	California Law Enforcement Quick Reference Card	public safety; physical security; law enforcement	This pocket reference guide contains key provisions found within the California Elections Code, Penal Provisions, Division 18, §18000-18700.	Committee for Safe and Secure Elections	https://safeelections.org/california-law-enforcement-quick-reference-card/
9	What Election Violence Could Look Like: A Video Training Scenario	public safety; physical security; law enforcement	The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) features cross-partisan experts in election administration and law enforcement who aim to support policies and practices that protect election workers and voters from violence, threats, and intimidation. The Committee also works to build relationships and trust between election officials and law enforcement to better equip both to prevent and respond to threats and violence against voters and election workers.	Committee for Safe and Secure Elections	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMYF8V5t-L4
10	5 Steps to Protect Our Elections from the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections	public safety; physical security; law enforcement	The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) released this 5-step guide for law enforcement and election officials ahead of the 2022 midterms to help protect voters and elections officials from violence.	Committee for Safe and Secure Elections	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmgTFkKWW8U
11	Non-Confrontational Techniques for Election Workers Training	public safety; de-escalation; election worker training	This video is a shortened version of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Non-Confrontational Techniques for Election Workers Training. To support election workers in a heightened threat environment, this training emphasizes non-confrontational techniques to help election workers recognize potentially escalating situations, determine if emergency response is needed, safely de-escalate, and report appropriately. State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) election administrators can utilize this video for poll workers and other frontline election workers to complement their existing training with techniques to de-escalate potentially violent situations.	Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCWt7gDwEPc
12	The Power of Hello	public safety; de-escalation; election worker training	Used effectively, the right words can be a powerful tool. Simply saying “Hello” can prompt a casual conversation with unknown individuals and help you determine why they are there. The OHNO approach – Observe, Initiate a Hello, Navigate the Risk, and Obtain Help – helps employees observe and evaluate suspicious behaviors, and empowers them to mitigate potential risk, and obtain help when necessary.	Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)	https://www.cisa.gov/topics/physical-security/non-confrontational-techniques/power-hello
13	Election Disinformation Toolkit	communications; voter education	Two page guide for responding and mitigating mis-, dis-, and malinformation	Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)	https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/election-disinformation-toolkit_508_0.pdf
14	Tabletop Exercise Packages	cybersecurity; physical security	Tools for stakeholders to conduct planning exercises on a wide range of threat scenarios.	Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)	https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/services/cisa-tabletop-exercise-packages
15	Knowing It's Right: Limiting the Risk of Certifying Elections	election audits	The three parts of Knowing It’s Right will help you make the case for risk-limiting audits, understand how they work, and put a pilot audit into practice. You can explore each of them in depth at the links below.	Democracy Fund	https://democracyfund.org/idea/knowing-its-right-limiting-the-risk-of-certifying-elections/
16	Electionmail.org	USPS; ballots; election mail	Objective I: Provide state and local election administrators with: • the information they need to recognize common election mail problems when they happen • the ability to gather actionable data about these problems Objective II: * Provide the election administration community writ large and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) with a comprehensive picture of the scope election mail problems	Democracy Works	https://electionmail.org/
17	Election Insights	MDM; social media	This website examines the claims of Dr. Douglas Frank. On the Learn page we explain why Frank’s claims of voter fraud fail, demonstrating his claims fail under basic logic, empirical analysis, and statistical scrutiny. On the Find a County page we provide a county-level analysis for 42 states that shows how Frank’s claims fail in every county where we have sufficient data to analyze the results.	Dr. Justin Grimmer	https://electioninsights.org/
18	Electionline.org	election administration news and info	Electionline is America’s only source for politics-free news and information about the people and processes that guide our nation’s elections.	Election Center	https://electionline.org/
19	Communications Toolkit	communications; voter education	Resource for elections officials facing complex challenges that require the services of communications professionals; intake form required (paid service)	Election Official Legal Defense Network	https://eoldn.org/request-help/communications/
20	Request Legal Help	legal help; threat, harassment, and intimidation	Across the United States, election officials are enduring threats, harassment, intimidation, defamation, and, in some states, exposure to criminal penalties, for simply doing their jobs of administering fair elections. EOLDN stands by, ready to connect election officials in need of qualified pro bono attorneys who can provide advice or assistance.	Election Official Legal Defense Network	https://eoldn.org/request-help/legal/
21	EOLDN Toolkit	legal help; threat, harassment, and intimidation	Use these items to help educate folks in your network to use the resources of the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN).	Election Official Legal Defense Network	https://eoldn.org/digital-toolkit/
22	Outreach Materials Election Official Toolkit	communications; voter education	Resource to help with military and overseas voter engagement. Refers to 2018 election cycle but can apply to future elections.	Federal Voting Assistance Program	https://electioncenter.org/FVAP/Outreach-Materials/EOToolkit.pdf
23	Election Officials Communications Tookkit	communications; voter education	Provides resources for elections officials, with suggestions depending on the office’s access to communications resources. The toolkit was created for the November 2020 election, but much of the content can be applied to future elections.	Ideas42, Vote At Home	https://www.ideas42.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Election-Official-Communications-Toolkit-PUBLIC.pdf
24	Elections Performance Index	election policy	The Elections Performance Index (EPI) compares election administration policy and performance across the states and from one election cycle to the next.	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	https://elections.mit.edu/#/data/map
25	Election Comms Toolkit	communications; voter education	Social media graphics, animated videos (English and Spanish), and media literacy tip sheets are free to download	National Association of State Election Directors, National Association for Media Literacy Education	https://www.nased.org/electioncommstoolkit
26	Election Official Communications Toolkit	communications; voter education	This Election Official Communications Toolkit is for all election officials, but particularly those of you who are looking to add more tools to your box. Whether you have no communications capacity or a large budget, you can find something useful to include in your election communications plan.	National Vote At Home Institute	https://voteathome.org/communications-toolkit/
27	De-Escalation: A Toolkit for Election Officials	public safety; de-escalation; election worker training	Planning and preparation before Election Day can help you and your staff protect the rights of voters and the public and resist efforts to disrupt your elections.	States United Democracy Center	https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/resources/deescalation-toolkit/
28	De-Escalation Resources	public safety; de-escalation; election worker training	Use guides or employee-facing posters to remind staff and election workers of techniques to assist with de-escalating tense situations.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/resources-for-election-officials/de-escalation-resources
29	Exploring Audits Conversation: Creating a Framework for Implementing High-Value Election Audits	election audits	Our conversation hosted by The Elections Group CEO Jennifer Morrell. Jennifer presents findings from our comprehensive audit reports, and will discuss the current state of election audits as well as what election audits might look like in the future.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/resources-for-election-officials/exploring-audits-conversation-creating-a-framework
30	Exploring Audits Series	election audits	The Elections Group’s Exploring Election Audits Series will help election officials identify principles, standards and audit best practices that apply to the entire election administration process – not just voting machines and tabulation equipment.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/exploring-audits-series
31	12 Tips for Retaining Election Workers	election workers	Recruiting and retaining election workers is a difficult task for most election officials. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 52% of jurisdictions report that maintaining a sufficient voting location staffing was either “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult.” Most election workers serve only one or two days during a two-year period. Many election workers go months or even years between each shift. However, providing excellent support increases the likelihood election workers will have a positive experience and want to come back. Retaining experienced election workers is essential to ensuring that elections are administered properly.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/12-tips-for-retaining-election-workers
32	Secure HQ: Unobstructed Counting Checklist	physical safety; election workers; election canvass	Close elections generate skepticism, scrutiny and complaints for election administrators. Today’s climate of anger multiplies the risks – and the anxiety. Consider the suggestions below as you prepare to count, audit and canvass your election; they can help limit the effects of disturbance or obstruction in the event your office becomes a focal point.	The Elections Group	https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61da19f9986c0c0a9fd8435f/t/6352df0b28c0f976ca1ca4f5/1666375436097/Secure+HQ+V1+221021.pdf
33	Election Management Calendar	election management	Reliance on a task tracker can help alleviate some of the strain that comes from managing a wide swath of responsibilities in a very constricted time frame.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/election-management-calendar
34	Ballot Replication Guide	ballots; duplication	Ballot replication is a vital step in processing hand-marked paper ballots. In the simplest terms, ballot replication refers to the process of producing a replicated ballot to replace a ballot that is not able to be scanned. Invariably, some ballots in every election will require replication. Election officials and their teams take every possible step to ensure all eligible ballots are scanned and counted.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/ballot-replication-guide
35	7 Strategies for Enhancing Drop Box Security	ballots; drop boxes	Voters like ballot drop boxes. In jurisdictions where vote-by-mail is prevalent, as many as 80 percent of voters choose to return their ballot at a ballot drop box. In particular, where ballots must be received by election officials on Election Day or earlier, drop boxes have a critical operational function. As the use and popularity of drop boxes increases, election administrators must take special care to ensure the security of those drop boxes. The strategies below can be used to enhance the physical security of drop boxes in your jurisdiction.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/enhancing-ballot-drop-box-security
36	Telling Our Story	communications; voter education	Provides best practices and useful tips in four areas: promoting trust, respect and enthusiasm for our election system and the tens of thousands of people who make it work; countering misinformation; working with the media; and educating voters.	The Elections Group	https://www.electionsgroup.com/telling-our-story-guide
37	Communicating Election and Post Election Processes Toolkit	communications; voter education	Create educational materials about pre- and post-election processes that observers and the public and understand	U.S. Election Assistance Commission	https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/communicating-election-and-post-election-processes-toolkit
38	Election Official Toolkits	election workers; communications; voter education; cybersecurity	To assist election officials in creating and putting together materials about a wide variety of topics that affect their operations, education, and outreach, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission aims to provide toolkits that can be used by elections offices. Providing these resources is important to assist election officials with their outreach. Many of the resources in the toolkits listed below are customizable to various degrees, depending on what the elections office needs. Below are the compiled toolkits.	U.S. Election Assistance Commission	https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/toolkits
39	Election Official Social Media Toolkit	communications; voter education	In the world of social media, staying connected and informed is crucial. This toolkit provides a centralized resource to streamline social media efforts, ensuring consistent and impactful communication.	U.S. Election Assistance Commission	https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/Election_Official_Social_Media_Toolkit_508_Final.pdf
40	Quick Start Guides	Planning and Outreach; Election Preparation; Early and By Mail Voting; Election Day and Post-Election Processes	The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s 2022 revision of the Quick Start Guides (QSG) series includes 26 guides that summarize and highlight election administration information in the United States. The goal of the QSG series is to provide a collection of helpful tips and practices to assist state and local election officials in effectively managing and administering elections. This series includes updated best practices and new topics to help election officials run efficient elections. The best practices are designed to be practical and applicable to jurisdictions regardless of their size and resources. The suggestions outlined in the QSG series are solely designed to serve as a source of information for election officials and not as requirements by which they must abide.	U.S. Election Assistance Commission	https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/quick-start-guides
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