www.eac.gov

Elections Office

Administration

april 2010
1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

The Quick Start Management Guide on 

Elections Office Administration is part of a 

series of brochures designed to highlight 

and summarize the information contained in 

the chapters of the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission’s (EAC) Election Management 

Guidelines (EMG). The goal of the EMG 

is to provide a collection of administrative 

practices, consolidated into one document, 

to assist State and local election officials 

to effectively manage and administer 

elections. These guidelines are designed 

solely to serve as a source of information for 

election officials. However, due to the need 

for election management resources, Quick 

Starts are released as they are completed.

The content of the EMG and the Quick Start 

Management Guides has been developed in 

collaboration with State and local election 

officials and other election professionals 

who have first-hand experience managing 

elections. The EAC is grateful for their 

participation to ensure that the guidelines 

are practical and applicable for jurisdictions 

regardless of their size and resources. The 

EMG and the Quick Starts are available 

online at www.eac.gov.

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Introduction

 • Managing an elections office is a full-

 time job with some of the most complex 

 responsibilities expected of a public 

 servant.

 

 • When not preparing for an election, 

 elections offices handle tasks similar 

 to other governmental agencies. The 

 tasks include data entry, processing

 incoming and outgoing mail, responding 

 to telephone and in-person requests for 

 information, accounting/payroll duties, 

 staff recruitment and training, etc. 

 

 • In many “elections offices,” the 

 administration of elections is just one of 

 the offices’ many responsibilities and 

 duties. Many election officials are also 

 the clerk, recorder, and/or treasurer of 

 the jurisdiction. These multi-function 

 offices face additional burdens because 

 they tend to exist in very small 

 jurisdictions with few full-time staff 

 members and tight budgets. 

 • Federal, State, and local laws govern 

 how elections are conducted. A change 

 in these laws may have a significant 

 impact on the processes and resources 

 available to manage an election. The 

 timing of any change in the law can 

 create additional challenges in properly 

 administering an election.

 • This Quick Start on Elections Office 

 Administration will provide election 

 officials with some recommended 

 practices for managing the internal 

 functions of an elections office. The 

 following sections cover internal 

 processes and procedures, facilities 

 and equipment management, staffing, 

 budgeting, and data collection.

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The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

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1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

Managing Internal Processes

 • Develop written policies and procedures 

 for each division and/or area of 

 responsibility. Examples include: voter 

 registration; absentee voting; polling 

 place operations; poll worker 

 recruitment, training and assignments; 

 early voting/vote center operations; 

 canvassing/certifying; recounts, etc. 

 • Develop work flow diagrams for all 

 aspects of the internal and external 

 processes. Engage the staff in 

 developing these diagrams. Allow staff

 to review the work flow diagrams from 

 other divisions. This opportunity allows 

 all staff members to understand how 

 their work impacts the entire 

 organization’s mission. 

Tip: Look for duplication of work processes 

and encourage staff to identify ways to work 

more efficiently.

 • Review Federal and State records 

 retention laws for election-related 

 materials. If the jurisdiction does not 

 have a records retention schedule, 

 consider establishing one for the 

 elections office. Include each record 

 series; type of record, i.e. inactive, 

 permanent or archival; storage location;

 and date to be destroyed, if applicable. 

Tip: Follow the retention exactly (unless 

there is an ongoing legal dispute) and

dispose of the documents and electronic 

media as outlined in law or in the 

jurisdiction’s policies and procedures.

 • Notwithstanding, Federal and State 

 laws on records retention for election

 materials, election officials should keep 

 financial records relating to election 

 administration for longer periods, if 

 possible, to aid in documenting 

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 maintenance of effort (MOE) and for 

 audit purposes.

Preparing for an Election

 • Each election has a unique election 

 calendar. The election calendar is 

 similar to any project management 

 timeline. Every election has a 

 beginning date and an end date. Each 

 critical event and task has a start and 

 end date and is assigned to specific 

 staff members. To provide for continuity 

 of operations, alternate staff members 

 might be assigned tasks as a back up 

 to the staffer with primary responsibility. 

 – Some examples of events and 

 tasks that might be included in an 

 election calendar include the 

 securing of polling places, proofing 

 and printing ballots, mailing out 

 absentee ballots, opening early 

 voting locations, training poll 

 workers, preparing and distributing 

 supplies, conducting the canvass of 

 votes and certifying the election.

 • Many election tasks cannot be started 

 until a preceding task is complete. 

 These contingent tasks might be clearly 

 noted in the election calendar. 

Tip: Assign a key staff member to monitor 

the calendar events. Be prepared to 

4The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration
1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

develop contingency plans in the event that 

a critical task falls behind schedule.

 • Some election officials use project 

 management software or other types of 

 software solutions to automate the 

 election calendar. If a milestone date is 

 missed, the software immediately 

 notifies the division’s supervisor. Some 

 software provides email reminders to 

 staff members and can provide the 

 election official the ability to track the 

 entire operation. Some versions of 

 these types of project management 

 tools may be available for free online. 

 • Key milestones may translate into a 

 need for additional part-time 

 employees. These employees are 

 needed to perform data entry, answer 

 the phones, manage incoming and 

 outgoing absentee ballots, etc. 

 • Election project management becomes 

 more intense during the weeks 

 approaching the start of early voting 

 and Election Day. Full-time staff 

 members are often working long hours 

 to accomplish required tasks. 

 Statistical data are used on a daily 

 basis to monitor workflow, to review 

 the number of absentee and early 

 voters, and to respond to staff and 

 voter needs. 

 • Disaster and continuity planning tools 

 and procedures should be in place at 

 all times. Election officials can be 

 prepared to respond to conceivable 

 emergency scenarios (i.e. shortage of 

 ballots; polling places that are locked 

 on election morning; poll workers who 

 fail to arrive on time; power failures; 

 road closures; and, sudden changes in 

 weather conditions, etc.) 

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 – For additional information and 

 suggestions see chapter 11 of the 

 Election Management Guidelines, 

 Contingency Planning and Change 

 Management.

Facilities and Equipment 

Management

 • Election officials are responsible for the

 facilities that house their operations. 

 This responsibility may include 

 contracting for janitorial services, 

 providing for security of the buildings, 

 employees, and equipment, managing 

 utilities and continuity of operations.

 • Tracking of equipment and supplies is 

 often managed by barcode scanning

 or other types of technology. An 

 automated inventory management 

 software system can reduce labor 

 costs and errors. This software can 

 track voting equipment, alert to needed 

 repairs, and maintain a history on each 

 piece of voting equipment.

 • Consider developing diagrams of the 

 elections office and external locations 

 under the election official’s control, 

 detailing the location of all equipment 

The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

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1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

 and material. Document where security

 is in place to protect voting equipment 

 and ballots (voted and unvoted). 

 Indicate which areas of the building are 

 climate-controlled to address 

 equipment requirements. 

 – The diagrams might include the

 rooms in various staging

 configurations involved in managing 

 an election. Many election offices 

 use the same space for different 

 purposes, depending upon the 

 need at a given stage in the election 

 cycle. Include this information in 

 elections office processes. 

Example: Poll worker training areas are 

set up during designated times. Indicate 

those locations and their setup requirements 

within the facility management operational 

procedures.

 – Review the diagrams after each 

 election cycle to make 

 modifications, as needed. It is 

 helpful to diagram the following:

 n Early voting locations – setup of 

 equipment, laptops, check-in 

 areas, voter staging areas, 

 secure voting area, entrance and 

 exit, location of all signs, etc.

 n Poll worker supply check out and

 election night check in areas.

 n Staging area for recounts, 

 canvassing, research or 

 provisional ballots, etc., including 

 the work flow diagram for each 

 task.

 n Outgoing and incoming mail ballot 

 processing areas.

 n Each polling place within the 

 jurisdiction – create a diagram 

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The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office Administration 1

 for each location indicating 

 where to set up the voter check-

 in tables and voting equipment.

 • Consider preparing a manual describing 

 all technology-related activities within 

 the elections office. Document serial 

 numbers and life cycles for all 

 computers and equipment; indicate 

 where the servers are located; and 

 detail all back-up and continuity of 

 operations plans. Include information 

 on maintenance requirements for all 

 equipment, from printers and copy 

 machines to telephones and 

 computerized voting equipment. (See 

 Contingency Planning and Change 

 Management chapter for more 

 information.)

Staffing

 • Several States mandate bipartisan 

 election offices (Democratic and 

 Republican election directors and full-

 time staff members). Some election 

 offices are managed by Election Boards 

 appointed by the State. In other 

 jurisdictions, the county manager hires 

 and supervises the election director. 

 Still many other election officials are 

 elected to their jobs. 

 • Some election officials have complete 

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1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

 control over hiring, while others must 

 follow existing county hiring practices.

 • On Election Day, the local elections 

 office often becomes the largest 

 governmental department in the 

 jurisdiction. There will be part-time 

 employees and many poll workers to 

 recruit, train, and manage.

 – Some election officials use “temp” 

 agencies to effectively manage 

 their resources. Also, if the elections 

 office can use the same temporary 

 employees repeatedly, it may save 

 on the cost of training.

 • Encourage staff to learn all aspects of 

 managing an election. Provide ongoing 

 training opportunities and cross train 

 all staff members. Empower employees 

 to propose creative solutions and 

 provide time for each employee to 

 innovate new solutions.

 • Create and establish individual functional 

 statements for each position. It is 

 recommended that each functional 

 statement be signed by the employee 

 and his or her supervisor. 

Note: A Functional Statement is similar to a 

job description; however, it provides a 

detailed listing of specific job duties for the 

position.

 • Develop an office organizational chart 

 and distribute it to all employees. 

 Ensure that all employees understand 

 the chain of command for their 

 positions. Since promotional 

 opportunities are often limited in an 

 election office, encourage employees 

 to learn other tasks and responsibilities 

 so that they can increase their skill sets 

 and knowledge, and eventually broaden 

 their job descriptions.

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The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office Administration

101

 • Bring the staff together as a team to 

 develop a Mission Statement for the 

 elections office and a listing of staff 

 competencies and core values. 

 – “Seek better ways to provide 

 services to encourage all eligible

 residents to exercise their right to 

 vote. Conduct elections in a fair,

 accurate and efficient manner. 

 Maintain a continuous professional

 level of service to the public. 

 Develop new techniques to improve 

 outreach services that acknowledge 

 the diversity of Alameda County.” 

 Source: Alameda County, California 

 Registrar of Voters, Mission 

 Statement

 – “Serving the public by administering 

 the election process and promoting 

 voter participation.” Source: 

 Johnson County, Kansas Election 

 Office, Mission Statement

 – Examples of staff competencies: 

 Integrity, Honesty, and Impartiality; 

 Teamwork and Cooperation; 

 Reliability and Commitment; 

 Attention to Detail and 

 Responsibility; Flexibility; Stress 
1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

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 Tolerance and Stamina; Change 

 and Create; Communications and 

 Public Relations; Election 

 Management.

 – Examples of core values: Open 

 Communication, Honest Feedback, 

 Challenging the Process, 

 Commitment to Team Work, 

 Delegation, Customer Focus, and 

 Recognition.

 • Develop partnerships with area 

 community colleges and high schools 

 for recruitment and training of poll 

 workers.

Example: Guilford County, North Carolina 

has developed a poll worker certification 

training program in conjunction with an area 

community college.

 • Review the EAC’s Successful Practices 

 for Poll Worker Recruitment, Training, 

 and Retention, the Guidebook for 

 Recruting College Poll Workers, and the 

 EMG chapter on Building Community 

 Partnerships for additional ideas on 

 how to manage this critical task.

 

 • Consider implementing flexible hours 

 for temporary employees. 
The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office Administration 1

Tip: Stay at home mothers and fathers 

could come to work after the children are in 

school and leave early to pick their children 

up after school.

Budgeting, Collection of Statistical 

Data, and Performance 

Management:

 • Many election officials view their 

 budgets as based on a four year 

 election cycle. Simply, elections for 

 almost all offices happen at least once 

 (regularly) in that period. While most 

 agency budgets are compared year-to-

 year, election officials stress the 

 importance of comparing similar 

 election years. For example, the budget

 for a Presidential election year should

 be compared to the previous

 Presidential election year. 

 • Election offices can be prepared to 

 conduct special elections with very 

 little advance notice. These elections 

 are either funded from the election 

 office operating budget or by charging 

 the jurisdiction in which the election is 

 being contested. Examples of costs 

 that the local elections office might be 

 able to bill include labor, printing, 

 polling place rental, supplies, 

 publication costs, computer usage, 

 vehicle usage, and indirect/overhead 

 costs.

 • There are many factors that affect the 

 preparation of a budget. These factors 

 include the number of elections, 

 number of voters involved, length of 

 ballot, number of ballot types or styles, 

 number of polling locations, number of 

 poll workers, type(s) of equipment 

 used, amount of overtime and extra 

 help needed, etc. Additionally, many 

 jurisdictions have statutory 

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1The Quick Start Management Guide on Elections Office 

Administration

13

 requirements about how many ballots 

 they must print for an election or how 

 many early voting centers they must 

 open.

 • Statistics and metrics can be important 

 for planning, budgeting, and reporting 

 requirements. They provide the ability

 for election offices to quantify the 

 quality of service provided, evaluate 

 internal accountability, and clarify long 

 term goals and objectives. Computer 

 systems and software provide an easy 

 way to collect statistics. 

 • Performance measures might be easy 

 to understand and should only evaluate 

 what is important. 

Tip: Consider publishing the performance 

measures in budget requests, media packets 

and annual reports.

 • Use statistics to determine costs, i.e. 

 cost per vote cast, cost per polling 

 place, cost per absentee/mail ballot 

 voter, poll worker recruitment and 

 training costs. Statistics from past 

 elections might be used to develop pre-

 election plans for future elections, i.e. 

 projections for ballot orders, number of 

 poll workers, number of polling places, 

 number of voting machines, voter 

 registration, early voting and Election 

 Day voters, etc. Statistics can also be 

 used to plan for staffing needs and to 

 track staff productivity.
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For information regarding this publication or to 

request additional copies, please, contact: 

Address 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission 

1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300 

Washington, DC 20005

Attn: Election Management Guidelines

Telephone

(202) 566-3100 

(866) 747-1471 (toll free)

Fax

(202) 566-3127

E-mail Address

HAVAinfo@eac.gov

Website

www.eac.gov

The EAC is an independent bipartisan commission created by 

the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is charged with 

administering payments to states and developing guidance to 

meet HAVA requirements, implementing election administration 

improvements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, 

accrediting voting system test laboratories and certifying voting 

equipment and serving as a national clearinghouse and resource 

of information regarding election administration.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION