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Quick

SG

Standard Operating Procedures

Helping America Vote

About the Quick Start Guides: The EAC's Quick Start Guides are intended to familiarize local election officials with various topics

they will likely encounter in election administration. The guides are a starting point to identify areas of concern and give officials a

broad idea of factors they should consider in approaching a given topic.

Why write Standard Operating Procedures?

Drafting standard operating procedures (SOPs) is a daunting task. Even when an elections office has written SOPs, they often go

years without revision. But drafting, revising, and following SOPs is essential to evidence-based elections and continuity of operations.

Election officials can point to their SOPs as evidence of the steps they take to ensure the integrity of the entire elections process, from

voter registration to certifying election results. SOPs help employees understand their role and ensure uniformity in completing tasks.

Further, they act as institutional memory for essential office tasks that facilitate a smooth transition for a new administration or

employee.

Tips for Writing Effective SOPs

Review your state's election manual and use it as a starting point. States often provide baseline guidance for certain

processes that can be the foundation for many of your SOPs.

Detail chain of custody procedures for all election materials.

Include an organizational chart to help employees understand how their role fits within the larger organization.

Incorporate alternative mediums to demonstrate processes. For example, screen recording software enables you to

record computer-based processes.

Include layouts and forms typically used for polling places, early voting, audits, canvassing, and recounts.

Enlist the help of office staff to draft the procedures for their respective departments or responsibilities.

Take it one section at a time. Especially in offices with few employees, prioritize the most important sections and focus

on drafting those procedures.

Establish regular intervals for review and revision in addition to incorporating law and policy changes as they occur.

Sample Contents

Voter Registration - procedures for processing new registrations, updates to existing registrations,

list maintenance, and cancellations

Candidates & Ballot Issues - procedures for candidate filing, petition filing, checking signatures,

and campaign finance filing

Poll Workers - detail methods of recruiting, placing, and training poll workers

Election Equipment - plan for election deployment and inventory and maintenance procedures

Election Preparation - ballot building, proofing procedure, ordering ballots and supplies, logic and

accuracy testing, accessibility, and contingency plans

Voting - include procedures for:

Absentee - application processing, returned ballot processing, curing, and counting

In-person voting - resource allocation, communications, location diagrams, and security

Post-Election - procedures for canvassing, audits, and recounts

Security - address both physical and cyber security and include policies on restricted access,

visitors, training, password requirements, and incident response

Records Retention - include retention schedule and procedure for tracking storage and destruction

Organizational Chart

Contingency Planning

SOPs cover the regular

operating procedures of an

elections office. However,

election officials also must

plan and develop

procedures for emergency

situations. The Contingency

Planning Quick Start Guide

provides information on

identifying and planning for

emergencies or natural

disasters.

to illustrate 

processes

Use flowcharts to staff

so they can 

visualize

how their work

impacts

the election process.

May 1, 2022 v. 1.0 EAC | Helping America Vote

eac.gov clearinghouse@eac.gov @EACgov @eacgov1 @us.eac