In-person voting
From voter registration to results reporting, election officials build and implement comprehensive processes that are the foundation for the voting experience. Whether a voter is registering to vote, casting their ballot, or checking election results, delivering an exceptional voter experience is an opportunity to build confidence in the integrity of election administration.
Standard
Your election office supports voters’ in-person voting needs with enough sites and well-organized operations. To achieve this standard:
- You have enough voting locations that are accessible, welcoming, and convenient for voters to meet your jurisdiction’s needs.
- You proactively manage relationships with voting locations to ensure they are prepared.
- Your polling place setup allows voters to check-in, mark their ballots in privacy, and return their ballots in a way that is accessible, efficient, and easy to navigate.
- You communicate with voters about their options to vote in person, what to expect when they vote, and any changes to voting locations from previous years.
- You have contingency plans and protocols for communicating with voters in case of unanticipated changes to your in-person voting operations.
- You have clear procedures and training for staff and poll workers on de-escalating, reporting, and mitigating conflicts that arise during in-person voting operations.
- You ensure observers have appropriate access for meaningful observation, and you prepare poll workers to interact with them.
- You routinely review your voting locations and polling place setup to assess if they meet your voters’ needs and streamline operations.
Why this standard matters
It is important that we are explicit about the underlying why for each standard. While not attached to measurements, the intended impact of an election department achieving this standard is that:
- Election departments will create a positive voting experience and will be prepared to manage any unplanned changes.
- Voters will vote privately and independently in a location convenient to them and quickly move through the voting steps.
- Voters will have options to cast their ballots in person even if unexpected circumstances arise.
- Voters will feel confident their ballot has been counted and will feel trust in the voting process.