Certification Guide

A step-by-step overview of the certification process

1. Create a profile on the portal

Go to CertifyExcellence.org and set up an account. Only create one account per office, even if multiple staff members will be working on the portal together.

2. Choose a Standard

Offices can be certified in any or all Standards, but they must pursue certification for each Standard separately, so select the Standard your office wants to be certified in. You can pursue certification in multiple Standards at the same time, if you’d like.

3. Submit materials and information

For each Standard you are seeking certification in, you’ll be given a questionnaire specific to that Standard to fill out. Most questionnaires will also request that you upload nonconfidential materials, such as examples of reports you have published or your standard operating procedures documents. You will never be asked to share confidential materials, live ballots, or protected personal information about your voters.

4. Review of your submission

Once you’ve submitted your application, your materials will be reviewed by impartial independent reviewers who are part of the Alliance Certifying Body. They will evaluate your submission and determine whether your materials, answers, and practices demonstrate that you have met the Standard you sought certification for.

5. Certification or resubmission

Once the review is complete, you will receive an email indicating that the result and feedback will be available to view in the certification portal. If your materials, answers, and practices demonstrate that you have met the Standard, your office will be certified in that Standard and you’ll receive a certificate in the mail as well as a digital badge. If you are not certified you will receive detailed feedback, along with access to optional self-study materials and guidance on how to resubmit. For more information on the Certification review process, please see the Certification FAQs.

Resources for offices pursuing certification

• The Standards for Excellence: Certification is based on meeting these nonpartisan, voluntary standards. Take some time to read over the Standard(s) that your office will be pursuing certification in.
• Certification Quick Start Guides: These quick start guides are tailored
  to each Standard and include lists of materials to prepare, sample questions, and
  specific tips for each Standard.
• Certification FAQs: These provide general information about the process of
  certification and technical help with the portal.

How to improve your certification experience

These are tips to keep in mind when preparing and filling out certification questionnaires, so
that your office has a seamless experience and gets the most accurate results:

1. Read and refer to the Standard: The rubric used to evaluate your answers is based on the Standard you are being certified in. As you review the questionnaire, you’ll even see an explanation of how each question relates to some element of the Standard. Understanding the Standard will help you provide the most on-topic responses to each question.
2. Prepare ahead of time: Offices that have their materials and team prepared to fill out the certification questionnaire ahead of time typically find the process very quick and easy. Take a look at the relevant Certification Preparation Guide and briefly skim the questions before sitting down to respond to them. Note any materials you’ll be asked to upload and consider which team members would be the most helpful in contributing to your responses. Then, step away from the questionnaire and gather those materials and team members before jumping into submitting responses. Alternatively, you can answer some questions, then step away while you locate materials or discuss with staff as needed for other questions. The form autosaves, so you can take as much time between questions as you need.
3. Make it a team effort: Your office will get the most out of the certification process if you do it as a team. Filling out the certification questionnaire is a great way to review your practices and procedures, surface any confusion, and think about possible improvements you might want to make in the future. For some Standards, it may even be helpful to reach out to staff in other departments who might support a particular element of your work.
4. Answer every question: Many offices will not have the exact materials requested, or they may do things in a way that is not perfectly aligned with a question’s wording. That’s okay! We know many elections’ processes are context-specific. Even if your office doesn’t have a particular kind of document or process, you should give us the closest thing you do have or explain what your office uses instead. Err on the side of overexplaining to give the reviewers a chance to see if what your office does satisfies the Standard. Submitting what you have also ensures that the independent reviewers can provide you with better, more informed feedback.