A final-week checklist for local governments that support elections but do not necessarily directly administer them, from Local Policy Lab. Even doing some of the items below will help ensure a smoother election for your city’s residents. Please remember, your local election administrators are BUSY, so make sure any interactions with them are streamlined and clearly intended to provide support, not to further complicate their work.
First and foremost: remind eligible residents to vote, and offer clear, accurate information on how they can find their poll site and information about what is on the ballot. Of course, all communication must be 100% nonpartisan.
Coordination & People
- Check in with the county election office. Ask what they expect to need from the city and what, if anything has changed on their end. Make sure you have a clear Election Day point of contact.
- Hold a final cross-department briefing. Bring emergency management, public works, IT, facilities, police, fire, legal, and communications into the same room (could be virtual, email also works). Confirm every department knows its supporting role and who to call if problems arise on or around Election Day.
- Make sure a key city contact is available all day. Identify primary and backup staff who will be reachable from before polls open until after they close and results reporting begins.
Facilities & Utilities
- Check on municipal buildings used for voting to make sure they are ready/accessible.
- Test backup power and emergency lighting.
- Confirm access schedules.
- Verify alternate sites in the event a poll site has to move.
Communications
- Test your mass texting/emailing capability.
- Pre-approve generic messaging now. Draft fill-in-the-blank notices for a poll site move, long lines, an equipment failure, or a false claim spreading online, and get them approved ASAP.
- Agree on who speaks. Decide now who handles election questions versus public safety questions, and that nothing goes out without sign-off.
- Verify before you amplify. Confirm rumors through official channels before responding publicly, and avoid repeating a false claim in the correction. This is a key area in which coordination with election officials is critical.
Technology
- Stress-test the city website. It may see a spike in traffic. Make sure voting location and voter information are easy to find and accurate (including on a phone).
Post-Election
- Remember the election is not over on Election Day. Canvassing, auditing, and certification may run for several days or weeks.
- Hold a short debrief within two weeks. With internal departments and county officials, if they are interested. Record what worked, what did not, and what to fix before the next cycle, while it is fresh.
Additional Resources
Looking for more guidance? Check out the CORE Playbook: Continuity & Operational Readiness for Elections and email [email protected] with questions.
