What does being a Center for Election Excellence look like?

The Centers for Election Excellence program is a way for local election offices across the nation to come together and:

• Identify what’s working well in their offices
• Respond to opportunities for improvement
• Share knowledge, experience, and best practices
• Support each other throughout the 2024 election and beyond

The majority of the time commitment will focus on finding practical solutions to your office’s most pressing problems. As part of the Alliance network, Centers will receive training, mentorship, and resources, and serve as a support system for each other and election departments across the country. Centers will participate in co-creating values and standards of election excellence which will be rolled out to jurisdictions nationwide, uplifting and advancing the profession of election administration in the years to come. 

 

How is this different from other programs?

Centers for Election Excellence	Other programs
Focus on the entire election office	Focus on training individual people
Custom support for each Center	Generalized support
Funding available	Often cost money
2 years of in-depth support	Shorter timelines

 

How will my election office benefit from participating?

This program is designed for what you need, when you need it. We’ll begin with your election office’s unique challenges and goals, then provide you with customized resources, coaching from election experts, and implementation support. We aim to ensure that continually under-funded election offices receive sufficient resources to effectively run elections at the highest standards. Finally, you will have access to a support system of other Centers across the country who are equally committed to excellent election administration.

 

How will my voters benefit?

What is one example of an improvement you wish you could make to better serve your voters, but don’t have enough time, staffing, resources, technology, knowledge, or funding? You are the expert on what your voters need, and we will work with each Center to fill in the gaps.

 

I’m concerned that my office may not have enough time to participate. What does the time commitment for this program look like?

Participating in this program will make your life easier, not harder. The focus is on practical support — what you need, when you need it — so your participation can be scaled up or down depending on your schedule. For example, if your operations would run smoother with a poll worker management system, we’ll get it up and running.

In general, Centers can expect a 2-year period of engagement from the Alliance. The majority of the time commitment will focus on finding practical solutions to your office’s most pressing problems. You can also expect to spend time connecting with the cohort of Centers and reflecting on how to improve our program. 

 

I’m concerned that my office may receive backlash if we participate in this program. What sort of support can the Alliance provide?

Election officials deserve a warm, welcoming community of support where their hard work is encouraged and celebrated. As a member of the Alliance, you’ll receive guidance and resources to help tell your story, combat misleading information, and keep you and your team safe. 

 

You can find additional Frequently Asked Questions on the Alliance FAQ page, which we will continue updating with more information.

If any questions come up after you complete this form, please reach out to us at support@electionexcellence.org.

Thanks for your interest in becoming a Center for Election Excellence! This is just the beginning of the conversation, and you can expect more opportunities to learn about the program before making any decision. Together we’ll explore whether this program is a good fit for you, your office, your goals, your capacity, and your voters. 

Centers for Election Excellence will be selected based on their:

• Excitement and willingness to participate in the program
• Commitment to improve upon practices and procedures aimed at enhancing the voter, poll worker, and staff experiences
• Commitment to being part of a learning cohort, sharing materials among cohort members, and providing input into the future of the program

The following questions should take you about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, depending on how much you want to share. And final decisions about Centers for Election Excellence will not be made solely on these responses.

You can save your responses and return later by clicking the "Save" button at the bottom of the form. Click "Skip Create an Account" and enter your email address.

Once you’ve finished this initial application phase, you can expect:

• An immediate confirmation email with a copy of your responses
• A follow-up email answering FAQs, including any questions you’ve asked
• An invitation to an informational session to learn more
• An interview with you and your team

In the meantime, if you think of additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to support@electionexcellence.org. 

We're on the lookout for Centers for Election Excellence! Do you have any ideas? If you recommend an election office, we’ll reach out and encourage them to apply! If you’d prefer to contact them yourself, please direct them to electionexcellence.org, and consider sharing a note explaining why you thought of them!

An office might be interested in becoming a Center if they:

• Are always trying to improve
• Prioritize the voter experience
• Prioritize the wellbeing of staff and poll workers
• Could benefit from additional funding and resources
• Are deeply committed to nonpartisan administration of elections
• Love learning from other election offices

Since we’re on the lookout for jurisdictions of all shapes and sizes, we challenge you to remember small and/or rural jurisdictions. 57% of offices serve fewer than 5,000 voters, and we want the Centers to reflect as many perspectives as possible.