Resources
Training
City of Madison Election Officials are required to attend training or watch a training webinar before every election that they work. Review the Election Day Quick Guides.
Use the Online Training Portal link in your assignment email to view the recorded webinar and record your attendance. Use the "accept or decline assignment" link in the same email to access additional training options.
Reference Materials
Beginner Training Handout
Election Day Emergency Procedures
Poll Worker Reference Guide
Podcast Series
Madison Votes podcast series on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts
Election Observers
The City Attorney and City Clerk recently held a virtual meeting for anyone who might be observing at the polls on Election Day. The handout from that meeting is available here.
Quick Guides
- Poll Worker Reference Guide
- Checking ID
- Poll Book Documentation
- Election Day Registrations
- Election Day Registrations - Second Official
- Ineligible Voter List
- Processing Absentee Ballots
- Provisional Ballots
- Returning Provisional Voter
- Remaking Ballots
- Remaking Ballots for a Partisan Primary (for August of even-numbered years)
Absentee Tracking Tools
Task Sheets
- Opening the Polls Task Sheets (redacted)
- Closing the Polls Task Sheets (redacted)
City of Madison Election Official Guide
Other Materials
- Voter Slip Checkoff - use this tool at the ballot table as voters deposit their voter slips in the voter slip receptacle, minimizing the number of people touching each voter slip
- Polling Place Tabletop Exercise - please note that 28 days is now required to establish residency for voting, and that students using their college ID as voter ID only need to show proof of current enrollment if the ID is expired
- Counting Votes Manual (Spring Primary, Spring Election, & General Election), WI Elections Commission
- Counting Votes Manual (Partisan Primary), WI Elections Commission
- Respecting Cultural Differences at the Polls
- Equity & Engagement at the Polls
Videos
NEW! Polling Place Procedures Videos
These short videos show you how to set up polling place equipment and how some of the stations work on Election Day. Along with the Quick Guides above, these videos are an excellent resource for new election officials or for more experienced election officials who want a quick refresher. All of these videos have closed-captioning available. When you start a video, click the "CC" near the bottom right corner of the video to view the captions.
Topics covered include but are not limited to:
- Voting Booth Setup
- ExpressVote Setup and Disassembly
- Opening the Tabulator
- Closing the Tabulator
- Clearing a Ballot Jam
- Greeter Table
- Registration Table
- Poll Book Table
All of the short training videos are available on the City's Election Official Training channel.
The videos below were offered as training for previous elections. The webinar for the current election can be found on the training website.
Training Videos for New Poll Workers
- Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination at the Polls
- Training for New Poll Workers - please note that 28 days is now required to establish residency for voting, and that students using their college ID as voter ID only need to show proof of current enrollment if the ID is expired
- Equity & Engagement at the Polls
Video Resources for Experienced Poll Workers
- Equity & Engagement at the Polls
- Election Day Voter Registration - please note that 28 days is now required to establish residency for voting
- Processing Absentees
- Observers at the Polls
- Election Official Ethical Considerations
- Balanced and Secure Elections
- New Chief Inspectors: Beyond the Baseline
Videos from the Dane County Clerk's Office
Wisconsin Elections Commission Manual
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has compiled an Election Day Manual for Election Officials.
Accessibility
Video: This Is Where We Vote - 2014