Effective Training Tips for Poll Workers - June 5, 2012 Election

1. Training for the June 5, 2012 Primary Bonnie Glaser Election Administration Research Center UC Berkeley

2. General Training Tips • Poll workers will strictly enforce what they know • Train as many workers as you can but remember that inspectors are key because they are your on-the job trainers.

3. Three components to emphasize in training • Train on selected content/rules that must know (e.g. cross-over voting) • Train to look up the rest in written materials • Train inspector to be an informed authority that conveys rules/procedures to clerks/judges who might think they know better

4. Key Training Topics for June 5 • Cross-over Voting for President: Certain voters have a choice of ballots for President; what do poll workers need to know? • Top Two Section of Ballot: Candidates will be listed by contest and not by party; what do poll workers need to know?

5. Training on Cross-over Voting • Cross-over voting started with 2002 Primary - what do we know from experience? • Workers’ ballot distribution rules for cross-over voters in June 2012 will basically the same as February 2008 Presidential • Go over confusing terms (no party preference, nonpartisan, decline-to-state, independent vs. American Independent Party)

6. Training on Cross-over Voting (cont.) • Teaching about party rule variation • some allow cross-over and some do not • Teaching difference between straight party ballot and non-partisan party ballot • Explaining that no cross-over is allowed for voting on Central Committee Contests and therefore the need for different ballots with the same party name on them.

7. Training on Top-two Primary • What do poll workers need to know about the top two contests on the ballot? • Workers must be able to answer voters’ questions about the ballot • Workers need to either explain directly or show voters something in writing. • Workers should be aware of terms • Top two, open-primary, voter-nominated

8. Recommendations Clear training modules for Inspectors on: • Understanding Ballot Choices • Cross-over voting for President • Central Committee party-only voting • Understanding Top Two • Awareness of terms • What to say to voters

9. References • EARC poll worker web page: http://earc.berkeley.edu/poll.php • CACEO poll worker web page: http://www.caceo58.org/poll-workers • SOS poll worker web page: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/pollworker.htm • The Why, How, What and When of Precinct Boards: Reactions from the Front Lines, A Survey of California Poll Workers in the Primary Election of 2006, September 30, 2006 • A Survey of California Poll Workers in the General Election of 2006, May 1, 2007 • Poll Worker Guidelines • CA Secretary of State's Poll Worker Training Standards 2010 • EAC Quick Start Management Guide - Poll Workers • EAC Poll Worker Successful Practices • California State Auditor report on Poll Worker Training, September 2008 http://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2008-106.pdf • California State Auditor report on Implementation of State Auditor's Recommendations http://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/sr2010/2008-106.pdf