Clerks who are seeking training for their own certification and their election officials before the end of the current 2022-2023 training term have a variety of topical online training resources available to them. If needed, we suggest clerks train their election workers using the online training resources detailed in this communication based on the tasks they will be performing at the polls on Election Day.
Training Requirements
1. Municipal Clerks: Municipal clerks must take and report at least six hours of election training to the WEC by December 31, 2023. For new municipal clerks, three of the six hours must be the Municipal Clerk Core training class. Clerks can enter their training in WisVote if they use the system or using the prescribed form: https://elections.wi.gov/wec-form/mct-certification-hours-reporting.
2. Chief Inspectors: Chief inspectors are required to complete at least six hours of election training during the 2022-2023 term to recertify for the 2024-2025 term. For new chief inspectors, two to three of the six hours must be the Baseline Chief Inspector training class (Baseline CIT). In person classes are three hours in length and online training in The Learning Center is two hours in length.
Chief inspectors are required to be qualified electors of their municipality unless a qualified chief inspector is not available, in which case clerks can seek and appoint a chief inspector from anywhere in their county. Clerks track the training taken by their election workers and do not have to report the information to the WEC.
3. Poll Workers, Election Registration Officials (EROs) and Special Voting Deputies (SVDs): State law requires the municipal clerk to provide some type of election training for poll workers and EROs each term. State law does not prescribe the length of the training or the curriculum. Poll workers, EROs and SVDs must be qualified electors of their county. Training may be taken in The Learning Center.
Municipal Clerk Core Training (MCT Core)
MCT Core is available online in The Learning Center. The presentation is composed of 16 sections of training, each followed by a short quiz. All new municipal clerks are required to take the class. Currently certified municipal clerks can retake the class once per 2-year term for training credit.
Baseline Chief Inspector Training (Baseline CIT)
The Baseline CIT class is available online in The Learning Center (TLC). The presentation is composed of six sections of training, followed by a 30-question self-evaluation. This training can be used by clerks in its entirety to train new chief inspectors and by segment to train new or current poll workers. Clerks need to request a username and password for their chief inspectors to access TLC: https://elections.wi.gov/wec-form/request-add-authorized-users-tlc-el-3….
WEC Certified Clerk-Trainers, composed of qualified and trained county and municipal clerks, may also offer in-person training classes in various locations. Please check the online training schedule on the WEC website periodically for new class offerings: https://elections.wi.gov/person-training-schedule. In-person classes are generally three hours in length.
For recertification purposes, a few suggestions:
• Electors, Part 1: Voter registration application, proof of residence, ineligible voter list (22 minutes).
• Electors, Part 2: Issuing ballots, proof of identification, absentee ballot log, provisional voting, assisting electors, curbside voting, accessibility, confidential electors, challenging voters (14 minutes).
• Ballots: Processing absentee ballots at the polling place on Election Day, determining voter intent (20 minutes).
• Documentation: Reconciling poll lists, inspectors’ statement, tally sheets, MBOC, breaking a tie, completing forms (7 minutes).
Election Administration Webinars (EA Webinar Series training tile)
We have scheduled a series of election administration training webinars covering such topics as the new absentee certificate envelope, polling place reviews, counting write-in votes, issuing processing absentee ballots and accessible voting equipment. Webinars can be accessed in TLC with a username and password for the website or the Vimeo link can be copied by the clerk and emailed to their election inspectors. Each webinar is generally one hour in length. There are also webinars in previous series that are relevant to next-year’s elections and can be taken to satisfy current 2022-2023 training requirements.
Some new webinars include:
• New Clerks Class: Training requirements and resources, WEC website, The Learning Center, other web applications.
• New Absentee Certificate Envelope: Background and testing, certificate envelope updates, absentee requests and returns.
• Appointing Election Officials for the 2024-2025 Term: Appointment process, political party lists, party imbalance, open records requests.
Training Videos (Election Administration training tile)
Training videos are available for clerks to use to train their election inspectors on such election day duties as opening the polls, voter registration, using the Inspectors’ Statement and poll book management. Training videos are structured to be task-based and modular in function so clerks can assemble a training plan depending on their training needs for a specific type of election and election worker. Training videos are available in The Learning Center under the Election Administration tile.
Accessible Voting Equipment Poll Worker Training
Accessible Voting Equipment Poll Worker Fact Sheets are a resource that can be used in poll worker training or at polling places on Election Day to review poll worker responsibilities concerning accessible voting. This includes tasks poll workers should be able to perform, ADA standards for accessible voting booths, and basic etiquette for interacting with voters with disabilities. There is a separate fact sheet for each type of accessible voting equipment used across the state. Much of the information is the same, but there are some details that are only applicable to certain models of equipment: https://elections.wi.gov/clerks/election-topics-z/polling-place-accessi…
Please contact Allison Coakley if you have any questions: @email or 608-266-2033.