- The training term for municipal clerks is established by state law and begins on January 1 of an even-numbered year and runs through December 31 of an odd-numbered year. All election officials operate in the same training term.
- New Municipal Clerks must take the 3-hour municipal clerk core training class in their current term in office, regardless if there are any scheduled elections for the remainder of the training term.
- Clerks must take and report a minimum of six hours of election training each 2-year term. MCT Core counts for three of the six hours.
- Clerks must report their election training to the Commission either using the prescribed reporting form linked below or by entering the training into the WisVote system for staff review and approval.
| Task to Complete | Details |
|---|---|
| Report Clerk Contact Updates to the WEC | If any clerk contact information has changed, complete the Clerk Contact Information form and submit it to the WEC HelpDesk at @email. If this information is not up to date, it will reflect incorrectly on MyVote and clerks may not receive important information from the WEC. |
Take and report the 3-hour Municipal Clerk Core Training | MCT Core is available online in the WEC Learning Center. Clerks must contact the Elections Help Desk to obtain a user name and password for the Learning Center and instructions to access the MCT Core presentation. Please fill out and submit the Request to add Authorized-Users to TLC (EL-365-365ci) to the Help Desk. Clerks need to report all of their election training to the Commission each term using the MCT Certification Form. |
| If required, take WisVote Training | If you are unsure, verify with your county clerk if they provide your municipality with WisVote election system services. You may be a relier on the county, a self-provider municipality or some combination of the two types of users. WisVote training is available online in the WEC Learning Center. Training for full access is approximately 10 hours in length. Training for data entry only is approximately 2 hours in length. |
| Security Awareness Training is required of all WisVote users and recommended for all municipal clerks | Security Awareness Training is available in the WEC Learning Center and consists of seven videos which run about 1.5 hours. Security topics include phishing facts and password protocols |
Check for election worker training documentation | Chief inspectors are required to take a minimum of six hours of election training each 2-year term. For new chief inspectors, three of the six hours must be the Baseline Chief Inspector training class. Training can be taken in-person (as available), or online in the WEC Learning Center. Regular election inspectors are required to take some type of election training, but state law does not prescribe an hourly requirement or curriculum. Clerks track the training taken by their election workers. |
| Check for election worker coverage for upcoming elections | Determine if you have sufficient election worker coverage for the upcoming elections. If you do not, please refer to Election Worker Recruitment for suggestions and best practices. |
Check for current versions of Election Day and Election Administration Manual
| The Election Day Manual (revised September 2020) is issued to new chief inspectors when they take the Baseline class and should be available at the polling place on Election Day. The manual covers the election day duties of chief inspectors, poll workers and other election officials. The Election Administration Manual (revised September 2020) is issued to new municipal clerks when they take the MCT Core class and covers their duties before, during and after an election. The WEC also has several subject-specific manuals, such as Absentee Voting in Residential Care Facilities, Recalls for Local Elected Officials and Counting Votes available on the agency website. |
Review the “Calendar of Election Events” on the WEC website | The Calendar of Election Events is a valuable tool for election officials to reference throughout the election cycle. The calendar is available in multiple formats and instructions for importing the Excel calendar into a Microsoft Outlook calendar are posted with it. |
Check Recent Clerk Communications for the latest updates and news from the Commission | This page contains recent communications from the WEC to Wisconsin’s county and municipal clerks. The list is categorized as high priority, timely attention required, scheduled tasks and information only communications. Clerks receive email reminders to check the site periodically for updates. |
| Review the election administration and WisVote webinar schedules | The first webinar will be “New Clerk Orientation” in September. Webinar recordings and related materials are posted on the Learning Center (TLC) for clerks to use at their convenience. |
| Check if your municipality uses Badger Books | If your municipality uses Badger Books, please contact the Badger Book Team at @email for more information on training and other resources before your first election. |