RESOURCE LIBRARY
Welcome to the PLEJ Resource Library.
We know that ensuring elections run well requires prompt and effective action. That’s why we’ve curated this library of nonpartisan, generic resources. These resources highlight industry best practices around operational response and effective voter communications and are customizable to any election office. Check with your state or county attorney to see if you’re able to use them.
Wait to Vote Estimator
Operational Resource
PLEJ and the Engineering for Democracy Institute (EDI) at The University of Rhode Island have partnered to create a new publicly available “Wait to Vote Estimator.” This nonpartisan tool allows election offices anywhere to plan ahead for in-person voting by estimating wait times for constituents and allows voters to estimate how long they will wait in line based on several factors.
Polling Place Closures
Operational Toolkit
As an elections official, ensuring continuity of operations after a polling place closure (whether planned or not), requires prompt and effective action. This generic, nonpartisan resource includes operational response best practices as well as starter templates for social media, press releases, and voter-facing information that can be easily adapted for any election office.
Rest. Refuel. Repeat.
Issue Guide
Election work is complex, and staying focused and calm under pressure is vital. Mindfulness helps you stay centered, sharpen mental clarity, and reduce stress, allowing you to serve your community with confidence. By integrating simple mindfulness practices into your daily routine, you can better manage complex tasks, make sound decisions, and stay grounded under pressure (when you are needed most).
Suspicious Mail & Delays
Issue Guide
As an election official, communicating with voters, media, and other community stakeholders is important. This generic, nonpartisan document provides a sample statement to help guide your discussions with key audiences on mail ballots and reported delays. We encourage you to customize the material below based on the particulars of your jurisdiction.
Media Interview Prep
Issue Guide
From what to wear to how to prepare, this tip sheet is meant to provide high-level, generic information that can help any election official give a calm, confident interview.
Candidate Replacement
Issue Guide
Situations may arise where an expected candidate is being replaced by a different candidate. These best practices contain messaging that election offices can use when asked about their response to candidate changes. They include a holding statement, which can easily be adapted based on jurisdiction needs and turned into a press release, as well as some FAQs an election office might receive.
Candidate Removal
Issue Guide
Situations may arise where a candidate withdraws and asks to removed from the ballot. As an election official, reassuring voters, media, and other community stakeholders during and around candidate changes is important. This document includes generic responses and tips based on best practices to help guide your discussions with key audiences.
Election Resiliency
Issue Guide
Election officials know it’s important to keep voters and community members educated during election season to ensure a resilient and transparent election process. This generic, nonpartisan resource includes basic information and links to several sources that can help navigate questions around election security, transparency, and accuracy.
