Texas Leads the Way...

Last year the Texas Secretary of State joined HAVA Partners to become the first state to launch a statewide online poll worker training program. This is an important milestone on the path to uniform election administration as required by the Help America Vote Act. In the past the Secretary of State provided training materials which the jurisdictions were responsible to implement. In such a system, there are numerous "variations on the theme" regardless of how well intentioned the effort to deliver the same training everywhere. The online training program was developed from the SOS written materials and presents every user with the same information in the same manner. The system also allows individuals to move through the program at their own pace, as many times as they like, and to use supplementary materials as they wished.

The Texas poll workers who responded to a post-course survey found the information useful and the technology easy or moderately easy to use to use (97%). And, those who needed help were able to get it and were satisfied with it (60%). This data is encouraging. It suggests that the typical poll worker, a senior citizen, is both willing and - in contrast to the common stereotype - able to take an online course as part of their training. Local election administrators also reported liking the administrative features of the program: selecting the most relevant content for their poll workers, monitoring usage, and seeing reports on test question response rates.

After making what amounts to a modest capital investment to develop the innovative and successful online training program, Texas is using it again for the 2007 election cycle beginning this spring. And, they have made some improvements so the course will be even more user friendly to both poll workers and the county election officials. HAVA Partners anticipated that as the Texas elections officials became comfortable with the technology, they would want additional features. Texas wanted us to adapt their program to better serve the two classes of users: the poll workers and the election administrators in the political subdivisions across the state. We were ready with suggestions.

For poll workers, we added two features. One is a self-registration option rather than requiring users be registered by the county officials. The second is a downloadable workbook that compliments the course content. This familiar learning tool will help poll workers make an easier transition to the new online learning tool. Its graphic design echoes the website, it has space to keep notes on each chapter and for two chapters that address especially complex material, the work book has additional learning aides.

In the updated program, local election administrators now have three ways to get their poll workers into the system: self-registration, "bulk" registration via an Excel or other spreadsheet, and individual registration. They also can access additional reports to help them manage their poll workers: self-registered users, not self-registered, and all registered users for their jurisdiction.

As Texas prepares to require all poll workers to take the online training course, HAVA Partners is ready to support them every step of the way.