webinar

[Image via blackpublicmedia]

This post has been updated to include the CSG OVI event May 10 – ed.

Even as the election cycle heats up, there’s still a good reason to keep learning about elections – and starting tomorrow, three fantastic organizations are offering four informative webinars over the next week.

The first is tomorrow, May 6 from the top-notch elections team at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL):

Spring Cleaning Your Voter Lists | The Legislative Role

Friday, May 6, 2016 | 2 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. CT/ Noon MT/ 11 a.m. PT [To register, click here]

They say cleanliness is next to godliness and that’s especially true when it comes to voter lists. Join representatives from The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and others to discuss why accuracy in the voter registration rolls is vital for smooth-running elections especially in a big election year, and how accuracy can help avoid problems on Election Day. Hear ideas to help your state maintain voter lists year after year. This webinar will address:

  • How accurate are voter lists currently?
  • What problems arise from inaccurate voter records?
  • How can states cooperate to maintain voter lists?
  • What options are available to lawmakers?

Speakers

  • Samuel Derheimer, The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • John Lindback, the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
  • Wendy Underhill, NCSL

In addition, next week my Golden State friends and colleagues at the Future of California Elections (FoCE) will be hosting not one but two webinars [click the links below to register]:

Webinar: Funding Democracy: The Future of Sustainable Election Funding and Governance
Tuesday, May 10 11am to 12noon
Click here to register

Funding for elections is essential to strengthening California’s democracy, yet election administrators face rising costs and significant barriers, including replacing aging voting systems. This panel explores the true costs of elections and strategies for providing adequate and sustainable funding for elections in California.

Speakers:

  • Kim Alexander, President and Founder, California Voter Foundation
  • Cathy Darling Allen, County Clerk/Registrar of Voters, Shasta County
  • Caitlin Maple, Research Analyst, California Forward
  • Pamela Smith, President, Verified Voting
  • Moderator: Ofelia Medina, Director of State Civic Engagement Policy, NALEO Educational Fund

Webinar: Registering to Vote at the DMV – Changes this Election Cycle 
Thursday, May 12 2pm to 3pm
Click here to register

This webinar is for you if you are mobilizing voters this election season, if you register to vote at the DMV, if you are an organization that interacts with voters. Know the steps and know the facts about registering to vote at the DMV.

In April 2016, the DMV changed its voter registration process for applicants seeking a driver’s license and ID card. These changes come in advance of the implementation of automated voter registration reform expected in 2017 under AB 1461.  With so many changes happening at the DMV it is important that voters know the steps they need to take to ensure they are registered with their political party preference and their language preference for election materials. This webinar will discuss the recent changes at the DMV, the importance of DMV compliance under the National Voter Registration Act and the importance of voter education to ensure voters register correctly.

Speakers:

  • Ofelia Medina, Director of State Civic Engagement Policy, NALEO Educational Fund
  • Trudy Schafer, Senior Director for Program, League of Women Voters of California
  • Lori Shellenberger, Voting Rights Director, ACLU of California
  • Paul R. Spencer, Staff Attorney for Voting Rights, Disability Rights California
  • Moderator: Astrid Garcia Ochoa, Deputy Director, Future of California Elections

And finally, the team at the Council on State Government (CSG)’s Overseas Voting Initiative has this webcast next Tuesday [register here]:

Putting Tech to Work for Military & Overseas Voting: Recommendations by the CSG Overseas Voting Initiative
Tuesday, May 10, 2 p.m. EDT

For U.S. service members and citizens living overseas, participating in elections back home can be a challenge—requiring requests for ballots in advance of Election Day and allowing sufficient time for their return stateside to be counted. The Council of State Governments’ Overseas Voting Initiative, or OVI, is working cooperatively with the Federal Voting Assistance Program, a U.S. Department of Defense agency, to develop best practices for state and local election administrators to help make voting an easier, faster and more accurate process for military and other overseas U.S. citizen voters—and the election administrators who serve them. In this FREE CSG eCademy webcast, members of the CSG OVI’s Technology Working Group will discuss the group’s efforts to research improvements incorporating technology that can help U.S. election officials facilitate and improve the overseas voting process for their constituents. Presenters will also share progress toward the development of the CSG OVI Technology Working Group recommendations, which will be released in December at the CSG 2016 National Conference in Colonial Williamsburg, Va.

All four of these sessions are an excellent opportunity to hear from experts and practitioners discuss key issues facing the field. If you can join, you should – and if you miss them, check those links later and I’m sure there will be recordings of the sessions. Thanks to NCSL, FoCE and CSG for making these sessions available; they are a huge asset to the field.

Usually I say “stay tuned”, but in this case – tune in!

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