Calendars and Tracking
Reference Documents:
- QC Info Gathered (key information on upcoming elections)
- States Notes (nuances of state election laws)
- PVSWiki (Vote Smart's policies and procedures)
Calendars/Task Management:
- QC Scheduled Checks
- Elections Department Super Calendar (2023 Version, 2024 Version)
- Google Calendar (Vote Smart’s Elections Calendar): for Election Dates
- Google Calendar (Elections Monitoring Unit Calendar): for candidate filing deadlines
Tracking Progress and Keeping Records:
- Weekly Reports
- 50 State Report (2023 version)
Pre-Primary: Preparation for Election Coverage
- Entering Candidate Lists: For states that have really early primaries or for Presidential elections, see if they have candidate lists up yet and begin to add them to our database. Continue to monitor for candidate lists and add them as needed prior to continuing on with other tasks.
- Complete "QC Info Gathered for [Election Year]"
- Look on elections office Websites first to find information.
- Contact Elections Offices for each State to verify information and fill in the blanks. Filing Deadlines are the last date when candidates can file paperwork declaring their candidacy for public office. Some states have one deadline for all candidates; some have staggered deadlines, generally with major party deadlines first, followed by minor/third party deadlines and occasionally write-in deadlines. In some states, candidates can file any time before the deadline. In others, there is a specific set of dates that the candidate must file on. Withdrawal Deadlines generally signify the last day that candidates can file a withdrawal. Different states have different policies on this matter. Some have a deadline after which withdrawals won't affect the ballot; some don't have deadlines at all. If a candidate has withdrawn, but will still be on the ballot, that candidate stays on our list. All states change lists after withdrawal deadlines.
- Set up systems for tracking progress and keeping records: The Super-Calendar for each year is a good way to keep track of dates–filing and election dates. Having trackers set up for things like Voter Registration, Election Office updates, and Ballot Measures (among other projects) is ideal for any sort of work you do in Elections Monitoring.
- Review Manual (PVSWiki) for accuracy and completeness, and review issues with the Elections Director.
Also see instructions for Managing and Preparing for Election Results
