3 signs in green grass against a blue sky. The signs read "Vote" and are pink, yellow and blue.

Municipal and county clerks carry elections under intense scrutiny, limited resources, and high expectations. In a midterm year like 2026, the pressure is real, but so is the satisfaction of knowing your work keeps democracy moving in your community.​

Why election years feel so heavy

Local election officials report serious stress from underfunding, staffing challenges, and security concerns. Many say they need more practical support and clear guidance to keep doing the work they care about.​

This guide focuses on what you can control: solid processes, calmer voter interactions, and realistic care for your team.

Back‑office: A process you can trust

1. Turn deadlines into a shared roadmap

A single, visible calendar lowers stress fast.

  • Map all key dates for primaries and November: filings, ballot proofs, equipment testing, mailings, early voting, canvass, and certification.​

  • Group items (legal deadlines, internal prep, communications) so anyone can see what’s urgent and what’s coming next.​

Useful link: The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Election Security Preparedness page includes planning and contingency resources you can adapt into your calendar and procedures.​

2. Standardize the critical workflows

Checklists turn “I hope we remember everything” into “we follow the same steps every time.”

  • Create clear checklists for chain‑of‑custody, ballot handling, provisional ballots, and reconciliation.​

  • Put checklists where work happens—on clipboards or internal portals—so staff can check off steps in real time.​

Standardization makes errors less likely and onboarding seasonal or new staff much easier.​

Useful link: EAC’s Election Security Preparedness materials show examples of chain‑of‑custody and incident‑response practices you can mirror locally.​

3. Assign roles before crunch time

Clarity now prevents chaos later.

  • Decide who updates the website, fields public questions, coordinates poll workers, and monitors public notices or social channels.​

  • Cross‑train backups for each critical duty so one absence does not derail the plan.​

Useful link: The Poll Worker Resources for Election Officials section on the EAC site includes role descriptions and training tools you can adapt for both poll workers and internal tasks.​

Front‑line: Serving voters when emotions run high

All elections are adversarial by design, so emotions naturally run hotter—even when everyone is acting in good faith. This section stays neutral and process‑focused.

4. Set expectations before voters arrive

Clear information ahead of time means fewer tense conversations.

  • Keep an up‑to‑date “What to expect this election” page: key dates, registration info, how to get a ballot, ID rules (if any), and how to get help.​

  • Use the same wording across your website, printed notices, and social channels so staff are not improvising under pressure.​

Useful link: The Center for Civic Design – “Choosing how to communicate with voters” guide can help you choose channels and craft consistent, clear messages.​

5. Give staff simple, neutral scripts

Scripts give staff a calm starting point when things get heated.

  • Draft short responses for common questions or frustrations, for example:

    • “Here’s what the law requires us to do, and here’s how we can help you through it.”

    • “Let’s walk through what will happen with your ballot step by step.”

  • Encourage pairing scripts with a next step—a form, a link, or a clear explanation of what happens next.​

Useful link: Election Season Communication Guidance for State & Local Officials offers messaging principles you can adapt into talking points and scripts.​

6. Normalize de‑escalation and backup

Staff need permission and structure to step back when needed.

  • Make it standard that staff can pause, ask a colleague to step in, or bring in a supervisor when they feel unsafe or overwhelmed.​

  • Coordinate in advance with law enforcement or security on polling‑place and office safety, so everyone knows who to call and when.​

Useful link: Guidance highlighted by the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections offers practical ideas for threat awareness and coordination at election sites.​

Caring for the people who make elections work

7. Acknowledge stress and celebrate wins

Naming the strain makes it easier to manage.

  • Hold short debriefs during busy weeks: What worked? What did not? What should change before November?​

  • Celebrate milestones—finishing testing, a big mailing, or closing out a primary—with simple thank‑yous or small recognitions.​

8. Protect time and focus

Constant interruption is exhausting and error‑prone.

  • Rotate “front desk duty” so one person handles walk‑ins and calls while others get quiet time for detailed tasks.​

  • Batch similar work—calls, emails, data entry—to cut down on context‑switching.​

9. Reconnect to purpose

Purpose is one of the biggest reasons election officials stay, even under strain.​

  • Share small stories inside your office: a voter you helped, confusion you cleared up, a resident who expressed thanks.​

  • Remind the team that their work enables participation and trust in your community, even if most people never see the behind‑the‑scenes effort.​

Link collection: Trusted tools you can use today

Here is a short list you can link to directly from the post:

Each of these lets your office plug into high‑quality, current guidance—without reinventing checklists—so you can spend more time doing the work and, hopefully, still loving your local government job in a very big election year.​