(Columbus) - Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced today a statewide effort to ensure election officials are trained and prepared for the high-profile 2024 presidential election. The Ready for November initiative will offer a series of collaborative training opportunities between Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections and the Secretary of State’s elections, public integrity and communications staff.
“Similar to a military mission, running elections is a complex operation with little room for error,” said LaRose. “In the coming months, our focus will be on preparing our election officials and supplying the resources to them to deliver for the people of Ohio. Our state is the national gold standard for a reason, and by placing a focus on our readiness, voters will ultimately experience a secure and accessible election this November.”
Among some of the topics covered by the Ready for November initiative, election officials will preview poll worker recruitment and training, provisional voting, election night reporting, early vote and election day logistics, election integrity protocols and communication best practices, among other topics.
Ready for November Initiative Key Events and Resources:
1. Regional Readiness Trainingfocused on roundtable discussions among election officials of logistical best practices.
2. Law Enforcement & Homeland Security Briefingsfocused security training and preparedness efforts
3. Webinars and training resourcesprovided to election officials virtually.
4. After Action Reviewsconducted at each county board of elections going over what went well and what could be improved from prior elections.
5. Annual Election Conferenceheld in late June featuring sessions on key election topics.
6. Poll worker trainingheld at all county boards of elections leading up to Election Day.
7. Table-top exercisesdesigned for election officials to run through likely (and even unlikely) scenarios they may face during the election.
Next week begins Phase One of the Ready for November initiative, beginning with a series of regional readiness trainings that take place from April 22 to May 3.
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