January 16, 2025

Training for Election Officials: A 50-State Analysis

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Election officials learn to carry out their duties by participating in training at the national, state, and local levels. State-level training is a particularly valuable source for best practices and information on the state laws, policies, and procedures that election officials must follow – especially because election administration is largely run, funded, and managed at the state level. This report examines state-level training across the country and offers five recommendations and six considerations for states and officials looking to build or improve their training.

Election officials have access to state-level training in 43 states: 42 of those states offer training to both chief local election officials and their staff, while 22 offer specific training to new election officials.

State-level training is offered in different modalities, on different schedules, and under different legal and logistical frameworks. There is no singular best practice; trainers should make strategic decisions about the location, modality, and design of training offerings to best meet the needs of election officials in their states.